“When everyone had had plenty to eat and drink they called for the gladiators. The moment anyone’s throat was cut, they clapped their hands in pleasure. And it sometimes even turned out that someone had specified in their will that the most beautiful women he had purchased were to fight each other….” – Athenaeus, The Learned Banqueters With their origins as blood rites staged at the funerals of rich aristocrats, gladiatorial combat is one of the defining images of ancient Rome. For more than 600 years, people flocked to arenas to watch these highly trained warriors participate in a blood-soaked spectacle that was part sport, part theatre and part cold-blooded murder. Gladiatorial contests were a spectacular dramatization of the Roman emperor’s formidable power. Gladiator looks at life and service in the Roman arenas from the origins of the games in the third century BCE through to the demise of the games in the fifth century CE. It explores the lives of the prisoners of war, criminals, slaves and volunteers who became gladiators, their training, and the more than 20 types of gladiator they could become, fighting with different types of weapons. From Spartacus’s slave revolt to the real Emperor Commodius who liked to play at being a gladiator, from female gladiators to the great combats involving hundreds of exotic animals, Gladiator is a colourful, accessible study of the ancient world’s famous warrior entertainers.

Little more than ten years ago drones were barely used, but now more than 50 countries have them in service and they are not only changing how wars are fought but how crops are sprayed, how underwater pipelines are monitored and even how sports events are filmed. If it’s too risky to send a manned aircraft to survey the intensity of a hurricane or a combat zone, or too costly for conservation wardens to chart the movement of wildlife, drones can be used. Used for reconnaissance work and mapping as well as launching missiles, drones can fly autonomously or be controlled by remote control. Peering into a volcano about to erupt, checking how fast a forest fire is spreading, exploring the wreck of a sunken ship, charting your enemy’s position and taking out a military target—these are just some of the uses of drones today. From drones the size of a fingertip to drones that can carry soldiers, from single rotorcraft to multi-rotorcraft to propeller craft drones, Drones expertly examines these complex vehicles, which are not only very different from manned aircraft, but also very different from each other. Illustrated with more than 220 colour photographs and artworks, Drones is an exciting, accessibly written work about the latest in military and civilian aviation technology.

The stories of Thor, Odin and Loki are familiar to most of us. Many people know that the Norse gods fought against giants and were ultimately betrayed by Loki the trickster. The end of the world and the death of the gods in a grim battle called Ragnarok has also found its way into popular culture. Ideas taken from Norse mythology are frequently found in modern fantasy and science fiction – such as elves, dwarfs and undead warriors rising from an unquiet grave, for example. Norse mythology is rich in adventure and ideas about creation, death and the afterlife. Norse Myths takes a wide-ranging approach, examining the creation stories of the Norse world, the monsters and the pantheons of the deities, including such figures as Heimdall, Freya and Baldr. It looks at the sagas and the Prose and Poetic Eddas, which tell of real and imagined people, featuring both heroic tales and humorous escapades. The book also examines how Norse myths were interpreted in a Christianized Europe and how their motifs influenced medieval German writers and, in turn, were used in the modern world in very different ways, by the likes of composer Richard Wagner and in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien. Illustrated with 180 colour and black-&-white artworks and illustrations, Norse Myths is an engaging and highly informative exploration of a rich mythology that still resounds today.

Ever since man first took to the air, combat aircraft have been at the cutting edge of aviation technology, resulting in some of the greatest and most complex designs ever built. The World’s Greatest Military Aircraft features 52 of the most important military aircraft of the last hundred years. The book includes all the main types, from biplane fighters and carrier aircraft to tactical bombers, transport aircraft, multirole fighters, strategic strike aircraft and stealth bombers. Featured aircraft include: the Fokker Dr.1 triplane, the legendary fighter flown by German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, ‘the Red Baron’, during World War I; the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Japan’s highly-manoeuvrable fighter that dominated air-to-air combat in the early part of the Pacific War; the tank-busting Il-2 Shturmovik, the most produced aircraft in World War II; the Harrier jump jet, a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fighter that has been service for more than 40 years; the B-2 Spirit bomber, an American precision strike aircraft used in recent conflicts in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan; and the F-22 Raptor, an air superiority fighter with state-of-the-art stealth technology that makes it almost invisible to radars. Each entry includes a brief description of the model’s development and history, a profile view, key features and specifications. Packed with more than 200 artworks and photographs, The World’s Greatest Military Aircraft is a colourful guide for the military aviation enthusiast.

"…and they laid all waste with dreadful havoc, trod with unhallowed feet the holy places, dug up the altars, and carried off all the treasures of the holy church. Some of the brethren they killed; some they carried off in chains; many they cast out, naked and loaded with insults; some they drowned in the sea." —Simeon of Durham, A History of the Community of Durham Beginning in 789 CE, the Vikings raided monasteries, sacked settlements and invaded the Atlantic coast of Europe and the British Isles. They looted and enslaved their enemies, terrorizing all whom they encountered. But that is only part of their story. Sailing their famous longboats, they discovered Iceland and North America, colonised Greenland, founded Dublin, and also sailed up the River Seine and besieged Paris. They settled from Newfoundland to Russia, conquered eastern England, and fought battles from Ireland to the Caspian Sea. They traded walruses with Inuits, brought Russian furs to Western Europe and took European slaves to Constantinople. Their graves contain Arab silver, Byzantine silks and Frankish weapons and artefacts. Illustrated with more than 200 maps, photographs and artworks, The Viking Warrior examines these fearsome warriors through their origins, social structure, raiding culture, weapons, trading networks and settlements.

Introduction to Secrets: A Story of Addiction, Grief ＆amp; Healing ? Highly educated individuals with doctorates publish papers full of information, facts, and figures, explaining reasons for addiction. It is often good information extensively researched and properly cited. I do not have a Ph.D. or a doctorate. I am simply one who loves to teach, write, and more importantly, a mom who loves her family. I majored in motherhood. I minored in English. ? Sadly, I lost something most dear to my heart, my daughter’s voice. I only hear her voice as echoes in my mind, and as I read her journals. Her journals are full of her—her voice, worries, goals, sadness, hopes, desires, disappointments, happiness and love. Her writing identified her feelings, but they do not clearly define her as a person because her life was so much more. How to define, articulate her essence, her multi-dimensional personality? ??????????? In writing this story, I used words and prose that allow the reader to peer into the looking glass, perhaps to see beyond themselves to what lurks in the background of the human soul. How special each of us really is. We all deserve to be loved and to be recognized for the good we do, for the difference we make by just being. ? The writing of this story has been incredibly difficult. I was told that I was terribly hard on myself. Well, the truth is not always pretty. But accepting the truth as a means to better understand one’s environment and to move forward can be healing. It is not easy. Healing takes time. It can be painful. It is often long and arduous. Sometimes, the nearly healed wound is reinjured, the scab is torn loose, exposing the tender flesh beneath. It may ooze again for a time, but then the healing begins again. Grief can be like that. A year has passed; a year of grief, healing, learning, better understanding addiction. ? The road leading to addiction and the reasons one succumbs to substance use disorder is long and winding. Addiction is complex and those who struggle with it usually face other mental health challenges too. They struggle with loss, loneliness, pain, and emptiness. They long for fulfillment. They feel misunderstood, misjudged, stigmatized, unloved. These voids must be filled. The human spirit demands it. ? Society is quick to formulate judgments toward those struggling with addiction. However, is addiction a choice? Is mental illness a choice? Everyone’s story is different. I can only share mine. The effects of addiction ripple out, washing over everyone in some manner or form. Like many, I originally thought substance use was a choice, a deficit in one’s moral code, a weakness that one should be able to control. Why must tragedy occur to inspire illumination? ? As I began to write, my inner eye became focused, intent on rediscovering Sarah. The Sarah I knew as a child had long ago morphed into an adult I did not recognize or understand. I blamed myself. Where did I go wrong? In how many ways did we fail her as her parents? I wanted to understand. Will sharing my story allow others to more easily identify the symptoms of addiction and to recognize addiction as a disease? I hope so. That is why I am breaking the silence, using Sarah’s voice, as well as my own with a clear objective: To de-stigmatize addiction. ? Can we work towards removing the fear and the terrifying stigmatization attached to addiction and try something different? Let us direct positive energies toward these struggling souls. Rather than projecting fear and judgment, what would happen if society projected understanding, empathy, compassion, and acceptance? Acceptance that they have an illness, not just addiction, but often, buried beneath the surface, acute sadness, and unresolved conflict. ? As society begins to remove the stigma of addiction, boundaries to seeking recovery will lessen, improving the odds of recovery, decreasing the risk of death by overdose. Sarah’s death must not be an ending—let it be a beginning towards understanding, acceptance, and empathy.

The divisions of the Waffen-SS were the e?lite of Hitler’s armies in World War II. SS-Totenkopf is an in-depth examination of one of the most famous – or rather, infamous – of these divisions: the ‘Death’s Head’ division. The book explores the background to the unit’s formation from the early concentration camp guards; the men it recruited and the level of brutalisation to which they became accustomed; the key figures involved in its history, such as Theodor Eicke, its founding commanding officer; and the division’s organization. It also looks at the training regimen of the Waffen-SS, and the uniforms and insignia that members of the division wore. SS-Totenkopf also provides a full combat record of the division, which fought on both fronts during World War II, increasingly serving as a ‘fire brigade’ unit as the war turned against Germany, plugging gaps wherever they appeared in the front. The book outlines the unit’s involvement in the invasion of Poland, the fall of France, the invasion of the Soviet Union, the battle of Kharkov, the defence of Warsaw, and the final fruitless attempt to relieve Budapest in the last days of the Reich. Illustrated with rare photographs and written by an acknowledged expert, SS-Totenkopf is a definitive history of one of Germany’s leading fighting units of World War II.

The struggle for naval supremacy and the naval arms race inspired by HMS Dreadnought may have captured the headlines, but the opening stages of the naval war were dominated by the threat from German cruisers stationed outside European waters, until they were hunted down and sunk by the Royal Navy, notably at the Battle of the Falkland Islands in 1914. Germany switched its focus to the U-boat, seeing it as a weapon capable of winning the war by starving Britain into surrender. Unrestricted submarine warfare led to the sinking of millions of tons of shipping, but it would also force the USA to enter the war on the Allied side in 1917. In the Mediterranean, the French fleet took the lead, while Austria-Hungary supported German actions. The Allied attempt in 1915 to use maritime power to break the strategic deadlock with an amphibious operation in the Dardanelles ultimately failed, although Allied sea power helped sustain the successful campaigns against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. What would prove to be the decisive naval engagement of the war took place in 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. Whilst the clash itself was inconclusive, the German High Seas Fleet would be all but confined to port for the rest of the war, handing the initiative to the Royal Navy. The resultant command of the seas allowed the Allies to carry fresh American armies and much-needed supplies to Europe in 1917. However, victory for the Allies was ultimately delivered by the naval economic blockade. By preventing the import of war materials and food, the fighting power and morale of the German armed forces was weakened. It was the mutiny of the High Seas Fleet in October 1918 that prompted the German Revolution and the subsequent abdication of the Kaiser. With the aid of over 300 photographs, complemented by full-colour maps, Naval Warfare provides a detailed guide to the background and conduct of World War I naval operations, describing the struggle to win control of the high seas around the globe.

In April 1945, the final dramatic act of World War II in Europe was played out in Germanys capital city. Berlin 1945: The Final Reckoning is a comprehensive history of the last battle of Nazi Germany, which would see the virtual destruction of a city, and the eventual suicide of Adolf Hitler. Berlin 1945: The Final Reckoning begins with a study of the background to the battle and a description of events on the Eastern and Western Fronts before the Soviet forces reached Berlin. The city’s strategic importance to the German war effort and morale is considered, along with factors that caused the Western Allies to halt their advance on the Elbe rather than race the Soviet troops to the Reichstag. The German forces available for Berlin’s defence and their actual defensive preparations (or lack of them) are covered in depth, as is the devastating destruction caused by the ceaseless Allied bombing and remorseless shelling by the Soviet forces. The book describes in words and graphic pictures how, in a city reduced to rubble, a bitter hand-to-hand struggle developed between fanatical Nazis, SS troopers, old men and young boys of the Hitler Youth and the hard-bitten Soviet front-line troops bent on revenge. The suffering of the soldiers and civilians are revealed in full detail, with personal accounts from those involved in the battle. The book also describes the events in the bunker behind the Reichschancellery, where Hitler spent his last months. Finally the reader learns how German commanders disobey the Fuhrer’s orders to fight to the last man, and the fate of the city was sealed. The final chapter discusses the full implications of the battle for the Germans and Soviets, and briefly describes the search for Hitler’s body. Berlin 1945: The Final Reckoning is a brilliant, superbly illustrated account of the battle that ended the Nazi dream of a 100-year Reich.

Toate raionamentele brbailor nu cost nici mcar un sentiment al femeilor.“ – VoltairePractici eficiente de pick-up. nceptor Fii pe faz! Urmeaz cursul de iniiere n ale pick-up-ului.Primo. Cine eti i doreti ceva i chiar obii sau doar visezi i colectezi frustrriSecundo. Ce tii s faci Procedee, tehnici i metode... Te tenteaz Citete.Tero. Rezultatul ine minte, rezultatul nu poate fi dect unul de succes.Pick-up – un model de comportament al omului de succes, dar i o abordare bine gndit a comunicrii cu persoanele de sex opus i seducerea lor. Pentru aceasta ai nevoie de un maxim de informaie util i dexteritate.Probabil aceast carte te va supra. Poate c te va face s te dezamgeti. Probabil c vei pierde cele mai dragi iluzii. Cu siguran te vei indispune, vei fi suprat, te vei nfuria sau vei rde. Nu este exclus c te vei cstori sau poate c invers, vei divora, citind-o. Aa c, nainte de a da pagina, gndete-te bine, poate ca nu merit s tii attea lucruri despre brbai.n aceast carte brbatul apare exact aa cum este n realitate. Iar aceasta privelite nu este pentru cei cu psihicul slab. Anume din aceast cauz i mai repet: dac ii la iluziile tale, dac vrei n continuare s crezi c brbaii sunt nite copii mari, renun la aceast carte. F acelai lucru, dac eti convins c i cunoti pe brbai.Brbatul ideal nu bea, nu fumeaz, nu pariaz la curse, niciodat nu face reprouri i nu exist.

Trei fo?ti ofi?eri CIA, autorit??i interna?ionale ?n detectarea disimul?rii, v? ofer? un set de tehnici accesibile pentru a afla dac? vorbitorul din fa?a voastr? spune sau nu adev?rul. Fie c? realiza?i un interviu de angajare sau o anchet? judiciar?, fie c? vre?i s? afla?i dac? adolescentul vostru a consumat droguri ori dac? partenerul v? ?n?al?, ave?i acum la dispozi?ie un arsenal de ?ntreb?ri ?i tehnici de interpretare care ?i-au dovedit eficien?a chiar ?i ?n fa?a celor mai versa?i spioni ?i terori?ti. Baz?ndu-se pe analize complexe ale unor anchete de contraspionaj sau ale unor interviuri televizate cu politicieni pref?cu?i, cartea v? ?nva?? s? pune?i cele mai percutante ?ntreb?ri ?i s? identifica?i minciuna pornind de la semnele ei verbale (ezit?ri, generaliz?ri, apelul la divinitate) ?i nonverbale (mutarea centrului de sprijin, acoperirea fe?ei cu palma etc.). ?Arta ?n?el?ciunii este tema principal? a acestei c?r?i, care se adreseaz? unui spectru larg de speciali?ti: psihologi, avoca?i, judec?tori, procurori, poli?i?ti, investigatori, oameni de afaceri, oameni de v?nz?ri etc.“ – Ion Duvac, fondator al Psychological Profiler Academy

Totul e repetat p?n? ?n cel mai mic detaliu. Secund? cu secund?. Fiecare mi?care e atent studiat?. Nu va fi niciun martor care s? poat? reproduce exact ce s-a ?nt?mplat. Niciun poli?ist nu va g?si vreo pist? care s? duc? la f?pta?i. Av?nd la baz? o poveste adev?rat?, Made in Sweden e un roman cu o intrig? bine condus? despre o band? de infractori neobi?nui?i. Dar este ?i o poveste despre familie, despre dragostea fr??easc? ?i rela?ia complicat? dintre ta?i ?i fii. Despre Leo, Felix ?i Vincen – nu-i ve?i uita! ?Absolut nebunesc, absolut extravagant ?i absolut fantastic: ?n plus, foarte bine documentat.“ – Nordjyske Stiftstidende ?Extrem de bine scris, palpitant, captivant, vesel, tulbur?tor, emo?ionat, ??i d? fiori ?i-?i ?nghea?? s?ngele ?n vene – pur ?i simplu spectaculos. Made in Sweden e o pies? de categorie grea.“ – Fredericia Dagblad ?Structura e perfect cinematic?: scene bine construite, dialoguri vii ?i ac?iune atent condus?. Tema educa?iei ?i-a ?nsu?irilor cu care ne na?tem e abordat? cu subtilitate. Odat? ce-ai ?nceput s? cite?ti, nu te mai po?i opri!“ – Politiken

Povestiri de p?n? azi adun? ?ntre coper?ile sale povestirile c?rtur?re?ti ?i parabolice, cumva borgesiene, din Semnele timpului, volumul de debut al autorului, cu cele explod?nd ?realist“, infuzate de senzualitate ?i sexualitate, din Check Point Charlie, c?rora se adaug? c?teva nara?iuni inedite, care anun?? – poate prefa?eaz? – romanele cosmopolite cu care Liviu Antonesei ?amenin??“ de mai mul?i ani. Indiferent ?ns? de stil, tematic?, viziune ori inten?ii viitoare, toate au poveste, toate te ?in, p?n? la ultima pagin?, cu sufletul la gur? pe parcursul lecturii. F?r? a fi poli?iste, se citesc ca un thriller de bun? calitate.

Rstimp de douzeci de ani, sub egida acestui prestigios Club de Dialog – Ideea European – au fost organizate numeroase dezbateri, turnee, lecturi publice, conferine, ntruniri, simpozioane, att n ar, ct i peste hotare. M refer, n aceast ordine de idei, la Conferinele Modele Europene. Friedrich Nietzsche, Marx i Nietzsche. Vinovai fr vin, Modele europene. Ion Ianoi, Eugen Negrici. Iluziile literaturii romne sau Nicolae Breban. Trdarea criticii (...) in deopotriv la toate. Unele dintre acestea, multe – majoritatea! – au fost gndite de subsemnata mpreun cu romancierul Nicolae Breban, fiind rodul unei prietenii, al unei compliciti de litere rare – a spune, citnd-o de fapt pe Magda Ursache, unice – cum sunt, de pild, dezbaterile dedicate crilor-eveniment: Iluziile literaturii romne de Eugen Negrici i Trdarea criticii de Nicolae Breban, ca s citez exclusiv dou, oprindu-ne aici. Dar, m ntreb, iar i iar, de ce ne-am opri Nu spunea Blaga, oare, ntr-un vers memorabil: Orice nceput se vrea fecund“ Douzeci de ani sunt un nceput!Destinul nostru este literatura, spuneam ani de-a rndul, parafrazndu-l pe Napoleon, repetnd, iar i iar, aceast afirmaie gnomic, nu rareori, c pe o rugciune, ca pe o litanie, cu smerenie, iar, uneori-adeseori, cu spaim, ntruct – iubindu-l atroce pe sihastrul de la Torino, da, pe Nietzsche cel unic, cel hamletian – tiam, da, tiam, cine se joac de-a destinul... devine destin.“ – Aura Christi

Necesitatea acestei carti s-a impus in campul istoriografiei contemporane ca un raspuns ce se cerea stringent intr-un moment in care istoriografia in ansamblul ei a intrat intr-un serios impas girat si incurajat de predominanta agresiva si interferenta unor scoli si curente inconsistente, care de care mai zgomotoase, mai belicoase, mai ?originale“, concomitent cu intensificarea presiunii factorului politic (guverne, parlamente, tribunale, ong-uri etc).Tematica lucrarii o constituie evenimentele care au tulburat intreaga lume in perioada celui de-al Doilea Razboi Mondial.Studiile din aceasta carte au aparut sub semnatura celor mai prestigiosi istorici ai neamului nostru din aceasta perioada: acad. Dan Berindei, acad. Florin Constantiniu, prof. univ. dr. Gh. Buzatu (coordonatorul editiei), Stela Cheptea si multi altii.

Cum s? cre?tem copii care s? aib? ?ncredere ?n ei O dispozi?ie ?ncrez?toare ?i fericit?, bazat? pe respect s?n?tos de sine, este cel mai bun cadou pe care un p?rinte ?l poate oferi copilului s?u. Nu exist? formula perfect? pentru a fi p?rinte ?i a?a ceva este, ?n orice caz, un vis irealizabil. To?i avem momente c?nd nu facem fa?? presiunilor. Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer porne?te de la premisa c? respectul de sine este ingredientul de baz? al fericirii profunde ?i c? st? ?n puterea noastr?, ca p?rin?i, s? le d?ruim celor mici un respect s?n?tos de sine ?i, prin aceasta, fericirea aceea durabil? dup? care t?njim cu to?ii. Ce ?nseamn? respectul de sine? S? ne sim?im bine ?n leg?tur? cu noi ?n?ine, s? fim m?ndri de cine suntem. Dac? ai stim? de sine, e?ti fericit ?i ai ?ncredere ?n valoarea ta intrinsec?, ca persoan? unic?. Copiii, la fel ca adul?ii, au cele mai bune rezultate atunci c?nd se simt confortabil ?n propria piele. Iar acest lucru se ?nt?mpl? atunci c?nd li se spune c? au f?cut ceva bine, c? sunt simpatici, c? sunt o companie pl?cut?. Un copil ??i va dezvolta respectul de sine ?i va deveni o persoan? ?ncrez?toare, independent? ?i fericit? numai dac? este ferm convins de dragostea ?i aprecierea p?rin?ilor lui. Dac? te ?ntrebi cum po?i s? ??i aju?i copilul s? ??i dezvolte respectul de sine, ?n aceast? carte vei g?si solu?iile! Cartea cuprinde: - 9 capitole despre cum s? ??i cre?ti copilul av?nd o atitudine pozitiv? - Concepte-cheie precum ?laud?“, ?joac?“, ?timp“, ?atingere“ ?i ?discu?ie“ care te vor ghida ?n interac?iunea cu cel mic - ?ntreb?ri care te vor ajuta s? ??i ?n?elegi ?i s? ??i ?mbun?t??e?ti comportamentul - Informa?ii punctate, cu caracter concret ?i u?or de parcurs - Casete ?n care po?i face noti?e personale - 2 schi?e care explic? perfect raportul de cauzalitate dintre emo?ii, comportamente ?i urm?rile lor ?O carte practic? ?i bine scris?, care ofer? sprijin p?rin?ilor ?i expune multe idei utile.“ - Nursery World ?Se spune c? adev?rata fericire nu este reprezentat? de linia de sosire; ea este constituit? pe parcursul care te duce acolo. Dac? vom concepe fericirea drept ceva ce trebuie atins, g?sit sau cump?rat, rezult? c? ea poate, de asemenea, s? dispar?. Acest tip de fericire exist?, ?ntr-adev?r, dar este, prin defini?ie, extern, trec?tor ?i fragil. Exist? ?ns? o fericire mai ad?nc ?nr?d?cinat?, mai durabil?, ?i anume una care este situat? ?n interior. Dac? o avem sau nu depinde de cum ne apreciem pe noi ?n?ine, adic? de respectul de sine.”

La Zürich, c?nd intri ?ntr-un magazin, spui ?Grüetzi“, la Berlin, ?Hallo“, la Buenos Aires, ?Ola“, un ?Hallo“ ?ntors pe dos, poate unde-i pe emisfera cealalt?, la Viena, ?Grüss Gott“, dar ?i la Sibiu, acum 60 de ani, se spunea tot ?Grüss Gott“. Timi?oara nu cred c? f?cea opinie separat?, c? unde-i unu’ nu-i putere, o ?tie tot rom?nu’, dar nici Budapesta n-avea de ce s? fac? mofturi, de vreme ce Sisi, superba ?mp?r?teas? a Austriei, devenise regina Ungariei, datorit? unui foarte cool conte maghiar... cam a?a se ?ncruci?eaz? ?i limbile. ?Grüss Gott“ ?nseamn?: ?Salut?-l pe Dumnezeu“ sau ?Domnul s? te aibe ?n paz?“. Din binecuv?ntare a ajuns marcaj de grani?? a fostului imperiu habsburgic. Gata. Mi-am f?cut intrarea ?n scen?. De fapt n-am vrut dec?t s? v? spun ?Bun? ziua“. (Nora Iuga 29 decembrie 2009)

Cum convingi un f?pta? s?-?i recunoasc? nelegiuirile? Dar un angajat s? admit? c? a furat din companie? ?i cum vei reu?i s?-l faci pe partenerul de via?? s? admit? c? a min?it? Dac? ?n bestsellerul Spy the Lie, cei trei fo?ti agen?i CIA te-au ?nv??at cum s? detectezi ?n?el?toria, acum vei afla ?n ce fel po?i s?-l determini pe cel?lalt, ?n mod persuasiv, dar neagresiv, s? dest?inuie secretele ce-l apas?.Plec?nd de la propria experien?? de interogatori, autorii ofer? o serie de tehnici relevante pentru arta ?smulgerii“ adev?rului: ?inerea celui interogat ?n modul de g?ndire pe termen scurt (pentru a nu se mai ?ntreba ce va p??i dac? m?rturise?te), proiectarea vinov??iei (?Poate c? ceva independent de tine te-a ?mpins s? faci asta“), ra?ionalizarea ac?iunilor (?Mul?i ar fi reac?ionat la fel ?n atare condi?ii“), empatia cu f?pta?ul ?i identificarea tipurilor sale de rezisten??. Cartea este o dovad? vie c? tehnicile create pentru contraspionaj sau investiga?ii penale pot fi adaptate destul de u?or pentru interviul de angajare, ?n examin?rile din sala de tribunal, la masa negocierilor sau ?n via?a de familie.

Inima te ?n?eap?, stomacul devine rebel, urechile ?iuie, tremuri de furie sau de nervi. Emo?iile clocotesc ?i e?ti ve?nic stresat. Pe ne?tiute, organismul se fr?nge sub aceast? presiune: apar palpita?iile, respiri mai greu, transpiri mai des ?i acuzi tulbur?ri gastrointestinale. Evit?nd capcana explica?iilor simpliste, de tipul ?bolile de inim? sunt efectul ambi?iei ?i agita?iei", cartea de fa?? prezint? un model complex, bio-psiho-social, ?n care stresul emo?ional este v?zut nu doar ca factor de ?mboln?vire sau agravare a bolii, dar ?i ca efect adesea ignorat al afec?iunii somatice. Organizat pe diverse grupe de organe (inima, pielea, organele genitale, vocea, aparatul locomotor etc.), volumul ofer? clarific?rile medicale ?i psihologice necesare, dar ?i m?suri terapeutice eficiente – de la procedee de relaxare ?i somatoterapie la tehnici cognitiv-comportamentele pentru re?ncadrarea bolii, reintegrarea la locul de munc? ?i mai buna gestionare a emo?iilor. Cartea se adreseaz? at?t publicului larg (bolnavi ?i apar?in?tori), c?t ?i medicilor ?i psihologilor clinicieni.

Citind romanul lui Cosmin, am intrat automat n rolul unui cenzor paranoid, din ce n ce mai ncruntat, pe msur ce intram n pinea de cuvinte. Mai ncruntat fiindc am nceput s adun ntrebri pentru a pune la punct autorul, pentru a-l convinge c un asemenea text nu trebuie publicat, fiindc este periculos pentru ceteanul de bun credin, este subversiv i cu att mai nociv, cu ct ncearc s se ascund n spatele absurdului. Fiindc nou, cenzorilor, la cursul de cenzur aplicat ni s-a atras atenia de la bun nceput: atenie mare la absurdul cu substrat, la textele aparent schizoide! Acolo se ascunde buba! Iar buba trebuie tratat chirurgical! Cine se ascunde n spatele Cinelui de lemn Cine e Jumtatea de Matrioc Iar antierul e cumva La Canal Adic personajele tale au nnebunit din cauza regimului Nu neleg! Mi biete, ai cam srit calul! Fii atent la mine, textul tu nu poate fi publicat! Sau te apuci de scris normal, pe nelesul omului echilibrat, sau las-te! Auzi la el, CHINUL VENIC I NEOSTOITA SCRNIRE A DINILOR!“ – Micleuanu M. Bi, Pera sta e de belea. N-am mai citit nici un scriitor de sta care s-i frece creierii cum o face el. Dup ce termini cartea te nvri n cerc n mijlocul camerei, ca un tmpit, i nu tii ce-i cu tine, frate, pe bune. Eti praf.“ – Un biat C. Pera pare s fie al treilea frate Strugatski. Umor, suspans, intertextualism, fantasy – acestea sunt ingredientele romanului pe care tocmai l citesc i n care, mai mult ca sigur, i-ai dori i tu s fii personaj, fie i mcar unul secundar. Mie mi-ar plcea s fiu Cinele.“ – V. Leac

n doar civa ani, tefan Manasia a devenit una dintre cele mai importante figuri ale poeziei noastre de azi. i nu m refer aici doar la activitatea lui poetic propriu-zis (dac lsm la o parte plachetele underground, autorul a publicat deja trei volume), ci i la prezena pregnant n spaiul public(istic).“ – Alex Golditefan Manasia dispune – i n noul volum se vede cu ochiul liber – de o capacitate enorm de a experimenta. De altfel, poetul este cunoscut nc de la Amazon ca un mptimit al stilisticii glam. Poezia luxuriant, baroc, domolit i mprosptat de o estetic a onestitii discursului definesc, acum la al patrulea volum, anarhismul livresc al autorului.“ – tefan Baghiu