Customer Reviews

You've Got Mail from Kazakhstan

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is evidence of everything wrong with the American brand of Orientalism. Kazakhstan and the former Soviet Union is just far enough way to be seen as some mystical wonderland, but close enough and developed enough to be easily visited by the American yokels that hold such opinions.

That being said, the author is entirely honest and up-front on the lack of content, explaining that these are emails, and that the emails spend as much time on frivolities and other excursions into neighboring Uzbekistan and helicopter rides. In short, it's hard to believe the ego of these people, thinking that their "experiences" from their entirely shallow impressions of events and situations that are not only beyond their understanding, but deemed too unimportant to trouble them or their reader.

Pretty damn racist if you ask me - just another case of American exceptionalism. In the words of my fiancee, another friend of Kazakhstan, people are people and they go to work - trivializing their entire way of life as "exotic" and leaving it as that...

To finish, let me say that while I am unable to imagine who their target audience was, I know it isn't anyone at all interested in learning about the "outside world," whatever that is.

What a charming little book! This couple took time out of retirement to jump out of their comfortable suburban lives and head to Kazakhstan to offer volunteer assistance to budding small businesses. The tales of their adventures are touching, funny, and heartwarming. It's a sort of study abroad for the golden years model - more seniors should try it! A wonderful read and an inspiring story!

We're adopting a baby from Kaz and wanted some background on the country. Not a lot of books out there, as you well know! This is a series of e-mails from a retired couple who spent 3 months in the early 90's in Almaty, the husband helping Kaz companies with business plans. It's kind of cool to hear about their trips to the green market and trips to Uzbekistan, but the stuff their relatives write back to them is worthless for Kaz learning purposes. I skipped over a lot. Get it used or from a library if you want to try it or skip all together...