Blowing the cobwebs from antiquated notions of Russia as an enigmatic nation doomed to tragic failure, twenty-eight articulate and entrepreneurial young Russian men and women--representatives of a new generation who came of age during and after the fall of the Soviet Union--record the hopes, fears, and triumphs of recent years. These trailblazers share stories of the very specific actions they and others like them have taken to move Russia toward a more civilized, responsible, and vibrant society. They describe their efforts to reshape the Russian state, cope with the new economic rules, strive toward a rule of law, build a civil society, and preserve Russian culture while modernizing its educational system. They paint a picture of a society borne up in its many travails by a stubborn will to survive and by a capacity to adapt ingeniously and swiftly to changes, both welcome and unwelcome. Read Less