Rumer, Boris, eds. Central Asia: At the End of the Transition. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2005. xiii + 449 pp. $32.95. ISBN 0-7656-1575-4.
This book is the last volume of a five-volume series published by M.E. Sharpe, devoted to the study of the political and socioeconomic development of the post-Soviet countries of Central Asia. The present volume particularly sheds light on the region’s geopolitical situation that has emerged since the events of 11 September 2001, with analyses of the policies of Russia, the United States, and China with respect to Central Asia. It also seeks to illustrate the influence of the Islamic factor, the domestic political situation generated by the character of the Central Asian ruling regimes, as well as to evaluate the level and prospects for economic development and institutional reform in the Central Asian states.
The title of the book might raise some questions at first glance by indicating an end of the transition in Central Asia, based on the reader’s own interpretation for the word “end”. But Boris Rumer provides explicit explanation regarding this issue at the very beginning of the book: “the transition period has come to an end in the sense that the states of Central Asia have largely completed the process of systemic transformation,” and “the foundation of the social and political structure that was created and consolidated in the post-Soviet era will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.” Based on this understanding, the book offers a very timely and fresh insight into the evolving dynamics of the newly sovereign Central Asian states, which were hardly known to the outside world under the Soviet shadow, and received very little attention by scholars and the mass media before 11 September.
Not only is the book a ground-breaking contribution to the study of this area, but it also provides a comprehensive examination of issues currently confronting the region. A well-written overview by Rumer effectively presents a concise but clear picture of contemporary Central Asia. It segues nicely into the following three parts of the book, dedicated respectively to the external context, the internal social and political context, and the economic development of Central Asian states. Furthermore, since contributors to this volume are specialists from the academic communities of China, Russia, the United States, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, the reader has the opportunity to hear different voices and to gain refreshing perspectives to the issues discussed about Central Asia.
For the domestic analysis part, though the book has done a spectacular job in exploring the political and economic situation of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, there is little coverage of Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. This might be due to the lack of credible or available data, especially in the case of Turkmenistan, where reliable information is difficult to uncover. On the other hand, however, this absence provides future researchers ample opportunity to dig into the once neglected or hardly accessible aspects of the post-Soviet Central Asian states.
Although originally published in 2005, this book retains its significance thanks to the high quality and broadness of the articles. Any junior researcher interested in studying contemporary Central Asia would find this book helpful.
