From the back of the book we read: Farley Mowat's most dramatic expedition takes him deep into the little-known regions of Soviet Siberia from the weather-battered log houses of old Russia, to primitive deerskin tents pitched on the edge of the polar sea, and to Yaksutsk, one of the coldest places on earth, where on still winter days the warmth of human breath causes fogs to condense over the towns. The Siberians --- reindeers, and vigorous women-welcome Mowat with mare's milk and vodka, black bread and caviar, outrageous good humor, and a fierce love for their isolated --- yet booming territory. An forgettable adventure in the other half of the Arctic.