This is a fine book. It shows how the Communist leftist establishment discriminated against Jews, even ones who were not religious and who had a parent in the Communist Party. It also provides the evidence first hand of the network of informers and the regular denunciation of minor deviations from the party line by students at elite universities. It also shows how jobs were just for time serving and provides the raw material to infer that the foundation of Soviet economic growth up to the 1960's had been the ruthless exploitation of slave labourers. Whilst Gurevich did things that under Stalin would have spelt death, he was still punished for them, but not as severely, ultimately having to break with his parents, his wife and his child. This was repression, but with a softer profile. It also shows the great courage of Jewish organizations in fabricating "family re-union" invitations to allow people to go free. Moreover, it also shows that the food shortages and the gangs were in place well before 1991 and President Yeltsin. It is a powerful and important book.