Russia 2010

Though perhaps best known for The Prize ( LJ 2/15/91), Yergin also has a distinguished record in participating in studies of the future, dating from his co-editorship of Energy Future: Report of the Energy Project at the Harvard Business School (Ballantine, 1979). Here, the emphasis is on "scenario planning," with the authors exploring the implications for the West of intriguing if quite different forecasts of Russia's future. Contemporary, crisp, and very provocative, the book is especially good in the concluding sections, exploring Russia's return to great power status; however, the authors' analysis is solid throughout. Highly recommended for academic libraries; also appropriate for general audiences.