An astonishing story—there hasn’t been such a book in Russia, and there still isn’t. Of course, there were all kinds of recipes, jokes about drunkenness, etiquette rules, and reflections on what counts as proper drinking and what as improper—or worse, harmful. No one ever wrote words that would encourage a person who drinks, is drinking, or is about to drink, at this—undoubtedly difficult—moment in their life. One smart friend “paraphrased” it: not to drink in Russia is more than just not to drink. Can you imagine what it means to drink in Russia—how much more that is!