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First Person: An Astonishingly Frank Self-Portrait by Russia's President
As the new Russian president, Vladimir Putin is going to be a household name, yet few know much about him. In a long interview, conducted by three respected Russian journalists over several weeks, Putin subjects himself to scrutiny and reveals his past.
230 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
109 people are currently reading
1228 people want to read
About the author
Vladimir Putin
31 books82 followersVladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who is the president of Russian Federation. Putin has held continuous positions as president or prime minister since 1999, as prime minister from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012, and as president from 2000 to 2008 and since 2012. Putin is the second-longest current serving European president after Alexander Lukashenko.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
April 26, 2012
I'm not sure about astonishingly frank; compared to Khrushchev, perhaps. Putin has an answer for everything, though the questions from these three journalists don't go all that searchingly deep. The most mysterious thing about Putin could be his meteoric rise from seemingly minor functionary to leader of Russia. He unquestionably had intelligence, savviness, a certain amount of ambition, he knew a few people, he was at the right place at the right time - does this explain it all? His resume would seem to lack the requisite experience: KGB official until the Soviet Union collapsed, deputy to the mayor of St. Petersburg, head of the FSB (successor to the KGB), appointed Prime Minister by Boris Yeltsin, who apparently took a shine to him. When Yeltsin resigned suddenly, Putin became acting President and the rest, as they say, is all laid out for you on Wikipedia.
These interviews were done in 2000 so they don't capture any of Putin's subsequent power grabs or investigate Russia's wholesale embrace of klepto-state-capitalism and the imprisonment or exile of the oligarchs.
Q: [Confiscation and nationalization of property is] not going to happen?
A: That's definitely not going to happen. ...If some sort of unlawful actions in previous years were established and proven in court, that would be another matter. But nationalization and confiscation of property for their own sakes, without a judicial procedure is a catastrophe. If for no other reason than because they would clear the way for arbitrary rule.
These interviews were done in 2000 so they don't capture any of Putin's subsequent power grabs or investigate Russia's wholesale embrace of klepto-state-capitalism and the imprisonment or exile of the oligarchs.
Q: [Confiscation and nationalization of property is] not going to happen?
A: That's definitely not going to happen. ...If some sort of unlawful actions in previous years were established and proven in court, that would be another matter. But nationalization and confiscation of property for their own sakes, without a judicial procedure is a catastrophe. If for no other reason than because they would clear the way for arbitrary rule.
February 15, 2015
You don't have to like Putin or Russia in order to appreciate his rough way of thinking and the concise form of expressing his thoughts. In this atypical book of interviews, that alternates Putin's answers with "testimonies" of his intimates regarding a particular subject, the now and then Russian President appears as a man who knows what he wants, both for himself and Russia too. More than anything else, he trusts in himself and his ability to restore Russia's (not so old) glory and role in the world. In fact, in some of his answers regarding the fall of the Berlin Wall (i.e. the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, culminating in the demise of Soviet Union), the reader can detect an explanation of how he's tackling the 2014 Ukrainian crisis. Unfortunately for Putin, it is in his very words and way of thinking that anybody can see what the real intentions of this leader are when doing what he's currently doing. Simply put, he is convinced (even since 2000, from his position as interim President) that Mother Russia is just taking back what is rightfully her when going West.
Anyways, barring the implicit bias when talking about his life and his rise to power, this book is very helpful to better (never fully) understand Putin as the man who he really is: a tough, steep, ruthless and narcissistic leader, animated by a latent desire for and unyielding belief in Russia's reborn glory.
Anyways, barring the implicit bias when talking about his life and his rise to power, this book is very helpful to better (never fully) understand Putin as the man who he really is: a tough, steep, ruthless and narcissistic leader, animated by a latent desire for and unyielding belief in Russia's reborn glory.
August 11, 2011
The sort of autobiography that political candidates write in all Western democracies. Self-serving rubbish. But as someone who doesn't follow Russian politics closely, it was fun to see when he was obviously spending pages and pages on self-justification over various issues.
I would not buy a used car from the author of this book.
I would not buy a used car from the author of this book.
January 15, 2016
I'm not sure how astonishingly frank and how astonishingly staged these interviews were, but this man has an answer for everything.
The book portraits a driven, self-made man who, almost by accident, became president of Russia.
He is also a good family man, as described by his teachers, his wife, his daughters and his friends.
The book scraps away a lot of the mystic aurea that has been surrounding Putin recently, but it doesn't add much to the story of the most important man of 2015.
The book portraits a driven, self-made man who, almost by accident, became president of Russia.
He is also a good family man, as described by his teachers, his wife, his daughters and his friends.
The book scraps away a lot of the mystic aurea that has been surrounding Putin recently, but it doesn't add much to the story of the most important man of 2015.
April 20, 2022
I am not sure how true these answers are but the interviews are still interesting. It's less about what he actually says and more about what is left unsaid. I think those things that seem unimportant are the most telling and closest to truth.
It is actually even a bit shocking to see the similarity between wars in Chechnya and Ukraine. What Putin says here regarding Chechnya 20 years ago, he could be saying about Ukraine. And it seems like he has improved his tacticts, at least regarding the propaganda. If you have been reading other books about Putin this is a good addition.
It is actually even a bit shocking to see the similarity between wars in Chechnya and Ukraine. What Putin says here regarding Chechnya 20 years ago, he could be saying about Ukraine. And it seems like he has improved his tacticts, at least regarding the propaganda. If you have been reading other books about Putin this is a good addition.
August 20, 2016
ok this book is funny as hell, Putin is like 'my mom was laid in a pile of corpses but got out ok' to cracking jokes about Napolean in a couple beats, what is this, how is it public
April 17, 2010
Interesting interviews, but it never comes near to explaining how Putin, with seemingly little ability, no significant connections and no particular skills rose so quickly once he arrived in Moscow and was selected by Yeltsin to replace him.
As mysterious as the rise of our non-entity to leadership.
As mysterious as the rise of our non-entity to leadership.
September 7, 2013
"Aus erster Hand" ist ein Buch, das ein paar Journalisten für Wladimir Putin aufgeschrieben haben als er 1999 plötzlich Präsident wurde. Ich habe das Buch in einem Antiquariat entdeckt, es ist sozusagen eine Autobiographie, aber auch Putins Frau und ein paar andere Leute kommen zu Wort, um ein Bild von Putin und seinem Werdegang zu zeichnen. Das Buch enthält zudem zahlreiche Familienfotos von Frau, Kindern, Hund oder beim Tischtennis. Ich finde das bemerkenswert, dass er das für nötig hielt, der Öffentlichkeit von seinem Vorleben zu erzählen, denn wir wissen über Frau Merkel praktisch nichts und es interessiert in Deutschland auch nicht, was sie vor der Wende gemacht hat. Wir erfahren also, dass Putins Grossvater Koch war bei Stalin. Dass seine Eltern schon mit 17 heirateten, seine Mutter aber 41 war, als sie ihn bekam. Putin hatte 2 Brüder, die im Kriegselend starben, auch seine Mutter wäre beinahe verhungert. Putin wächst in einer Gemeinschaftswohnung auf und muss sich als Kind gegen Ratten verteidigen. Mit 11 fängt er mit dem Sport an- seinen Trainer verehrt er. Wir erfahren, dass Putin sich die Nase bricht oder später auch den Arm. Dass er mit 16 zum KGB Büro geht und fragt, was er machen muss, um genommen zu werden. Also studiert er Jura. Das Geld, das er beim Strassenbau verdient, haut er aber sinnlos auf den Kopf. So kommt es, dass er nicht mal einen Mantel hat. Dafür gewinnt seine Mutter jedoch mit einem geschenkten Lotterielos ein Auto, das er bekommt. Putin ist ein Raser und ist in mehrere Vorfälle verwickelt. Über den Fall als er einen Mann anfuhr, erfahren wir wenig. Ljudmila Putin war eine Stewardess, die er über Freunde kennenlernte. Als er 30 ist, heiraten sie. Putin sollte zuvor schon einmal heiraten, liess seine Braut jedoch praktisch am Altar stehen. Warum, erfährt der Leser nicht. In Dresden wohnen die Putins mit ihren 2 Kindern in einem Wohnhaus der Stasi. Die Stasi-Mitarbeiter bezeichnet er als anständig. Zwar räumt er später ein, dass er den Unmut der Bevölkerung versteht, aber die negativen Konsequenzen, die sich für die Stasi-Mitarbeiter ergeben, finden beide, Herr und Frau Putin ungerecht. Beide geben neunmalkluge Kommentare zum Mauerfall ab. Putin erklärt lückenlos, wann er wo arbeitete und welchen Rang er hatte. Über seine KGB- Tätigkeiten bleiben wir also nicht im Unklaren. Als Laie kann ich mir darunter jedoch nicht viel vorstellen. Er bespitzelt Parteien, Parteichefs und Innenministerien. Wie genau das für die Opfer der Spitzelei aussieht, erfahren wir nicht. Putin versteht es, seine Tätigkeit als gute Karriere darzustellen, ohne sich mit unappetitlichen Einzelheiten zu besudeln. Immer wieder klagt er auch über den Geheimdienstapparat, der die Berichte sowieso nicht las und den Zusammenbruch auch gar nicht verhindern wollte. Desillusioniert kehren sie nach Russland zurück mit einem neuen Auto und einer alten Waschmaschine. Hier schreibt Putin an seiner Dissertation (für die ihm später ein Plagiatsvorwurft gemacht wird). 1990 schreibt er ausserdem eine Kündigung an den KGB. Doch diese verschwindet angeblich. Dann brennt Putins Landhaus ab und 1994 hat Ljudmila einen Autounfall, bei dem sie eine Wirbelsäulenverletzung und einen Schädelbruch erleidet. Putin berichtet einiges über seine Arbeit im Rotlichtmilieu oder während der Hungersnot in Leningrad. Er äussert sich zu Treffen mit Jelzin,Clinton und Kohl. Der Krieg in Tschetschenien war damals ein grosses Thema. Diese Biographie ist sicher beschönigt. Ich habe auch "Heikle Freundschaften" gelesen, in dem es hauptsächlich um Frau Putin geht. Deshalb muss ich über manche Äusserungen in diesem Buch lachen. Wenn Ljudmila etwa vorschwärmt, sie würde abends auf ihren Gatten warten und morgens mit ihm gemeinsam aufstehen. Dass sie mit ihm morgens aufstehen sollte, führte nämlich laut "Heikle Freundschaften" zu einer Ehekrise, da Ljudmila lieber bis mittags im Bett blieb. So gibt es Darstellungen, die sich decken und welche, die sich widersprechen. Um die Ehe soll es nie so gut gestanden haben, alleine schon weil Frau Putin nach der Wende nur noch am Urlauben und Shoppen war, so dass ihr Mann ihr sogar die Kreditkarte wegnahm. Aber das ist ein anderes Buch... "Aus erster Hand" gab Wladimir Putin die Möglichkeit, sich der russischen Bevölkerung und dem Ausland vorzustellen, ohne Negatives zu enthüllen- aber auch ohne seinen Hintergrund zu verschweigen. Die Geschichten aus dem Privatleben machen ihn natürlich sympathischer. Die ungeschminkte Wahrheit ist das sicher nicht und Selbstkritik sucht man hier vergebens. Trotzdem fand ich es bemerkenswert, dass Putin kommunikativer war als Angela Merkel. Menschen, die die DDR noch erlebt haben, können sich sicher mehr zusammenreimen als ich.
October 30, 2019
I rated this book 2 stars only because it was interesting, even on it's non-deep-diving surface. The book is clearly propaganda. It is a lie to call it a self-portrait. It's not written by Putin but by three sycophants who threw it together in 3 weeks. Putin's words about justice are scary when compared to his actions since this was written. Russia has no justice for the everyday Russian. Putin uses the justice system to punish his adversaries, both economic and political. And evidently part of his justice system is state-directed assassination both in Russia and abroad. Still, the book has it's interesting parts about war with Chechens, and even some humorous parts. A fast read, worth the little time it takes to read it, but only that. Better to read about Putin by authors like Masha Gessen. It's always good to read all about a subject, from the many perspectives of many authors.
July 1, 2018
Putin thinks like a secret agent and strategist. You don't have to like him to appreciate that. Don't know how genuine he is, and for all the tailoring of his answers, his dynamism and craftiness with a bit of temper shows.
March 27, 2022
Aspettarsi un'autobiografia sincera da parte di un qualsiasi politico è assurdo, se il politico in questone è un ex colonnello del KGB è una cosa davvero impossibile.
Aggiungiamoci che il libro è raccontato sotto forma di una supposta intervista a ruota libera, e avremo l'esempio di come confezionare un'opera costruita a tavolino senza porsi troppo il problema di apparire "neutri".
Ciònonostante, è comunque un documento prezioso per imparare qualcosa di più su questo personaggio che sta determinando la Storia di questi giorni.
Aggiungiamoci che il libro è raccontato sotto forma di una supposta intervista a ruota libera, e avremo l'esempio di come confezionare un'opera costruita a tavolino senza porsi troppo il problema di apparire "neutri".
Ciònonostante, è comunque un documento prezioso per imparare qualcosa di più su questo personaggio che sta determinando la Storia di questi giorni.
May 25, 2007
i found this book extremely enlightening in regards to what is going on in russia today. the entire book is comprised of 3 or 4 multiple hour interviews that were given by putin when he first came into office in 2000. he talks about where he came from, his life in the kgb, his family, his politics...pretty much everything. after reading it i felt like i better understood him and his way of decision making, and ultimately it's the reason why i stand up for him so much in light of recent shady circumstances.
March 5, 2022
cose interessanti da sapere senza accollarsi delle interviste abbastanza gne:
- Putin tiene al collo una collana con croce che si è fatto benedire in terra santa
- parlando di come mai Putin si lasciò con la sua compagna storica dell’Università, il suo amico dice che “vovka è della bilancia”
- all’interno del municipio di s Pietroburgo mentre tutti toglievano i quadri di Lenin negli uffici e li sostituivano con quelli di Yeltsin, Putin fu l’unico ad appendere un ritratto di Pietro il Grande
- Putin tiene al collo una collana con croce che si è fatto benedire in terra santa
- parlando di come mai Putin si lasciò con la sua compagna storica dell’Università, il suo amico dice che “vovka è della bilancia”
- all’interno del municipio di s Pietroburgo mentre tutti toglievano i quadri di Lenin negli uffici e li sostituivano con quelli di Yeltsin, Putin fu l’unico ad appendere un ritratto di Pietro il Grande
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April 5, 2022Putin is a Zero. Found this official biography at local library. He's a quick study. Born in poverty, self-proclaimed thug, self-made, fluent in German and English. First KGB assignment was to study foreign leadership styles while stationed in East Germany and was run out of town when the Berlin Wall came down.
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July 10, 2023From the back cover:
“Who is this man who suddenly - overnight and without warning - was handed the reins of power to one of the most complex, formidable, and volatile countries in the world? How can we trust him if we don’t know him?”
This book has aged very well or very terribly depending on your perspective but the English translation appears to be solid and it’s an informative and interesting read in light of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“Who is this man who suddenly - overnight and without warning - was handed the reins of power to one of the most complex, formidable, and volatile countries in the world? How can we trust him if we don’t know him?”
This book has aged very well or very terribly depending on your perspective but the English translation appears to be solid and it’s an informative and interesting read in light of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
October 8, 2025
A more lighthearted read than I would have expected. Regardless of its validity, it gives insight into Putin's personality and personal life. Laughed out loud a few times. Old Volodya is a pretty funny guy
January 23, 2024
First Person by Vladimir Putin Review
First Person by Vladimir Putin was a very interesting and powerful book that taught me five things. Be completely self-sufficient. Run your own life like a business campaign. Be silent. Be a silent person. Plan for the future.
Mr. Putin was very candid and open about his past and his relationship with the people around him and how it impacted him both professionally and personally. I liked the fact that he gave others the opportunity to speak about him so that the co-authors would get the spice and flavor of Mr. Putin without hearing just one version from him. They got a varied and honest picture without any hidden feelings. People were honest and open. I could tell communication and trust were being used by all the people spoken to in the book. Privacy was being respected to the highest degree possible. Boundaries were firm, enforced, and in place by Mr. Putin and I liked how he patiently told people where he stood without disrespecting someone or insulting them. They knew his boundaries and what he was saying without him having to say anything else.
Quote:
“My father’s father was born in St. Petersburg and worked as a cook.”- Vladimir Putin
Learn how to cook. Start with simple meals. Then gradually buy ingredients and make your own food from scratch yourself.
“A cook after all is a cook.”- Vladimir Putin
Organize your cooking ware and kitchen by item and in alphabetical order. Cook all your meals at home. You should only buy a snack and a roast beef sandwich or a meat loaf with gravy to eat at work. With a bottle of lime water. Nothing more. Also learn to shop in each area of the grocery store. That is essential. Get what you like but buy it at what you can afford.
“But apparently my grandfather cooked very well, because after World War I he was offered a job in The Hills district on the outskirts of Moscow. Where Lenin and the whole Ulyanov family lived. When Lenin died, my grandfather was transferred to one of Stalin’s dachas. He worked there a long time.” - Vladimir Putin
Cook really well and bring your own food to church and work. Cut up sandwiches into four slices and spread it out over four days to eat for lunch.
If you learn really well from your half-sister eventually you can cook by yourself when you are on your own again and not have to bring food back to your apartment.
Write down everything your half-sister says in a Word file for each recipe so that when you move out you can make your own food and drinks from scratch.
“My grandfather kept pretty quiet about his past life.”
Do not talk much about your life with your relatives before the age of eighteen. Ever. Forgive them and move on. Keep pretty quiet about your own life and what you are doing. You do not have to say anything.
“My parents didn’t talk much about the past, either. People generally didn't back then.”
Just because your parents do not talk much about their past does not give you the right to ask them questions about it. So stop. Respect the times they grew up in and their cultural norms and embrace it and modify it to fit how you live now.
“But my parents never told me anything about themselves.”
Do not tell much about the relatives of your birth father. Keep that private. Only write about it discreetly in letters. Same thing with your the family of your birth mother. Stop talking about them.
“He was a silent man.” - Vladimir Putin
Be a silent person. You do not have to talk if you do not want to. You are under no obligation or requirement to talk to anyone, or to respond to anyone, or to discuss anything. Unless of course it is your aunts, your mother, or your care team. You do not have to reveal anything.
Those that get ahead in life are silent about the steps they took to get to where they got. So do that.
“I have some rules of my own. One of them is never to regret anything. Over time, I came to the conclusion that this was the right thing to do. As soon as you start regretting and looking back, you start to sour. You always have to think about the future. You always have to look ahead. Of course you have to analyze your past mistakes, but only so that you can learn and correct the course of your life. ”- Vladimir Putin
This is important. This means to me that I must not live in Regretville. Living in the past means I am focused on past issues, past relationships, past concerns, past worries, past hurts, past learning curves, past hurtings. Do not do that anymore. Stop. You must do that yourself. Don’t look back. Keep moving forward. What do you want to achieve in the next nine years? What do you want to achieve in the future? Think about the future. Plan for the future. No one is going to sit down and plan it out for you. You must do that yourself. If you do not plan your life out in minute detail, then no one is going to help you to get to where you need to go at the appointed time when you need their wisdom and candor.
You cannot let anyone rob you of your joy. You cannot let anyone rob you of your ecstasy. Do not give anyone the power to control you and your emotions. Do not give anyone the power to control your habits. Do not give anyone the power to control what you say or how you say it. Speak in love. Live in love. Breathe in love. Exude love and happiness. Pour out love, favor and blessings. Upon your own life. Especially upon those that you meet. Dance if you want to. Who cares if you demoralize others around you? If God has been excellent to you then why not dance and dance your blessings? Why not sing your praises? Who cares what your haters think? Do their opinions matter? No! Do they factor into who you are as an individua? No! Do they factor in how God sees you? No! So then why should you care? You should not. That is their problem. Not your problem.
“I have always reacted negatively to those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives.” - Vladimir Putin
I love this quote. Immensely so. It is blunt and to the point. Do not put your nose into other people’s lives. Stay out of their life. Completely. If they want you in their life, they will call you or reach out in some feasible way that was agreeable to both of you. But it is not. Even then remember that people have a right to live their own lives the way they choose. So do you. Your birth mother and birth father cannot (and should not) control every single aspect of your life. Take back the reins slowly chess piece by chess piece. Day by day. Make your own life the way you want it to be. But stay out of their lives. Especially the lives of their other children. And most importantly do not push to be seen. Do not push to be heard. Do not push to be talked about. Positive or negative. Just do your own thing. Quietly. Privately. Do not push for the limelight. Do not push to be in the center. Stay in the background. Be selective. Have your own beliefs and values. Set your own boundaries. Stick to them. Have your own rules of code of conduct. Never ever break them. And leave everything up to the Hand of God as your Source of Strengthen and Provider in All Things. Because with Him you have everything, He wants you to have! Be grateful and smile......
First Person by Vladimir Putin was a very interesting and powerful book that taught me five things. Be completely self-sufficient. Run your own life like a business campaign. Be silent. Be a silent person. Plan for the future.
Mr. Putin was very candid and open about his past and his relationship with the people around him and how it impacted him both professionally and personally. I liked the fact that he gave others the opportunity to speak about him so that the co-authors would get the spice and flavor of Mr. Putin without hearing just one version from him. They got a varied and honest picture without any hidden feelings. People were honest and open. I could tell communication and trust were being used by all the people spoken to in the book. Privacy was being respected to the highest degree possible. Boundaries were firm, enforced, and in place by Mr. Putin and I liked how he patiently told people where he stood without disrespecting someone or insulting them. They knew his boundaries and what he was saying without him having to say anything else.
Quote:
“My father’s father was born in St. Petersburg and worked as a cook.”- Vladimir Putin
Learn how to cook. Start with simple meals. Then gradually buy ingredients and make your own food from scratch yourself.
“A cook after all is a cook.”- Vladimir Putin
Organize your cooking ware and kitchen by item and in alphabetical order. Cook all your meals at home. You should only buy a snack and a roast beef sandwich or a meat loaf with gravy to eat at work. With a bottle of lime water. Nothing more. Also learn to shop in each area of the grocery store. That is essential. Get what you like but buy it at what you can afford.
“But apparently my grandfather cooked very well, because after World War I he was offered a job in The Hills district on the outskirts of Moscow. Where Lenin and the whole Ulyanov family lived. When Lenin died, my grandfather was transferred to one of Stalin’s dachas. He worked there a long time.” - Vladimir Putin
Cook really well and bring your own food to church and work. Cut up sandwiches into four slices and spread it out over four days to eat for lunch.
If you learn really well from your half-sister eventually you can cook by yourself when you are on your own again and not have to bring food back to your apartment.
Write down everything your half-sister says in a Word file for each recipe so that when you move out you can make your own food and drinks from scratch.
“My grandfather kept pretty quiet about his past life.”
Do not talk much about your life with your relatives before the age of eighteen. Ever. Forgive them and move on. Keep pretty quiet about your own life and what you are doing. You do not have to say anything.
“My parents didn’t talk much about the past, either. People generally didn't back then.”
Just because your parents do not talk much about their past does not give you the right to ask them questions about it. So stop. Respect the times they grew up in and their cultural norms and embrace it and modify it to fit how you live now.
“But my parents never told me anything about themselves.”
Do not tell much about the relatives of your birth father. Keep that private. Only write about it discreetly in letters. Same thing with your the family of your birth mother. Stop talking about them.
“He was a silent man.” - Vladimir Putin
Be a silent person. You do not have to talk if you do not want to. You are under no obligation or requirement to talk to anyone, or to respond to anyone, or to discuss anything. Unless of course it is your aunts, your mother, or your care team. You do not have to reveal anything.
Those that get ahead in life are silent about the steps they took to get to where they got. So do that.
“I have some rules of my own. One of them is never to regret anything. Over time, I came to the conclusion that this was the right thing to do. As soon as you start regretting and looking back, you start to sour. You always have to think about the future. You always have to look ahead. Of course you have to analyze your past mistakes, but only so that you can learn and correct the course of your life. ”- Vladimir Putin
This is important. This means to me that I must not live in Regretville. Living in the past means I am focused on past issues, past relationships, past concerns, past worries, past hurts, past learning curves, past hurtings. Do not do that anymore. Stop. You must do that yourself. Don’t look back. Keep moving forward. What do you want to achieve in the next nine years? What do you want to achieve in the future? Think about the future. Plan for the future. No one is going to sit down and plan it out for you. You must do that yourself. If you do not plan your life out in minute detail, then no one is going to help you to get to where you need to go at the appointed time when you need their wisdom and candor.
You cannot let anyone rob you of your joy. You cannot let anyone rob you of your ecstasy. Do not give anyone the power to control you and your emotions. Do not give anyone the power to control your habits. Do not give anyone the power to control what you say or how you say it. Speak in love. Live in love. Breathe in love. Exude love and happiness. Pour out love, favor and blessings. Upon your own life. Especially upon those that you meet. Dance if you want to. Who cares if you demoralize others around you? If God has been excellent to you then why not dance and dance your blessings? Why not sing your praises? Who cares what your haters think? Do their opinions matter? No! Do they factor into who you are as an individua? No! Do they factor in how God sees you? No! So then why should you care? You should not. That is their problem. Not your problem.
“I have always reacted negatively to those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives.” - Vladimir Putin
I love this quote. Immensely so. It is blunt and to the point. Do not put your nose into other people’s lives. Stay out of their life. Completely. If they want you in their life, they will call you or reach out in some feasible way that was agreeable to both of you. But it is not. Even then remember that people have a right to live their own lives the way they choose. So do you. Your birth mother and birth father cannot (and should not) control every single aspect of your life. Take back the reins slowly chess piece by chess piece. Day by day. Make your own life the way you want it to be. But stay out of their lives. Especially the lives of their other children. And most importantly do not push to be seen. Do not push to be heard. Do not push to be talked about. Positive or negative. Just do your own thing. Quietly. Privately. Do not push for the limelight. Do not push to be in the center. Stay in the background. Be selective. Have your own beliefs and values. Set your own boundaries. Stick to them. Have your own rules of code of conduct. Never ever break them. And leave everything up to the Hand of God as your Source of Strengthen and Provider in All Things. Because with Him you have everything, He wants you to have! Be grateful and smile......
March 7, 2025
I actually enjoyed this book tremendously - what a page turner!
Few interesting highlights I’ve made while reading the book:
When Putin talked about his struggling upbringings under the poor Soviet regime, he wrote of his mother and father:
(Putin also has an older brother who died of starvation.)
On his religion as well as his ties to his family (also - Putin’s wife in the book mentioned that Putin has an extremely tie with his family):
(I thought this was hilarious):
Responding to him once ran over a man:
Responding to people’s accusation of MGB:
On how Anatoly Aleksandrovich just “disappeared” via a private jet (italic is from the interviewer):
(Putin goes on to say that the case against him was a political con-job to begin with.)
On why Bolshakov gave him his big break:
On why he did what he did in Chechnya:
On accusations that the apartments were blown up by Russians:
In essence - my major takeaway from the books are two:
1) At the end of the day, we’re all human beings. We all have our flaws and strengths, our pluses and minuses. Sometimes when tribalistic instincts take over, we forget that people who belong to different tribes than us too have families they care about (Putin is an extremely sensitive person, something that has been accounted for by numerous people. In this book, he would happily talk about his professional life but shy away from most things personal), pets they own - or (in Putin’s case) a house they built yet got burnt to the ground the moment it was built.
2) Sometimes when we can’t explain someone’s rocket-ship-like accent, we attribute it to someone with a highly calculated motive. Yet reading this book made me realize Putin’s accent is nothing much like that: he is just a capable right person at the right place who has earned his trustworthiness over time. Not just in a political environment, we see this even in a profit-driven corporate America: lots of C-suite executives came into position because simply, they were lucky, and they were capable enough.
I also want to note that Putin is absolutely ruthless should he need to - and he did not shy away from admitting that from the book. From his upbringings to later his treatment of Chechnya, he was consistently blunt about his moral thinking of life.
Few interesting highlights I’ve made while reading the book:
When Putin talked about his struggling upbringings under the poor Soviet regime, he wrote of his mother and father:
… There was a time when he was transferred somewhere for a while, and she was on the verge of starvation. This is no exaggeration. Once my mother fainted from hunger. People thought she had died, and they laid her out with the corpses. Luckily mama woke up in time and started moaning. By some miracle, she lived.
(Putin also has an older brother who died of starvation.)
On his religion as well as his ties to his family (also - Putin’s wife in the book mentioned that Putin has an extremely tie with his family):
… in 1993, when I worked on the Leningrad City Council, I went to Israel as part of an official delegation. Mama gave me my baptismal cross to get it blessed at the Lord’s Tomb. I did as she said and then put the cross around my neck. I have never taken it off since.
(I thought this was hilarious):
… I did not start school until I was almost eight years old. We still have the photo in our family archive: I am in an old-fashion, gray school uniform. It looks like a military uniform, and for some reason I’m standing with a flowerpot in my hand. Not a bouquet, but a pot.
Responding to him once ran over a man:
It wasn’t my fault. He jumped in front of me or something… Decided to put an end to his life… I don’t know what on earth he was doing. He was an idiot. He ran off after I hit him.
Responding to people’s accusation of MGB:
… the MGB was also part of society. It was infected with the same sickness. There were all kinds of people who worked there, but the people I knew were decent people. I was friends with many of them, and I think that the way they are now being castigated isn’t right. It’s the same thing the MGB system did to the civil society of East Germany, to its people.
Yes, there probably were some MGB agents who engaged in persecution of people. I didn’t see it. I didn’t want to say that it didn't happen. But I personally did not see it.
On how Anatoly Aleksandrovich just “disappeared” via a private jet (italic is from the interviewer):
… on November 7, his friends - I think they were from Finland - sent him a medieval plane, and he was flown to a hospital in France.
Just like that? Nobody organized anything in advance? Some people just sent an airplane?
Yes, his friends sent an airplane. Since it was November 7, a national holiday, his absence from St. Petersburg was not noticed until November 10. From the outside, it all looked like a special operation organized by a professional. What are you talking about? There was nothing special about it. The newspaper wrote that he was whisked out, without even going through customs. That’s not true, he passed through customs and passport control at the border. Everything was as it was supposed to be. They put stamps in his passport. They put him on the airplane. That was that…
(Putin goes on to say that the case against him was a political con-job to begin with.)
On why Bolshakov gave him his big break:
I could think of only one explanation. You see, Aleksei Alekseyevich Bolshakov was a prominent person. At one time, he was the first deputy of the executive committee of the Leningrad City Council, the person who really ran the city. There were good reports about Bolshakov that he was a can-do, energetic, hard working man. Though he had never really been an orthodox Communist, the tide of democracy had swept him away, Sobchak decided that he had to go.
Bolshakov wound up almost on the street. He got some work, but n one imagined that he would land himself a good post again, much less in Moscow. From time to time, Bolshakov would appear in Smolny on business, I never forced him to wait in the reception area. I would always stop what I was doing, kick everyone out, come out into the reception area myself, and say, “Aleksei Alekseyevich, right this way.” We were never close, but maybe he remembered me.
On why he did what he did in Chechnya:
… I have never for a second believed and people with even an elementary level of political knowledge understand this that Chechnya would limit itself to its own independence. It would become a beachhead for further attacks on Russia.
On accusations that the apartments were blown up by Russians:
What?! Blowing up our own apartment buildings? You know, that is really… utter nonsense! It’s totally insane.
No one in the Russian special services would be capable of such a crime against his own people. The very supposition is amoral. It’s nothing but the information war against Russia.
In essence - my major takeaway from the books are two:
1) At the end of the day, we’re all human beings. We all have our flaws and strengths, our pluses and minuses. Sometimes when tribalistic instincts take over, we forget that people who belong to different tribes than us too have families they care about (Putin is an extremely sensitive person, something that has been accounted for by numerous people. In this book, he would happily talk about his professional life but shy away from most things personal), pets they own - or (in Putin’s case) a house they built yet got burnt to the ground the moment it was built.
2) Sometimes when we can’t explain someone’s rocket-ship-like accent, we attribute it to someone with a highly calculated motive. Yet reading this book made me realize Putin’s accent is nothing much like that: he is just a capable right person at the right place who has earned his trustworthiness over time. Not just in a political environment, we see this even in a profit-driven corporate America: lots of C-suite executives came into position because simply, they were lucky, and they were capable enough.
I also want to note that Putin is absolutely ruthless should he need to - and he did not shy away from admitting that from the book. From his upbringings to later his treatment of Chechnya, he was consistently blunt about his moral thinking of life.
August 30, 2015
Going into this book I had no expectations, which is most likely why I enjoyed it. If you want to understand Putin on a more personal level and comprehend his tactics, this is the book to read. Loved how it was pieced together, getting snippets of interview from his colleagues and family members discussing his character. Very interesting! After finishing this book, I have more respect for him. Even though this is a biography, it simply proves that anything can be accomplished if one puts their mind to it and works hard for it.
July 20, 2017
Rating 4/5, mainly because its not current but thats really it, I learned a lot about Putin in the book that goes against Mainstream media and mainstream opinion of him and makes me know that he is definitely a wonderful leader for Russia and people need to see the truth and stop believing lies about people just because of some country's history. Putin hates communism as much as anyone and he made things better for the Russian people after they had to endure starving and long lines and torture thanks to communism.
July 26, 2017
Interesting read about an interesting man and his ideals. This book also has some interesting insight into why Chechnya was handled in the way it was and it also provides a decent character assessment about Putin. Also has some rather humourous excerpts too.
I thoroughly enjoyed it but I think Putin needs to be involved in writing a new biography. I would like to gain more knowledge about his insight in regards to current events which I don't believe Oliver Stone quite covered in his interviews with him.
I thoroughly enjoyed it but I think Putin needs to be involved in writing a new biography. I would like to gain more knowledge about his insight in regards to current events which I don't believe Oliver Stone quite covered in his interviews with him.
July 13, 2016
Had a great interest about reading this Book. And glad to say it didn't disappoint me. What I learn from this book about Putin that he's a Honest guy or rather say a total Honest guy. He always did the thing like what need to do. I strongly believe right now Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is the world's best Leader among all...
Long Live PUTIN...
Long Live PUTIN...
October 10, 2016
an enjoyable, biased (i mean, his handpicked friends and relatives are contributing comments, even if a well-respected journalist is recording all of this) account of the early life and times of vladimir putin that, when read against the grain, is relatively revealing in terms of how he approaches foreign and domestic politics.
April 19, 2023
This is an interesting read. It gives you probably a very censored and biased view of Putin and his life. He had an interesting life. This was before people knew him as the really authoritarian ruler. It’s good to learn about him though, I wouldn’t take what he says in this book as 100% true though at all.
4/5
4/5
September 9, 2012
Putin is not the kind of politician to have a bunch of ghost writers, who can write a pretentious book about his hope and dreams.
The book is mostly made of interviews and "monologues" When gives it a dry but authentic touch.
The book is mostly made of interviews and "monologues" When gives it a dry but authentic touch.
April 19, 2011
Given another audience, the book may have achieved what it set out to do. However, in the hands of this ignorant reader, it did not enlighten much.
March 19, 2009
I reread this book all the time - amazing insight into Putin. A caveat: the authors only had 3 weeks to write and publish the book. That's why the editing is a bit shotty.
November 9, 2019
Brilliant. An excellent account of the most unlikely rise to power of the Last Christian Warrior. The Alpha Male of all Alpha Males!
May 20, 2024
An excellent book with Putin's side of the story leading up to his presidential election.
May 15, 2020
First Person: An Astonishly Frank Self-Portrait by Russia's President — ostensibly written by Vladimir Putin — contains a series of interviews with Russia's president and several people close to him. To call Putin the author is a bit of a stretch, because his real role is that of principal interviewee.
Published in 2000, First Person is a different sort of autobiography — if indeed one could call it that. It covers Vladimir's whole life, for the most part chronologically, from his childhood through his marriage and time with the KGB, up to when he became the Acting President of Russia.
I am giving First Person 3 of 5 stars because the book is interesting and informative, but its format is too different from most autobiographies and biographies, and it took awhile to get into the book's flow.
Rather than talk about Vladimir, it is instead a series of interviews. Most of the interviews are with him, but there are also transcripts of interviews with his wife, friends, and colleagues.
Vladimir's two children, Masha and Katya — in their teens at the time — even make an appearance in a few places. Interestingly, at one point Katya reveals their "favorite movie right now is The Matrix, but Papa hasn't seen it" [p. 155].
What Putin says about Chechnya is, to me, the most interesting part of the book. He asserts Russia's actions there were "necessary to preserve the territorial integrity of Russia" [p. 142], and he says the battle is "not against the independence of Chechnya but against the aggressive aspirations that had begun to florish on that territory." [p. 143].
The book mentions "a potential domino effect," [p. 124] but Putin comes off as being less like Lyndon B. Johnson and more like a modern-day Abraham Lincoln, keeping the nation unified and saving Russia from divisive, violent rebels in the south. Vladimir insists that "We are not attacking. We are defending ourselves" [p. 143].
At one point the interviewer asks him about "a version of the story that says the apartment houses were deliberately blown up, in order to justify the beginning of military actions in Chechnya?" [p. 143]. Putin responds incredulously:
What?! Blowing up our own apartment buildings? You know, that is really ... utter nonsense! It's totally insane.
No one in the Russian special services would be capable of such a crime against his own people. The very supposition is amoral. It's nothing but part of the information war against Russia.
— From First Person, pp. 143-144.
The strange structure and presentation of the book aside, I enjoyed reading First Person and recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about the Russian President and how he rose to power.
If you are interested in reading something negative about Putin, there are plenty of other books you can read. This book's positive slant may make me a little suspicious of its objectivity, but that did not keep me from enjoying the inside view it offers of Vladimir Putin.
There's enough negativity in the world already, and it can definitely be refreshing to read something positive for a change.
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