A collection of Russian jokes, anecdotes and short stories.
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Those who think that Russian nuclear weapons are the most powerful weapon in the Russian arsenal are quite mistaken. By far the most powerful in the Russian arsenal is humor. Russian humor has made it possible for Russians to survive in conditions in which other nations, not equipped with same humor, would have given up and died. I would argue that Russian humor also played a central role in discrediting and, eventually, subverting the Soviet state: there is nothing worse for a national leader than to be laughed about and Leonid Brezhev generated an amazing about of jokes. Due to that complex and sometimes even tragic history, Russian humor can be dark, rude and sometimes even outright mean. But always funny.

Russian humor has had something of a rebirth in the recent years and Scott's superb anthology covers all the traditional Russian humor topics (politics, sex) as well as completely new ones (Ukraine, terrorism). Thus, besides being a hilarious read, this anthology is also a wonderful insight into the often politically correct mind of the Russian people.

This is also an intensely political book which includes several of Scott's most energetic rants and reader's comments. While reading this book you will get to laugh, but also to reflect and sometimes to get angry.

One of my favorite jokes is "It's easy to become a Kremlin's Agent: you just have to start speaking the truth". Get Scott's book, and you will also join the millions of "Kremlin Agents" out there who refuse the lie and prefer to make fund of the absurd world we live in.

The Saker