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Rating: 
Summary: A delightful well written book
Review: I concur with the other reviewers. This is a well written and humorous book about life in Mongolia after the Soviets left. Oddly enough Mongolians have reversed the urban trend and have moved back to the countryside and their nomadic way of life to survive.
Rating:
Summary: robust reportage
Review: I found Jill Lawless' Wild East to be an unusual work of travel writing. She did not just make a pit stop in Mongolia, but lived there for two years as editor of the UB Post newspaper -- a feisty English language newspaper. This is a work in the tradition of the great engaged journalists, a ballsy (without the balls) Hemmingway for the 21st century. Her writing is wise, minus the naive first impressions of many travellers -- it is Mongolia from the inside. Wild East is a reality check on current debates over globalization. Mongolia is a country where even McDonalds dares to not go. Lawless digs deep into the country's own version of the 60s, as Mongolian's lustily embraced there new-found freedoms in the 90s. She takes us across the country, from the remote Gobi desert, to border clashes with Russian Tuva. She is especially good at covering the dynamic and chaotic world of Mongolian tabloid newspapers, including the rise and fall of "Hot Blanket" magazine.
Rating: 
Summary: Refreshing
Review: I found Lawless's book of Mongolia both funny and insightful. It makes you want to travel and experience life and it definitely makes you remember to stop and smell the 'roses'.Not normally a reader of travel books, this one was a gift from a very dear friend. Now this is one of my favorite gifts for giving. I hope she writes more, I thouroughly enjoy her wit and style.
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: I found Lawless's book of Mongolia both funny and insightful. It makes you want to travel and experience life and it definitely makes you remember to stop and smell the `roses'. Not normally a reader of travel books, this one was a gift from a very dear friend. Now this is one of my favorite gifts for giving. I hope she writes more, I thouroughly enjoy her wit and style.
Rating:
Summary: mongolia warts and all
Review: I found Wild East to be an eye-opener. I had a naive impression that everyone in Mongolia lived in tents on the steppe. I was surprised to find out that it is a country with a vibrant city life. I also didn't realise there is a lively free press, pop bands, and even night clubs. I get the sense that many westerners view a place like Mongolia through rose coloured glasses (the noble herdsman under the blue sky). That life seems very hard and it is no surprise that many people aspire to move to the city and get their hands on modern consumer goods.
I really enjoyed this book and it has given me the desire to go visit Mongolia and see for myself this fascinating country. I highly recommend Wild East.
Rating:
Summary: No Dry Parts In The New Mongolia
Review: I started reading WILD EAST out of curiosity for a place I knew nothing about, intending to skip over the "dry" parts. I didn't skip a word. Even the history and politics moved at a rapid pace and kept me enthralled. While engrossed in this book I remembered a similar feeling from long ago while reading the sci-fi novel DUNE. A dry desert world creates a totally alien landscape with politics shaped by the geography. Only this book is here, now and real. I would like to read it again, but I can't get it back from my friends. Definitely a good read.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Ride Through the WILD EAST
Review: Jill Lawless's new book about her two years in Mongolia is first of all, a terrific read. I devoured it in one gulp because I couldn't put it down. It will now reside on my bedside table where I can dip into it whenever I want a treat. This book delivers an amazing amount of information, about Mongolia's grand history, its present day chaotic political situation as well as descriptions of everyday life in the cities and on the steppe, all told in an easy and charming style. It is never text-bookish. In fact, there are so many quirky tales of Mongolian life, told with so much humour, that I spent half my reading time laughing. Jill Lawless's sense of humour is sharp and wry. My personal favourite story is the one about the marmot roast - and I thought Julia Child was creative with a blow torch! The book includes several movie references that I quite enjoyed and it is a good source of trivia. Do you know what a Mongolian Zamboni is? Anyone who is interested in exotic places, history, politics or just wants a funny, off-beat book to curl up with will love this one. I hope Jill Lawless writes many more - and soon!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Ride Through the WILD EAST
Review: Jill Lawless's new book about her two years in Mongolia is first of all, a terrific read. I devoured it in one gulp because I couldn't put it down. It will now reside on my bedside table where I can dip into it whenever I want a treat. This book delivers an amazing amount of information, about Mongolia's grand history, its present day chaotic political situation as well as descriptions of everyday life in the cities and on the steppe, all told in an easy and charming style. It is never text-bookish. In fact, there are so many quirky tales of Mongolian life, told with so much humour, that I spent half my reading time laughing. Jill Lawless's sense of humour is sharp and wry. My personal favourite story is the one about the marmot roast - and I thought Julia Child was creative with a blow torch! The book includes several movie references that I quite enjoyed and it is a good source of trivia. Do you know what a Mongolian Zamboni is? Anyone who is interested in exotic places, history, politics or just wants a funny, off-beat book to curl up with will love this one. I hope Jill Lawless writes many more - and soon!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This was a disappointing book due to the poor quality of the writing and the lack of deep analysis. However, there is not much available on Mongolia. This does provide some history and glimpses of life in the remote country and is worth a read until better books are published.
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