XANDER BLAKELY
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Booklist - 5/1/02 Issue In 1992, armed with a bachelor's degree in economics and an indomitable (or nearly so) American entrepreneurial spirit, Blakely set off to Siberia, where the fall of communism had opened a vast, pristine market. Following an abortive romance, he thrust himself into his various enterprises, which, with his workaholic Russian partner, Sasha, included importing cocoa beans, latex gloves, and condoms. For most of his long, bumpy ride during those early days of unfettered Russian capitalism, which involved a good deal of payoffs, kickbacks, and deal making backed by heavy drinking, Blakely's confidence in the free market never wavered-at times he is downright propagandistic as he extols the virtues of the free market-but after a few years of doing business Siberian style his idealism and pretensions became deflated. Added to this was a newfound love that influenced him in readjusting his priorities. Blakely provides humorous episodes in his account, which successfully captures both the adventurous and pathetic qualities of the cowboy capitalism that took hold in Russia during the first years of its democracy.
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