The latest addition to my website is Oleg Kashin‘s Роисся вперде (Fardwor Russia!). Kashin is a Russian journalist who has been very critical of the Russian government and has been beaten up more than once for his pains. This book is a satire, but not too vicious, on the Russian system, with corruption and violence to the fore. Karpov is developing a growth serum. His grandfather had tried and failed to do so in the Soviet era but Karpov is more successful. However, a variety of vested interests are opposed to him while the local agricultural research institute, which does not do any agricultural research, wants to use him to get a large grant. When he finally gets it to work, it is tested on both humans and animals, generally with disastrous consequences. With many of the parties prepared to use corruption and violence to get their way, things get very much out of hand, with even the Olympic building organisation (which does not do any Olympic building) getting involved. It is a very funny book and one which exposes a high level of corruption in the Russian system.