Annotation

Introduction. Putin's Russia in deep focus -- 1. From Gorbachev to Yeltsin -- Soviet and post-Soviet elites (1986-91) -- Yeltsin's Russia and the world (1992-95) -- 2. From Yeltsin to Putin -- weak state and the oligarchs (1995-96) -- Society shattered -- Yeltsin's second term and the financial crash (1996-99) -- 3. Power and Money: The Economic Foundations -- How the economy changed -- shifting balance of oil power -- Russia and the resource curse -- 4. Power and Money: The State, Oligarchs and Oil -- Enter the men from the KGB (1999-2002) -- state takes charge of oil and gas (2002-07) -- 'energy weapon' -- 5. Power and Money: From Oil Boom to Bust -- oil boom (2002-07) -- world crisis takes its toll (2007-09) -- 6. Power and People: How Russia is Ruled -- war that made Putin -- 'Managed democracy' and its limits -- 7. People and Money: Human Development Dilemmas -- demographic and health crisis -- widening gap between rich and poor -- Social policy under Putin -- 8. People: Parties, Unions and NGOs -- political opposition -- Movements for human rights and the environment, and other NGOs -- What about the workers? -- 9. People: Grassroots Movements -- welfare benefits revolt -- Housing rights action -- array of causes.