I want to say that all these manuals are better - better looking, better informed. They have an appropriate format. But Mihailescu admits it's hard to be optimistic. With those wages, even buying a single book translates into a major expense. Added to the financial hardships facing most Romanians is the pervasive feeling that people can only get ahead by cheating.
Studies confirm widespread corruption at all levels of society.
But more important is the belief that honest work gets you nowhere. Maybe in something like 10 years you'll get rich. In Romania, people have little time to celebrate the anniversary of the fall of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. A decade later, many feel they are worse off and that benefits such as a free press and the right to travel mean little when the stomach is hungry. Sociologist Vladimir Tismaneanu says leftist politicians, including former president Iliescu, who are preaching a return to the old days, have nothing new to offer.