"Life After the Soviet Union is a well-documented analysis of the emerging political and geo-political realities affecting the future of Central Asia and the Caucasus.Alaolmolki examines some of the most important issues involving the process of political development in the region, its relation with modernization, and attempts to see whether the region's political system will be able to acquire the capacity to sustain new types of goals and demands." — Ali Jalali, Chief, Farsi Service, Voice of America"Impressively comprehensive. Due to its vast resources and political position in a new rivalry between the Great Powers, it is important to understand this region in terms of its economy, history, politics, and foreign relations. A very useful contribution to a new area study." — Houman Sadri, author of Revolutionary States, Leaders, and Foreign Relations: A Comparative Study of China, Cuba, and Iran