Vladimir Putin has his own idealized view of himself as CEO of "Russia, Inc." But ratherthan leading a transparent public corporation, he runs a closed boardroom, notanswerable to its stakeholders. Now that his corporation seems to be in crisis, withpolitical protests marking Mr. Putin's return to the presidency in 2012, will the CEO be held accountable for its failings?

"For more than a dozen yearsthe equivalent of three American presidential termsVladimir Putin has presided over the largest nation on the planet, the second mostpowerful nuclear arsenal, and massive natural resources. Yet there is still debateabout who he really is. Fiona Hill and Clifford Gaddy have gone a long way inanswering that question, starting with the title, which makes a crucial point: eventhough 'Mr. Putin' was, in his upbringing and early career, a prototype of the Soviet man,he's no longer 'Comrade Putin.' His aim is not the restoration of communism. He hasmade a deal with the capitalists who have thrived in Russia over the past two decades:they support him in the exercise of his political power, and he supports them inamassing their fortunes."from the foreword by Strobe Talbott