I continue to seek out expatriates who worked in (or are still in) Kazakhstan to alert them to the book I have written about life in and around Almaty in the 1990s.  If you are aware of an expat who would like to know about my book, please forward a copy of this post to him or her.

The book is easy to find on the internet:  West Meets East in Kazakhstan, by Thomas E. Johnson, published by AuthorHouse.  Available in softcover book or e-version directly from AuthorHouse, Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

It’s a good book – ah, but I am the author – and so it might be best to refer to reviews for advice:

Here is an extract from what one Kazakhstani reviewer said about the book:

“Never have I seen a book about Kazakhstan that would have so much insight delivered with equal amounts of warmth and humour. Apart from being one of the top western lawyers in town in the 90- 00s, Tom turned out to be someone akin to Bill Bryson of Kazakhstan.”

Here is part of another review:

“This book contains a collection of articles that Johnson had written for an Almaty newspaper. In these articles, Johnson gave his perspective of what he was experiencing as an American expatriate in the early years of the country’s independence.

Johnson’s personal accounts were written in a very interesting style and they brought to life in living Kazakh color a better understanding of their beautiful culture. I have recently returned home from Kazakhstan and happy to report that Johnson’s book helped prepare me to adapt and integrate well with the Kazakhs during my visit.”

Yet another:

“Being a collection of stand-alone articles, it is very easy to pick up and put down without ever losing the thread. The style is easy to read yet engaging, the topics being about life in general (hospitality, habits, leisure activities, weddings, etc.) and avoids ever trying to be a heavyweight analysis of the country.

Those who have been to Kazakhstan (either on a one-off visit or over a prolonged period) will be able to identify with a great deal of what has been written; and those who have never been will gain an appreciation of this part of the world through the eyes and words of the author.”

To promote my book I have been writing blogging posts on matters concerning Kazakhstan.  If you want to see any of my posts, don’t spend all day scrolling through social media.  Instead, go directly to my website – www.viewkazakhstan.com – and there they are, all ready to be viewed once again.

Thanks for your interest and/or help!