Roudik (senior foreign law specialist, Directorate of Legal Research, the Law Library of Congress) offers a capsule history of "the Stans"--the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It is for the most part political history, or history "centered on empires and tribes." Roudik discusses ancient state formations, Islamization, and the medieval states through the 19th century, but spends the bulk of his time on Russian colonization, the influence of the Bolshevik Revolution, Soviet rule, and the post-Soviet era. He also includes a chapter on political and legal thought in the region, biographical information on notable people, a glossary of selected terms and concepts, and a bibliographic essay. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)