This is a meandering account of Ian Frazier's many trips to Siberia. I love Ian, after reading his book on the Great Plains. Russia, and Siberia especially, has always been both fascinating and inscrutable to me. I can't travel there due to lame political tensions or whatever so this book had to suffice.

It's good. Ian is not a concise writer, which could definitely put some readers off. It's half history and half travelogue, which makes it more interesting than it would be if it was just either one, and it's about as comprehensive as you can expect from an American. And it is, occasionally, very funny. I recommend it. But his book on the Great Plains is better.