Dealing with the interrelationship of the book to other forms of mass communication in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), this report focuses on the sociological issues involved and the responses of the public to the various channels of communication. Sections of the report deal with the following topics: (1) the building of the mass communications system in the USSR and its present condition, (2) the future of the book in the USSR, (3) research of the mass communications system, (4) research methods and management, (5) theoretical premises of the research, (6) the place of books and mass media in the leisure time budgets of citizens of the USSR, (7) functional features of mass media and books, and (8) the prestige of books. (FL)