INTRODUCING THE ISSUE

This is a bumper issue -- partial compensation for the absence of a November issue.

There is a stronger than usual emphasis in this issue on demography and epidemiology, and also on culture and history. As a result there is less material than I would have liked on politics and economy -- and nothing on ecology. These disproportions will be corrected in future issues. I suppose it isn't feasible to try to cover everything in every issue!

I'd like to draw readers' attention to a couple of new features that I have introduced.

First, I have written a piece in appreciation of my favorite Russian writer. I invite readers to contribute similarly brief pieces about their favorite Russian writers (Russian in the sense of Russian-language).

Second, some readers have told me that they find the RAS particularly useful as a pointer to sources of which they were previously unaware. So I am putting at the end of each issue a feature on "recommended sources."

I would like to express my special appreciation of those colleagues who have contributed pieces to this issue: namely, Heiko Pleines, Marina Aptekman, and Olga Velikanova. I hope that many more colleagues will get round to writing for future issues of the RAS.

I am currently preparing an issue on the special theme "Looking Back at the Cold War." I hope to have it ready for distribution early in February. Please contact me if you would like to contribute a piece relating to this theme -- or, of course, on other themes for other future issues.

I work on the RAS on my own, so I rely heavily on readers' feedback. I am especially glad to get comments on substantive issues about which I have included material. So please don't be shy: share your thoughts!

Stephen D. Shenfield, editor