{"product_id":"9781908756510","title":"Borders Up!: Eastern Europe through the bottom of a glass","description":"\u003cp\u003eOne would assume that with the collapse of Communism, East Europeans would drink much less than before. A democratic society should surely be able to provide many more means of escape than alcohol - books, free press, foreign travel and the cornucopia of consumer goods.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe reality, however, is very different; drinking in the post-communist Eastern Europe has increased dramatically since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and most of the new democracies of Europe came top of the list of the world's fastest-growing nations following the fall of the iron curtain. Coincidence? Paradox? Curious historic aberration? Or a logical result of years of social turmoil, lies and double standards that have created a vacuum in people's souls, a spiritual emptiness which spirits alone can fill?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVitali Vitaliev spent eleven months trying to answer these questions travelling around Eastern and Central Europe, a journey through drinks - vodka and beer, palinka and slivovitz, zubrovka and Riesling, Tokaji and cabernet sauvignon. The result is this book: a sharp and sardonic travelogue that is both informative and very, very funny.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Thrust Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47040155615472,"sku":"9781908756510","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781908756510_p0.jpg?v=1763623121","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781908756510","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}