Craig Macphee

Roll over Joe Stalin: Struggling with Post-soviet Reform in the Caucasus Craig Macphee

One of the most important events at the turn of this century, the great transformation from communism to capitalism, has led unexpectedly to economic chaos and a drop in living standards in the former Soviet Union. Roll Over Joe Stalin guides you through the process of reform to discover that history, culture, and geography explain how difficult it is to change societies formed by centuries of misrule. Roll Over Joe Stalin introduces you to the people and the places that give the small Caucasian republic of Georgia enough strategic importance to warrant recent visits by top US officials, including President George W. Bush. Georgia's arduous transition is described in lively stories that will interest general readers as well as those specializing in transition economics. Roll Over Joe Stalin is the first book to cover all facets of post-Soviet reform: from land privatization in agriculture, to restructuring the banking system, revitalizing education, stabilizing fiscal and monetary policy, restoring the vital energy sector, and privatizing industry. The problems of prioritizing, sequencing, and coordinating reforms are reviewed and the roles of international aid organizations are critically examined.