The Anatomy of Russian Defense Conversion

Contributions from American and Russian experts from academia, the military, government, and business analyze the conversion of the Russian defense industry, the factors limiting the accomplishment of this conversion, and prospects for improving the situation. After discussion of the historical context of the Soviet command economy and its emphasis on the military, 56 papers address topics related to East-West joint ventures, the loss of intellectual capital, environmental aspects, medical and demographic consequences of conversion, former biological warfare facilities, defense conversion in other countries, and international marketing challenges for civilian products. Editor Genin was a chief designer of major USSR defense and civilian enterprises, has been deeply involved in international business development, and is now affiliated with Stanford University and UCLA. Among the contributing authors are William Perry (former US Secretary of Defense), David Holloway (Institute for International Studies, Stanford U.), and Mike Intriligator (Center for International Relations, UCLA). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)