Customer Reviews

The Making of a Soviet Scientist: My Adventures in Nuclear Fusion and Space From Stalin to Star Wars

5 star:		(3)
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We are used to read about science in Europe or America, but this book refers to the knowledge of science in Rusia. How it affects to the politics and how the policts involve in science matters. Very easy to read. It goes from the beginning of the century to the Star War. Personal anectotes of the author with famous russian physicists.

I recommend this book get a sample of what science is like in a totalitarian society. I grew up in the USSR, and I visited IKI in the middle of 1980s as a lead engineer from a lab that developed waveguide systems for IKI. Everything was secret and KGB guards were everywhere, but we were able to carry out documents and materials for waveguide systems in our pockets. Sagdeev's account of events is quite interesting since he can tell how things were in the USSR without being afraid for his life and well-being any more. I wish he talked more about the scientific side rather than politics.

Now that the madness of Star Wars *seems* be to behind us,
check out this book. If you thought Regan and E.T. were
nuts, wait til you read about the opposition. History is
gracious-she provides sane leaders at insane moments. Just
about everyone on the planet owes this gentleman big time.
He writes beautifully. The history of Eastern bloc physics
is not well known in the west-this book is the perfect place
to start. One of the sanest, most decent men on the
planet.

I was a NASA engineer who worked at the time of the space race between the U.S. and Russia. This book was especially interesting to me, and give me a clearer perspective on the Russian mentality during the time of the Space Race. Good for anyone who wants to gain a clearer understanding of what is behind the way Russian people think and act.