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The Man Without a Face
The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin | Masha Gessen
Documents the Russian prime minister's rapid ascent from a low-level KGB operative to the presidency, describing his selection by an ailing Boris Yeltsin's oligarchy and the ways in which the author believes that his views and ambitions have renewed Russia's threatening position to its citizens and the world. By the author of Perfect Rigor. Reprint. 35,000 first printing.
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I should‘ve paid more attention to the publication date and looked for a newer book, but this well-written account of Putin‘s rise to power, and everything he dismantled in the process, was still worthwhile. He is, and seemingly always has been, a manipulative, corrupt, garbage human.

Cinfhen Yeah, I get that! I hate reading NF that feels outdated 😩 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen Normally, I‘d now look for a more current book, but I don‘t want to read any more about this a-hole. 3y
Cinfhen I hear that and couldn‘t agree more 💚👍🏻 3y
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arubabookwoman I read it when it first came out and found it informative. Though it may need updating I think you can still get the gist of his evil. 3y
britt_brooke @arubabookwoman Agree; it was still worthwhile. 3y
Megabooks I enjoyed this for historical background, but I would like to read something newer as well. 3y
75 likes6 comments
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

Damn. Putin is one of the dirtiest politicians I have ever read about. This book covers his KGB years, his rise in the shadows of the Yeltsin administration, and his rule up to 2010. He is cold blooded. I don‘t think any amount of suffering in Ukraine will stop him because this book details attacks on his own people that didn‘t bother him.

I probably should‘ve started with an even more basic book about Russia, but I learned so much!

Megabooks Thanks so much for the rec @vivastory 👍🏻😀 3y
Sophronisba I just read this too, I am a huge fan of Masha Gessen. I think their book The Future Is History is even better. 3y
britt_brooke Definitely stacking this!! 3y
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Megabooks @Sophronisba I‘ll have to check it out. Thanks! 3y
vivastory I'm glad to see that this one worked for you, Meg! Unfortunately I couldn't agree with you more about Ukraine. I found it very informative & will be thinking about it for awhile. 3y
Suet624 He is relentless. 3y
81 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Masha Gessen‘s new article today.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/the-unimaginable-reality-of-americ...

You might appreciate this one too @BarbaraTheBibliophage since we saw her speak.

BarbaraTheBibliophage Thanks. I‘ll check it out! 5y
42 likes1 comment
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SaraBeagle
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I drove to work this morning with my mouth hanging open in shock the whole way. The details of Putin‘s likely involvement in terrorism against his own citizens was unbelievable. And I‘ve already read some info about that in Gessen‘s other book on Russia. Wow 😮

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ShannonOffDuty
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Pickpick

Really fascinating book. Now will I get a Russian visa for posting that I approve of this book? I'll let you know :/

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Since the author of this very interesting and troubling book that I read a month or two ago just showed up in my current read, it seems like a good nudge to post a #Recommendsday for this one today!

50 likes3 stack adds
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Abailliekaras
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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My September Roundup!

#SeptemberStats
#September2017

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Is it sad that one of the first things I checked out this morning after the news was if the author of my last read moved to the US or was still in Russia, and that I was overjoyed to learn she had and wasn't dead or missing of odd circumstances after she wrote this book & the protests at the end failed (plus knowing in the story she had a girlfriend which is definitely illegal in Russia today)? Yes it is sad, and more sadly still it was necessary!

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Russian protestors after the 2011 Russian vote....that sounds sadly very familiar too. 😢&💙

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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I had to find and share this one small part from my audiobook listen yesterday. As soon as I heard it I immediately thought of someone in the news currently who built a secure phone booth in his office to ensure the privacy of his calls. 🙄

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Pickpick

If you want to read a scary book this Halloween, this is the one! From his childhood up to his reelection in 2011, It paints a very grim picture of the country & Putin's practices, mostly told from the original sources (or their relatives since quite a few have met untimely ends). Definitely a must read as Russia and Putin become even more spotlighted on the global stage with their actions in Ukraine, Crimea, and currently global elections. 😱

Natasha.C.Barnes 😱 is right!! 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Natasha.C.Barnes Yea...The Man Without A Face that can curse you to die suddenly of bizarre and rare poisonings, or to be sent to jail for disobeying laws that aren't written just yet, or can orchestrate 'terrorist' attacks to gain public support when he needs it. Truly frightening! 7y
CouronneDhiver Interesting! 7y
50 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Eerily topical today...I could say something similar about a certain businessman/golfer who said he'd be more Presidential if elected. 😢

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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This book is very detailed, lots of history, and scarier than any horror novel. ☠️Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer (and in this book watch out because your lifelong friends may have you murdered too, especially if they are Putin). 😱

KVanRead Interesting. Scary stuff about him in this one too 7y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @KVanRead I'll definitely look for that one. I already bought Winter is Coming when it was on Kindle sale awhile back. 7y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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That doesn't sound familiar at all....😱

Tamra 😖 7y
alisahar Yeah not at all. 7y
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kathleenaflynn
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Pickpick

More terrifying than any spy thriller.

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lilycobalt
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#libraryhaul today: A couple of holds came in, and then my girlfriend requested some LGBT fiction for her upcoming trip to Fire Island, so I picked a couple titles off the stacks that I want to read myself. I've been waiting probably about 6 months for the Putin book, so I'd better prioritize it...but I don't want to. 😑

DreesReads The Paying Guests is soooo good! 7y
lilycobalt @AudreyMorris Looking forward to it! 7y
10 likes2 comments
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Julsmarshall
Pickpick

So fascinating! Gessen does a great job of including enough background history to provide context but avoids bogging down the story with unnecessary info. This is an area I've been woefully ignorant in but I now feel like I have a better understanding of the situation in Russia and what is truly at stake with the recent connections between them and the US. Truly chilling! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Julsmarshall
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My dog matches my book. #bedtimereading #sleepypup

britt_brooke 💚💚💚 7y
LibrarianRyan He's sooo cute. 7y
Beckys_Books Love how his head is on the pillow 💟 7y
Tanzy13 🐶 7y
80 likes4 comments
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Julsmarshall
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Starting this one, been wanting some non fiction in my life 😄I'm interested to learn more about Putin. #resistreads #currentread

Laura317 It's next in my tbr as well. 7y
53 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Abailliekaras
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I really like intelligent authors who seek the #truth but are also highly readable. Masha Gessen and Geoffrey Robertson (eg The Case Against the Pope) are two of my favourites.
#maybookflowers

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MelanieMefford
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Pickpick

You know Russia is corrupt, but after reading this you KNOW Russia is corrupt. Scary and sad how things work over there.

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MelanieMefford
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Next up!!

8leagueboot I just finished this one. My recommendation? Don't read before bed! #strangerthanfiction 8y
6 likes1 comment
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8leagueboot
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This was a tough one to read before bed, unnerving and thought provoking. I definitely recommend approaching it with a highlighter. Gessen's personal frustration definitely shows through at times, something that may make you feel more connected to the text or more wary, depending on how you prefer your investigative journalism to read. Still, an important book for troubling times that I highly recommend. I'll definitely be sharing it.

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HLouiseM
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Anytime I read/hear someone refer to "Christian Values" as foundational to Western Civilization, I want mash a copy of Plato's: Republic into their face while exclaiming "And the Persians invented Algebra!" {quote from The Atlantic}

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Well-ReadNeck
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Pickpick

#TrumpedUpReadingList

Well, if I wasn't leaning toward conspiracy theorist before, I just jumped on the wagon with both feet. Very informative, and it's always interesting to me to have a book give a narrative to history.

Dolly 😬 8y
CarolynOliver At least we're noticing what's happening now? (I hope!) 8y
CocoReads 😱😬😡 8y
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Hooked_on_books I see very eerie echoes in this. Not good. 8y
bio_chem06 @Well-ReadNeck The People's House is a good one, it's fiction, but if you look up David Pepper, he had an interesting background that includes working with Putin. If you get the chance to hear him speak, he is great. Gave a lot of perspective about what's happening, from another angle. Very cool. 8y
Well-ReadNeck @bio_chem06 Stacked!!! Thanks! 8y
Notafraidofwords Shivers 8y
Bloomingjen I will check this out. I have noticed the parralels with us and Iran, actually...which is quite the coincidence when so many in this country think we are the opposite of them. 8y
bio_chem06 @Well-ReadNeck just a little fun fact. He started writing the book 3 years ago. So once you read it, it's like, what did you know? Haha 8y
Sweettartlaura 😮😩 8y
Beckys_Books Scary 8y
8leagueboot Some of the sentences in this forced me to pause and highlight. I've already had cause to compare a number of them to our current political climate. 8y
122 likes7 stack adds12 comments
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8leagueboot
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Fran Lebowitz famously said, "Think before you speak. Read before you think." This is going to be a year for crafting meticulous arguments, for getting to the root of current events, for reading deeply, thinking through and, ultimately, fighting back. #readthinkresist

AlaMich That pic of Putin is the stuff of nightmares. 8y
jpmcwisemorgan I'm using #ReadersResist in conjunction with its use in Twitter as part of related campaign by writers. 8y
17 likes3 comments
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Well-ReadNeck
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My weekend reading. Will probably carry me to the end of January.

Megabooks So sad today is interesting. Parts are just strange to read but lots of respect for her honesty 8y
129 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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alisahar
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Pickpick

Reviewing a few books I finished reading a while ago! This one I read because clearly, Putin is Trump's favorite autocrat and I wanted to understand the parallels between the two. I don't know that this book gave me very much insight into Trump but it did show how an autocrat uses fear and intimidation to banish dissent. Putin's corruption and tendency to use his office for personal enrichment are definitely one parallel we will see with Trump.

saresmoore I almost didn't like this because UGH to the photo! But bravo for reading for insight! 8y
alisahar @saresmoore the photo is awful- agreed. 😷 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I need to read this one, when I read HC's Hard Choices, I could see exactly why Putin might not like her specifically, because as Secretary of State she called him on some of his less 'democratic' dealings and was the one who issued some of the sanctions & statements after some of Russia's election irregularities & freedom of press issues. As the current news has been breaking, I wasn't surprised at all that he made a play to back the other horse. 8y
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MyNamesParadise Watch the documentary by Frontline called Putin's Way. It shows how he rose to power so quickly and the tactics he used to do it. 8y
alisahar @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yeah, not surprising which candidate he decided to back... It seems like it took world leaders a while to figure Putin out so I'd be interested to read more about how HRC called him out. 8y
alisahar @MyNamesParadise thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out. 8y
17 likes1 stack add6 comments
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fmcgeough
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Pickpick

Amazing and shocking book on the rise of Vladimir Putin and the undermining of the democratic movement in Russia. Well worth reading. I loved the protest signs in 2011 after the votes were manipulated to reelect Putin and his party. "I Did Not Vote For These Assholes," proclaimed the banner carried by a young man with a reddish beard, "I Voted for the Other Assholes. I Demand a Recount."
Final book of the year for me. Got to 90 books this year.

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fmcgeough
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In the end, his (Gary Kasparov) money, his fame, and his mind proved powerless against the regime, even if it was true that the regime was scared of him. Once the institutions of democracy had been dismantled, it was impossible- it was too late - to organize to defend them.

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fmcgeough
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Spending day before New Year reading about the shocking crimes of our incoming president's twitter buddy. Really well written book. Worth reading if you do nonfiction reads. Courageous reporter - considering how many people he's killed for much less.

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fmcgeough
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"No one is easier to manipulate than a man who exaggerates his own influence."

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Arbol
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Pickpick

Very interesting reading especially if you juxtapose this with the rise of Hitler and his undermining of the Weimar before taking over total control. Both had attempted their own coup, then worked within current power structures to gain a foothold then (created?) used supposed antigovernment actions to justify setting themselves up as authoritarian. There are a lot of diversions in their paths but where they align is just...fascinating.

Desha Have you read Once Upon a Time in Russia? Fast paced but fascinating read that covers Putin's rise to power and those who came before him...❤️📚📚 8y
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alisahar
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This is where I see the biggest parallels between Trump and Putin. Putin has used the state to enrich himself at every turn & is reportedly worth $40B. After watching Trump's transition I see the same mob boss mentality: the clannishness, rewarding loyalty with power and position, and a refusal to take steps to avoid corruption and conflicts. I'm beginning to think personal enrichment is Trump's main driver-- much more than ideology.

alisahar Borrowing @Well-ReadNeck's #TrumpedupReadingList hashtag -- definitely read this as a post-election read! 8y
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alisahar
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Can you tell I'm desperately trying to come to terms with this election? In the Darkroom actually covers a lot of history of Hungary & anti-Semitism before and during the Holocaust. White Trash sheds light on economic issues & resentments that fueled Trump's election. And Vladimir Putin is Trump's favorite autocrat so yeah. Well-prepared for the coming apocalypse! 😥 #nonfictionnovember

ZoeyPeacock 💔😢 8y
18 likes3 stack adds1 comment