Teach Yourself Russian Language Life and Culture (Paperback)

by Stephen Webber (Author), Tatyana Webber (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Teach Yourself Russian Language, Life and Culture delves into the customs and ways of Russia and its inhabitants, taking a respectful yet lively point of view. Topics include government, arts, language, work, leisure, education, festivals and celebrations, and food. By asking questions such as "What kind of music is native to Russia?" this book invites you to examine fascinating aspects of another culture.

From the Publisher
What is the mysterious Russian soul?

Where can you find palm trees in Russia?

How much has Russia changed since the end of Communist rule?

What do Russia's human 'walruses' do during the winter months?

This book answers these questions, and many more, in a concise and lively overview of Russia: the country, its heritage and its people. This is your key to understanding Russia's past, present and future...

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (April 23, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071396810
• ISBN-13: 978-0071396813
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,530,323 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Does Not Gibe With the Title, July 20, 2003

By	"ksraper" (Katy, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

I am a writer and I could have written this book in fifteen minutes using a Collier's Encyclopedia. It is terrible. Pay attention to the title that says teach yourself Russian CULTURE and HISTORY because it has nothing to do with teaching yourself Russian or Ukrainian. The book basically begins with an encyclopedia article on Ivan the Terrible and ends with an encyclopedia article on Boris Yeltsin. That's not Russian, that's not Ukrainian- it's nothing you didn't already know by spending a half an hour on the internet. Do Not Buy This Book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An insight into Russia, February 24, 2004

By	D M Pursglove "mike38747" (Maidenhead, UK) - See all my reviews

I wish I had had this book when I was teaching Russian culture, in its broadest sense, in UK universities. Most students took up the subject on entering the university and therefore had no grounding in it at all. This book, rightly, assumes zero knowledge on the part of the reader, yet manages not to assume a condescending tone. On the contrary it is readable, up-to-date, informative and interesting. Even an old Russia hand like myself learned a great deal from it. The fact that one of the authors is Russian, the other English, gives them a particularly broad insight into their subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reader from Kazan, Russia, February 21, 2004

By A Customer

As a Russian studying in the UK, I am often asked a lot of questions about Russia by my British and iternational friends. Very often I did not have the answers! So, I was actually looking for a suitable source on Russia. This excellent book is the best of this kind - it manages to compress a great deal of information and insights about all aspects of Russian life into just some 250 pages. It is refreshingly free of the usual stereotypes about Russia, but is still realistic. So, for a taste of what Russia is, I can certainly recommend this book.