This book was composed prior to Shostakovich's death by, it would appear, a Party hack. As such, the book contains minimal information or insight on Shostakovich's life and music, but does make a fascinating example of Soviet political criticism. In reading of the various "excesses" and "natural beauties" in Shostakovich's oeuvre, one really gets a feel for the oppressiveness of the Soviet cultural atmosphere in which the composer labored.