The Caspian Pipeline Dilemma: Political Games and Economic Losses

Book Description

The Caspian Sea region is rich in oil and natural gas and can potentially become a major energy supplier. Despite the interest of the three Caspian countries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, their energy resources have remained mainly undeveloped a decade after their independence. The main factor that has prevented the full development of the Caspian energy resources has been the difficulty of selecting long-term safe, reliable, and economically viable export routes. The three landlocked Caspian countries have no choice but to depend on their neighbors to access international waters for their exports. For many reasons, including internal stability and extensive oil facilities and pipelines, Iran offers the most suitable routes to all three Caspian countries. However, despite the interest of the Caspian energy-exporters, in using this route, the U.S. policy of containment of Iran has prevented them from doing so. For political, economic, and security reasons, the existing in-use Georgian and Russian routes cannot and will not be a long-term solution for energy exports. The insistence of the American government on imposing the expensive and unreliable Turkish route on the reluctant Caspian energy-exporters and its categorical rejection of the Iranian route have created a major obstacle to the development of the Caspian energy industries. As Peimani suggests, if this policy continues, many oil and gas exporters will opt for the Iranian route without regard to existing U.S. punitive legislation. The results could well be the isolation of the U.S. in the Caspian region and a gradual exclusion of American oil companies from the region. This overview will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and policymakers involved with economic and political issues of the region.

The Russian Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova

Average customer rating:

Everything you Need to Know
Awesome Guide
Great general resource but already somewhat out-of-date
Extremely informative, but poorly written
Make this book your first if adopting from Eastern Europe

The Russian Adoption Handbook: How to Adopt from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Belarus, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Moldova
John H. Maclean
Manufacturer: iUniverse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Adoption | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | International Law | Law | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Adopting In Russia: Your Rights and the Law
Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents
How to Adopt Internationally: A Guide for Agency-Directed and Independent Adoptions, Revised and Updated Edition for 2003
The Complete Book of International Adoption: A Step by Step Guide to Finding Your Child
Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft

ASIN: 0595301150

Book Description

Adopting a child can be one of life's most rewarding experiences. Unfortunately, complex policies, legal risks, and fewer available children make adopting domestically difficult. International adoption offers a solution to parents yearning for a child of their own.

American parents are now adopting over 5000 children a year from Russia and Eastern Europe. John Maclean's The Russian Adoption Handbook is a comprehensive guide to adopting a child from overseas.

From the pitfalls to the practical, the rewards to the risks, The Russian Adoption Handbook leads parents through the maze of:

How the international adoption process works.
How to start the process.
What you need to know before traveling to Russia and Eastern Europe.
Making the most out of your trip--the inside scoop on customs, hotels, and food.
The children's homes, the courts, and the questions that need to be asked.
Medical issues, special adoption doctors, and travel requirements.
Post adoption procedures, and much, much more.

Practical, accurate, and written with a father's sense of humor, The Russian Adoption Handbook is the most comprehensive and up-to-date guide to adoption yet.

Customer Reviews:

Everything you Need to Know.......2007-06-07

This is the everything you need to know about Russian adoption in one book guide. It is a little dated right now with re-accreditation issues starting in 2005, but it is still a very relevant and important guide to adopting from Russia. I suggest purchasing this book before you choose an agency as it gives lists of very important questions to ask a potential agency. This book breaks down the Russian adoption process and walks PAPs through the paperwork they will be filing. There are chapters on everything from what to pack to how to find a good pediatrician. We pulled chapters about our region and questions to ask doctors trip one out of the book and traveled with them. This is one book about adopting from Russia all PAPs need to read.
Written by Christina Stinsa

Awesome Guide.......2006-12-15

I just adopted my son from Russia and this book made everything so much easier! It should be a must have for all prospective adoptive families!!!

Great general resource but already somewhat out-of-date.......2006-07-24

There is a lot of general information contained in one easy to navigate location. I do recommend it highly, especially for one who is just beginning the adoption process. The only problem is that things are changing so fast, that even though the book was recently updated, it is already somewhat out of date.

Extremely informative, but poorly written.......2006-07-15

I recommend this book as it offers more information specific to Russian adoption than you will find in any other book. The author adopted two children from Russia himself, and he is an attorney, so he is informed about the process. He researched thoroughly for this book.

In spite of its depth of information, however, this is the most poorly edited book I have EVER seen. And this guy's a lawyer? If he were going to publish, he should have taken a little more care with the editing. Also, don't get your 'basic Russian' lesson from this book. I studied abroad at a university in Russia for one semester, and I have studied the language quite extensively. If you use some of his language advice, you're sure to get a laugh from some Russians. For example, on page 165, he says that 'Hi!' is 'Draws-vee.' It is actually, 'STRAST-ee' with the emphasis on the first syllable. If you say 'Draws-vee' with your American accent, you are sure to get some strange looks. On page 166, he says that bread is 'kleb.' It's actually pronounced, 'khleb' (with a khah sound that catches in your throat). 'Kleb' just sounds ridiculous.

The terrible editing and language mistakes make me wonder if I can trust the rest of the information! Still, I think it's worth buying because it is more extensive than any other source on Russian adoption that I could find. Don't buy this book, though, unless you've already decided to adopt from Russia.

Make this book your first if adopting from Eastern Europe.......2006-04-04

I cannot begin to say how helpful this book has been in our adoption process. I am sure that we are several months ahead of where we would have been had we not had this book as a resource. All of the information that you want to ask your adoption agency but forget to ask, plus questions you don't even know to ask are answered in this book. Don't let the size of the book overwhelm you, Maclean has such a fun writing style that the book is easy to pour over. I highly recommend this book very early in the process just to help with the initally paperwork, but if it isn't bought that early it still has loads of information for any stage of the process. Maclean also references many other books and websites for specific concerns through-out the book. This book is worth every penny!

Average customer rating:

Awesome Pictures

The Soul of Kazakhstan
Wayne Eastep , Alma Kunanbay , Gareth L. Steen , and William McCaffery
Manufacturer: Easten Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kazakhstan: Coming of Age
Once in Kazakhstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges
Welcome To Kazakhstan (Welcome to My Country)
A Mother for Choco (Paperstar)
Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale

ASIN: 0970693907

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Pictures.......2006-01-12

We saw this book mentioned on a Kazak adoption internet website and researched more about it here on Amazon. What a True Gem! The Photography is incredible and the side comments/stories etc go into quite a bit of Kazak culture and traditions. Its a very nice 'coffee table' book. Definitely recommend

The New Central Asia: The Creation of Nations

Average customer rating:

...heavily based on confirmation bias.
Packed with info. Hard to read.
Caution to the reader
Making Sense of Central Asia
Making Sense of Central Asia

The New Central Asia: The Creation of Nations
Olivier Roy
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Revolutionary | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

History & Theory | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Transformation of Central Asia: States and Societies from Soviet Rule to Independence
Central Asia's Second Chance
Jihad: The Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia
A History of Inner Asia
Modern Clan Politics: The Power Of "Blood" In Kazakhstan and Beyond

ASIN: 0814775551
Release Date: 2000-10-01

Book Description

Praise for The Failure of Political Islam:

"A daring exploration. This book is a corrective of stunning power."
--Boston Book Review

"This book is essential reading for all interested in the late 20th century evolution of movements of religious activism and revival."
--Middle East Journal

During the anti-Gorbachev coup in August 1991 most communist leaders from Soviet central Asia backed the plotters. Within weeks of the coup's collapse, those same leaders--now transformed into ardent nationalists--proclaimed the independence of their nations, adopted new flags and new slogans, and discovered a new patriotism.

How were these new nations built, among peoples without any traditional nationalist heritage and no history of independent governance? Olivier Roy argues that Soviet practice had always been to build on local institutions and promote local elites, and that Soviet administration--as opposed to Soviet rhetoric--was always surprisingly decentralized in the far-flung corners of the empire. Thus, with home-grown political leaders and administrative institutions, national identities in central Asia emerged almost by stealth.

Roy's analysis of the new states in central Asia--Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikstan, Kirghizstan and Azerbaijan--provides a glimpse of the future of an increasingly fragmented and dangerous region.

Customer Reviews:

...heavily based on confirmation bias........2006-12-05

In this book, Olivier Roy makes several sweeping generalizations about the history of Central Asian states. His research is solid and in depth, however, his application is quite opinion-based.

The material has the ability to create significant discussion on the topic of former influence by the Russian and Soviet powers, yet his points are sporadic and randomly placed throughout the book. His arguments often stray from his own research and fail to provide foundation as well. This is seemingly a result of his need to confirm his own prior opinions on the matter.

One stands to greatly benefit from the research provided by Roy in this book. However, read cautiously and be aware of the existence of more recent research which shows major flaws in his point of view. I would recommend that individuals study Central Asian history and politics personally before jumping into Roy's book whole-heartedly.

Packed with info. Hard to read........2004-08-31

This book is packed with useful insights but it is not for the Central Asian novice. I give it two stars because it is hard to read and could be better organized. The information in it is five star. It is a graduate-school level analysis of the evolution of the current Central Asian nation-states. It is what would be expected from a person in Roy's position; researcher at the Centre National des Recherches Scientifques. The book was originally written in French and translated into English for this edition. That in itself is not a problem but the writing style is one that has a heavy "fog factor". There are numerous sentences that are 60 words long and contain multiple commas, parenthetical statements, hyphens and semi colons in one sentence. If you can slog through syntax you can glean a lot of useful information. My suggestion is you have some understanding of Central Asian history and geography before you attempt this book. The lack of maps would make it really difficult for a beginning reader of Central Asia. Central Asia in Historical Perspective (edited by Manz), although a graduate-level text, is better organized and easier to understand.

Caution to the reader.......2002-07-17

I purchased this book after I developed an increasing interest in the politics and history of Central Asia. At that point, I had read a couple of books on the topic, leaving me with a feeling of general competence. This book, however, was seriously beyond my level of knowledge, and I'd like to caution readers with anything below a superior understanding of Soviet and Central Asian History. The author "jumps" around the region quite a bit, creating problems which compound themselves, particularly as no maps are included anywhere in the book. If you do not possess an intimate knowledge of the geography, I suggest waiting until your mental map is more complete (as I'll be doing).
The book is translated from French. After reading about 20 pages, this fact amazed me from the vocabularly chosen by the translator. I can't remember the last time I had to use a dictionary, but this book sent me searching on more than one occasion. Moreover, the writing style is incredibly dry, even for a work of history. "New Central Asia" is loaded with solid research and cogent argumentation, but the presentation leaves much to be desired.

Making Sense of Central Asia.......2001-11-14

Olivier Roy is a well-known expert on Islam, the Arab world and Central Asia. His The New Central Asia is an excellent examination of the creation of new nations that emerged from the end of the Soviet Union in 1992. He contends that while these new republics are in search of identity (in essence creating new nationalisms), they have also inherited the older Soviet system of rule and institutions, which were not democratic and more oriented to personality cults and heavy-handed treatment of the opposition. This explains the difficult path countries such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have had through the 1990s and into the next decade. For anyone looking at the problems of development as well as wishing to obtain a better understanding of a pivotal geo-political zone, Roy's well-researched book is worth the read.

Making Sense of Central Asia.......2001-11-14

Above the Clouds: The Diaries of a High-Altitude Mountaineer

Average customer rating:

Above the Clouds Goes Above and Beyond Expectations
A great read.
The truth - from a real mountaineer.
An amazing account of an amazing person!
Excellent Insight

Above the Clouds: The Diaries of a High-Altitude Mountaineer
Anatoli Boukreev
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

Mountain Climbing | Mountaineering | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Annapurna
High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places
The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
Himalayan Quest: Ed Viesturs on the 8,000-Meter Giants
No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

ASIN: 0312269706

Book Description

When Anatoli Boukreev died on the slopes of Annapurna on December 25, 1997, the climbing world lost one of the greatest mountaineers of our time. His account of the 1996 Everest disaster, The Climb, was a New York Times bestseller, and in many eyes the most accurate portrayal of the infamous expedition. Above the Clouds contains riveting narratives of climbs on Mt. McKinley, K2, Makalu, Manaslu, and Everest-including Boukreev's diary of the 1996 expedition, written shortly after his return. There are also fascinating technical details about the skill of mountain climbing, as well as personal and moving reflections on what life means to someone who risks it every day.What emerges is a self-portrait by a man few people really know - an athletic prodigy who found joy and spiritual reward in the thin air where the body struggles to survive.Mingling hair-raising adventure with moving reflection, Above the Clouds is a unique and breathtaking look at the world from its most remote peaks. AUTHORBIO: Anatoli Boukreev was (with G. Weston DeWalt) co-author of The Climb and a world-renowned high-altitude mountaineer. Twenty-one times he reached the summit of the world's highest mountains. For his heroic actions on Mount Everest in May 1996, he was awarded the American Alpine Club's highest honor, the David A. Sowles Memorial Award. Linda Wylie was Anatoli Boukreev's companion and is now executor of his estate.

Customer Reviews:

Above the Clouds Goes Above and Beyond Expectations.......2005-12-07

This book is excellent reading for "armchair enthusiasts", serious mountaineers, or anyone in between. Before reading this book I did not even know who Anatoli was. Now, I see him as one of the true great mountaineers. I really related to his feelings for the mountains, and I share many of his philosophies regarding climbing. Reaching the summit is not success; to be successful, you must make it safely down. Even if Mallory and Irvine reached the summit of Everest, they didn't achieve success by living to tell about it.

As a mountaineer and author myself, I was very pleased how easy I could relate to Anatoli's feelings and philosophies about the sport of mountaineering. On page 123 he states that he treated the mountains "like cathedrals where worship gives you strength and strips off the scale of ordinary life." He also told a different version of the accounts of the disastrous climbing month in May 1996 on Mt. Everest, which catapulted high altitude mountaineering to the front pages of newspapers around the world. I still view Reinhold Messner as the best mountaineer of all time, but had Anatoli lived longer he would have surely closed the gap.

A great read........2005-04-28

Although having a personal interest Wylie does accomplish the fact that Anotoli Boukreev was greatly denigrated by Jon Krakauer in his Into Thin Air while only mentioning the fact once.....Rowell's being associated with the book convinced me of Boukreev's authenticity....he was truly a mountaineer...I think Krakauer recognized this fact but because of his bias and his paycheck together with his group's failure on Everest he felt compelled to place the blame. He apparently failed to accomplish this as evidenced by the awards and accolades Boukreev received by other mountaineers.....but Boukreev was his victim and all Krakauer was looking for was an American audience, and as I said, a paycheck.......This book is not an attempt to portray Boukreev as he wasn't but accomplished to show Boukreev as he really was, truly an outstanding individual....truly and individual....his returning to the mountain to find Scott Fisher and Yasuko Namba only indicates the person he was......

The truth - from a real mountaineer........2004-06-03

A joy to read - this man had the spirit of a true mountaineer. His co-author did a wonderful job.

An amazing account of an amazing person!.......2004-02-05

This book is based on the journal of Anatoli Boukreev and his diary of mountaineering. The book does a great job of describing his life before large expeditions and his struggle to make it to the top. The book does also focuses on his life and relationships as well as his personal accounts of his adventures. The journal rarely goes into his deep feelings which gives a better understanding of how he was as person. However, when it does go deep, it speak deeply and touches the essense of mountaineering.

Excellent Insight.......2003-01-09

Anatoli Boukreev was one of the most remarkable mountaineers in history. This book gives the reader great insight into Boukreev's thoughts, as well as the Soviet culture. Having read many other books, the similarities between Soviet athletes, chess masters and intellectuals is stunning. Anatoli Boukreev hints at the pressure placed upon him and others prior to the fall of his government. "Above the Clouds" has excellent narratives about climbing, but it is much more than that. His writings about the Everest tragedy are striking.

Kazakhstan in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series)

Average customer rating:

Kazakstan review

Kazakhstan in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series)
Bella Waters
Manufacturer: Twenty-First Century Books (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Asia | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Welcome To Kazakhstan (Welcome to My Country)
Kazakhstan Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)
Kazakhstan: Coming of Age
Central Asia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Once in Kazakhstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges

ASIN: 0822565889

Customer Reviews:

Kazakstan review.......2007-07-08

Our family is adopting a baby from kazakstan, and this book was purchased for my 9 year old son, and for our family to learn about the country. It's a great book, we learned a lot, and my 9 year old really loved it and brought it to school and shared with his friends. We had never even heard of Kazakstan, now I feel we are becoming experts. :) This will be a great book to teach our child about the country he/she came from. Its easy to read and very informative.

The Silent Steppe: The Story of a Kazakh Nomad Under Stalin

Average customer rating:

The Silent Steppe: The Story of a Kazakh Nomad Under Stalin
Mukhamet Shayakhmetov
Manufacturer: Stacey International Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Russia | History | Subjects | Books

20th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Once in Kazakhstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges

ASIN: 1905299125

Book Description

This is a first-hand account of the genocide of the Kazakh nomads in the 1920s and 30s. Nominally Muslim, the Kazakhs and their culture owed as much to shamanism and paganism as they did to Islam. Their ancient traditions and economy depended on the breeding and herding of stock across the vast steppes of central Asia, and their independent, nomadic way of life was anathema to the Soviets.

Book Description

Examining the interplay between Caspian security and energy development, this comprehensive book offers important new findings about the relationship between competition for energy resources; political and economic development in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan; and the propensity for conflict in the Caspian region. The contributors, a leading group of scholars and policymakers, also explore the ways in which Russia, China, Iran, and Turkey are fighting to protect their energy interests in the newly independent states and how this rivalry influences regional security and U.S. policy.

Customer Reviews:

The best source on Central Asia oil policy.......2007-01-04

For those who want to understand why Central Asia has been fought over in recent history Rajan Menon provides an invaluable tool. This book goes region by region utilizing the best authors in each. The book covers the individual countries in the Caspian regions as well as the future prospects for Russian and OPEC interaction there. It clearly lays out how the region has been developing and although a little dated at this point it still provides an excellent foundation. The authors that contribute are the best in their fields and Menon organizes the book very well. Highly recommend if you are interested in oil policy.

Welcome To Kazakhstan (Welcome to My Country)

Average customer rating:

Welcome To Kazakhstan (Welcome to My Country)
Alan Tay
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kazakhstan: Coming of Age
Kazakhstan in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series)
Kazakhstan Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)
Once in Kazakhstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges
Central Asia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)

ASIN: 0836831349

Kazakhstan Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)

Average customer rating:

One of the better maps

Kazakhstan Map by ITMB (Travel Reference Map)
International Travel Maps and Books
Manufacturer: International Travel Maps and Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Map

Central Asia (Lonely Planet Travel Guides)
Kazakhstan in Pictures (Visual Geography. Second Series)
Once in Kazakhstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges
Welcome To Kazakhstan (Welcome to My Country)
Kazakhstan: Coming of Age

ASIN: 1553412699

Product Description

Folded waterproof road and travel map in color. Scale 1:2,300,000. Distinguishes roads ranging from motorways to tracks. Legend shows state/administrative boundaries, shipping routes, railways, National Parks/nature reserves, UNESCO nature reserves, passes, lakes, swamps, glaciers, salt flats, deserts, ports, international/regional airports, points of interest, campsites, museums, fortresses, mosques, churches. Legend for inset map shows hotels, banks, churches, restaurants/cafes, railway stations, monuments, other points of interest. Includes inset of Almaty. Legend in 2 languages, including English.

Customer Reviews:

One of the better maps.......2007-01-26

I have never been to Kazakhstan but friends in the Peace Corps are there so I wanted reference to about where they are and how to get around. I looked in several books and on the internet then ordered this to try it. I is a very nice map with more detail than a lot of the ones I looked at. A detail of Almaty is included. Some of the roads have distances on them and some don't. By splitting the map to 2 sides of the paper it makes the scale larger allowing you to read it as the country is so big. Some of the roads have distances marked and some don't. The waterproof paper is a nice touch.

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