Edwin Bacon is Reader in Comparative Politics at Birkbeck College, USA. He has written widely on contemporary Russia, and has served as an adviser for the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons.

• 1. Introduction.- 2. The Historical Context.- 3. Land and People.- 4. Social Structure and Social Policy.- 5. Politics and Government.- 6. The Economy.- 7. Rights, Freedoms and Civil Society.- 8. Culture and Media.- 9. Russia and the World.- Conclusion.

Review of the first edition: "[A]n excellent introductory text...well-informed, up-to-date and clearly written...authoritative in its command of both detail and perspective, over a wide range of topics...it would be hard to imagine a better short introduction to Russia's society and the contemporary Russian state." - Phil Hanson, Slavonica