Siberia Bound: Chasing the American Dream on Russia's Wild Frontier [Hardcover]

Alexander Blakely (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2002

Fresh out of college with a degree in economics, young Alexander Blakely is drawn to frozen, desolate Siberia by the promise of love and the idealistic urge to bring capitalism to the former Soviet Union. What he finds in the middle of a small town on the vast tundra of Siberia is an unexpected romance, an opportunistic Russian business partner and a new free-market system manipulated by the same people who drove the crumbling communist system into the ground. Blakely and his partner finagle their way into a fledgling distribution business and build a successful company, ultimately dealing in everything from condoms to cocoa beans. In his four years in Siberia, Blakely comes to adore the people and the place. But as success changes those around him, the lure of capitalism changes the Siberia he loved. Materialism and comfort—the very things he rejects at home but promotes abroad—arrive in Siberia, with profound and disturbing costs. Blakely's story is one of coming of age, but it also dramatizes a clash of cultures and paints a haunting portrait of a fascinating and very specific time and place—Siberia just after the fall of communism.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In 1991, Blakely joined a legion of young American college graduates flocking to Russia in search of adventure and money. What sets him apart from his many expat peers who have written about their entrepreneurial escapades is a natural gift for storytelling and a rare ability to translate the specificities of a foreign culture. With a degree in economics and a crush on a Siberian pen pal named Katya to guide him, Blakely chooses Novosibirsk as his base for sharing his vision of capitalism with the Russian masses. The frozen university town is no more primitive than the political and cultural capitals of Moscow and St. Petersburg when it comes to crafting a business plan or setting up a joint venture. Nor, it turns out, are there any fewer willing participants to undertake the unknown. Soon Blakely finds himself at the head of a large chocolate as well as latex glove concern, in which profits and supplies tumble around as randomly as the balls of a lottery draw. Blakely eventually realizes that the "pursuits of happiness" are fruitless when you don't count costs. Looking around at the unhappiness and unhealthiness that besets his colleagues, he notes, "We, the lucky few who had prospered during the economic chaos, had paid too high a price for the success." That is the somber truth for many who ventured into the speculative wilderness of Russian-style capitalism, but doesn't ring true for Blakely, who returned with wonderful memories, a soul mate for a wife and an admirable first book.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Shortly after graduating from Swarthmore with a B.A. in economics, Minnesota farm boy Blakely headed for Siberia, one of the last frontiers on Earth, in search of adventure and fortune. Learning to speak Russian fluently, he teamed up with a street-smart native to begin a chocolate factory. This account of their venture "is a look at Siberia through American eyes," says Blakely. "It is the story of how the myriad costs of democracy and capitalism affect a Siberian man, his family, his company, his town. It is about events that test an idealistic economist's faith in prosperity." Blakely's book dovetails nicely with recent works on Russia's economic state, e.g., David Hoffman's The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia and Chrystia Freeland's Sale of the Century: Russia's Wild Ride from Communism to Capitalism, as his capital-building experiences provide concrete evidence of their observations, serving almost as a case study. In the end, Blakely's book isn't just about building capitalism; it is also about his growing into a foreign culture that included business, love, and family relationships and is thus a very palatable way of learning economics, history, and cultural relationships. This very touching, sometimes humorous, always exciting account is recommended for public libraries and more general academic collections. Harry Willems, Southeast Kansas Lib. Syst., Iola
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks; 1ST edition (June 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570719446
• ISBN-13: 978-1570719448
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,374,913 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very accurate and readable book, November 17, 2002

By 

David Rowell "www.TheTravelInsider.info" (Redmond, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Siberia Bound: Chasing the American Dream on Russia's Wild Frontier (Hardcover)

A Russian diplomat friend insisted I read this book, and even proudly lent me his own personally autographed copy.

I didn't have to read more than a page before recognising this as an excellently written book and full of accurate perceptions and truths - Blakely not only does an excellent job of describing the uniqueness of Russia from a foreigner's perspective, but also the uniqueness of the US from a Russian's perspective. Both sets of descriptions are insightful into both cultures.

As one that has also been closely involved in Russia (from 1995 onwards) I can confirm his description of the enormous changes that are under way in Russia, and of the bitter sweet fruits of the country's transition to 'freedom' and capitalism. His insightful comments about the US representing a communist ideal, and the USSR representing a capitalist ideal give one pause for thought.

His story seems to start in the middle, rather than at the beginning, and leaves a lot out that I'd love to have seen included. But what he does share with us is concentrated and high quality material, and enjoyable for all - for students of Russia, for students of economics, and for students of humanity. I take solace by the massive omissions from his book in the hope that they presage a second volume to follow.

I echo the Russian diplomat's strong recommendation. Buy this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Page Turner and a Conversation Starter!, July 7, 2002

By 

Jane Keat (York, Pennsylvania USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siberia Bound: Chasing the American Dream on Russia's Wild Frontier (Hardcover)

The adventure story is riveting! The love story is endearing!
The language is sensory satisfying! The intellectual insights are surprising!

I skimmed the story in one weekend,and returned to read each chapter slowly, because I wanted to gather up all the rich nuggets of truth about both America and Siberia.

In the following weeks I found myself experiencing "my" America more intensely. Within the story, I found elements of America I wish to treasure, rather than take-for-granted. Sprinkled through the story, I found elements of Siberia that I wish to add to my own American life. Emerging from the story, I found my own questions about values undergirding our form of freedom, democracy, and capitalism. Many of my conversations these last weeks with friends and family have included questions stirred by this story.

This story is primarily about a young man, eager to create a life full of zest, deep love and real-life adventure. His willingess to learn with eagerness, decide with courage, and risk for desired goals takes him to a place few of us know anything about. His descriptions take us there - to see the landscape, to hear the daily life conversations of the people, to enjoy the warmth within homes and to gasp at the cold of the long dark winter nights.

In my opinion, the measure of this author is that he tells his lively, unique story in a way that guarantees reader enjoyment. In a subtle way, he also stired subtle thoughts within the mind of this reader. In my case, I wish for a back- porch conversation with this writer to hear more about his experiences and dialogue more about my questions.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars National Public Radio Was Spot On!, February 23, 2003

By 

Ryan K. Harrington (Eau Claire, WI. United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Siberia Bound: Chasing the American Dream on Russia's Wild Frontier (Hardcover)

I heard of this book via NPR's show "All Things Considered." They were sharing a list of book suggestions for winter reading. I took them up on Siberia Bound and was enthralled. This book imparted a true sense of Siberia through the eyes of an American. It displayed a sense of reality, not of watered down travelogue writing so commonly found today. Through the eyes of a somewhat skeptical and adventurous entrepreneur, an oppressed Siberian culture embraces both the good and the bad aspects of capitalism. Siberia Bound combines an overview of economic theory put into practice and subtle philopsophical views on the ritual of daily life, with an poignant dose of good old fashioned humor.