Perestroika: New Thinking for Our Country and the World by Mikhail S. Gorbachev, in this distinguished Easton Press edition (1996), is a historic manifesto that captures the visionary—and ultimately tumultuous—reforms that reshaped the Soviet Union and the globe. Written during his leadership, Gorbachev’s treatise explains the twin pillars of perestroika (restructuring) and glasnost (openness), arguing for a socialist system revitalized by democracy, economic reform, and nuclear disarmament.
Bound in Easton Press’s signature full leather with 22-karat gold accents and silk moiré endpapers, this edition transforms political doctrine into a tactile artifact. The text, blending idealism with pragmatism, reflects Gorbachev’s conviction: “The goal of perestroika is a dignified life for all.” Yet the book’s luxurious presentation contrasts with the upheaval it heralded—the USSR’s dissolution just years later.
A paradox: a relic of lost optimism, gilt-stamped as history’s verdict still unfolds.
Note: The 1996 reissue includes Gorbachev’s reflections on reforms’ unintended consequences.
