The book is the story of American participation in the dismantling of the Soviet economy and the creation of the Russian market economy in the 1990’s. It is based on more than 100 interviews with citizen diplomats, entrepreneurs, bankers, consultants, and aid program administrators active in Russia in those years. The book chronicles the real-life experiences of these Americans as they participated in building new sectors of the post-Soviet Russian economy in finance, real estate, restaurants, business services, and media (television, radio, newspapers and movies) at a time of historically unprecedented collaboration and interaction between Russians and Americans, followed by the increasing disconnect that began at the end of the 1990’s.