I am a former Russian journalist and a documentary filmmaker who has also worked at NASA in the US.

"The Anatomy of Russian Defense Conversion" touches on many more subjects then just Russian Defense Industry. This is a very thorough, informative and important work that analyses the history of US and Russian Defense Industries, weapons exports and conversion, and possibilities of transformation from a militarized to a civilian economy in the new millenium.

The book also reflects on the current state of defense industries in the US and Russia, and "brain drain", or loss of intellectual capital in Russia and other countries after the Cold War.

I found reflections in Arkady Yarovsky's chapter "From the Culture of War to the Culture of Peace" very contemporary, especially in the light of recent events in the Middle East:

"Our time is unfortunately still characterized as "the culture of war." The culture of war is evident first and foremost in the hostilities between people and states, between nations and faiths, and in the inability to solve conflicts by peaceful means... Humanity has made it into the third millenium because the lust for power has been restrained by fear of nuclear war, but this restraint is not to be counted on permanently... The danger hidden in the separateness of people of different countries, unfortunately, remains a legacy for the next century... If humanity renounces the legacy of the culture of war, it can start down the road of cooperation, peaceful creation, and enlightenment. This is the only road leading to the culture of peace."

One can imagine that I, as a small child living in San Antonio, Texas, next to three Air Force bases and an Army base, living through the Cuban missile crisis, thought about the threat of the Russian military. I also met my parents' wonderful emigre' friends, and to this day have had warm relations with Russian people.

This book tells of the enormous cost to the Russian people of building and maintaining their war industry for so many years, a militarized economy where people got second best. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, defense industry just about shut down, but civilian industry has not grown great enough to support the population. There are horrendous unemployment, and terrible health and social problems. There is some danger that the path of least resistance for Russia, if we neglect the situation, could be to re-start weapons production, for export at first.

In my opinion, the United States also, to a lesser degree, has neglected the manufacture of quality consumer goods, importing them instead, and has let its physical economy deteriorate, despite much activity in the financial sector. We, too, have been insufficiently careful of the environment. This book provides some idea of what these trends could lead to, if carried to extremes.

Perhaps the involvement of United States companies in Russia, could lead to more of a recognition here, of the importance of the physical economy. Hopefully, both countries could also work to put industry on a healthy environmental footing as well.

There is awareness of the problem of Russian defense conversion, at high levels of our government. I hope this book helps educate people and sustain that interest.

We read this book in our classroom and really enjoyed it. Some of our comments are: I liked how Tucker found his name from the sweet shop; Because they are cute; Like how Tucker goes crazy over food and its funny; Finally how a cat and mouse our friends; If you like adventurous books it is fun; Liked Sid Rat and Charlie; How the three rats have a Boston accent in Time Sq NYC; How they are scared of the rats big eyes; Funny; Dramtic

My daughter's girl friend gave her "A Cricket in Times Square," a wonderful adventure of Chester Cricket and his New York City-savvy friends Harry Cat and Tucker Mouse. Once reading that adventure, we had to read all the others in the series, starting with how the cat and mouse met and became great buddies.

In this, the prequel to "Cricket in Times Square", we meet the very young Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat. Well, actually Harry KITTEN in this case. When our story opens, Tucker is wandering the streets of New York, lost, hungry, tired and even NAMELESS! Determined to make something of himself, he struts off down the street searching our first his own name and then his fame and fortune. A sweet shop gives him his name, and a young kitten, equally lost and alone, gives him friendship. Thus is born the friendship that many of us know and love from "Cricket" and Mr. Selden's other books. Together the pair set off to find a place to live. This proves to be a bigger, more complicated task than one might originally think!! The Empire State Building calls to them--why not live in one of the biggest buildings in the whole city? However, when they manage to finally find themselves in the basement where there are little or no people, the find themselves in a vast, cavernous tunnel of white tiles. LOST!! But, by keeping their wits about them, they manage to get back out on to the street. The old piers seem like a good place to live until our heroes are nearly crushed by falling debris from the crumbling buildings. An upscale park is quite beautiful and peaceful, but too ritzy and, well, DULL for our young companions. Deciding that this is still not the place for them, they set off again, this time toward Times Square. There, they finally find the home in the drainpipe readers know and love so well... There's just one problem though, and that's the local gang of rats with thick, New York accents who want to steal all of Tucker's life savings!! "Cricket in Times Square" is still an extremely popular book, though many of the other works by Mr. S. that feature the same characters are much lesser known. Not as many fans of "Cricket" go on to read "Tucker's Countryside" or "Harry Cat's Pet Puppy." I myself have read "The Cricket in Times Square" multiple times, but stumbles across this book, "Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat" rather by accident! I'm very glad I did, though!! Though the writing is a bit weaker than I expected--the story is certainly not as long as the other's in this series, nor are the events or characters fleshed out as much--it's still a very good book and worth reading. I think Mr. Selden intended this book to be for younger audiences than those who normally read "Cricket", for the story is easier to read with less detail. The pen & ink illustrations by Mr. Williams are as familiar and comfortable as those in the other books; I'm especially fond of the picture of Harry and Tucker clinging together in terror at being lost in the corridors of the Empire State Building! Weak or not, younger audience or not, this book is definitely worth reading, and will add so much to the beloved adventures of two beloved characters. Highly recommended!!