Sven Hasel - Moarte și viscol

(1976, ro, 176pg)
"Operatiunea Barbarossa", denumirea de cod a invaziei naziste in fosta Uniune Sovietica, declansata de Hitler pe 22 iunie 1941, se parea ca are sorti de izbanda. De altfel, in primele batalii, rusii au pierdut peste 3300 de tancuri si circa 90 la suta din avioane le-au fost distruse la sol.Hitler, strategul "Blitzkriegului", da ordin ca

"Operatiunea Typhon", planul de cucerire a Moscovei, sa se deruleze in doar trei saptamani. Atata doar ca, aidoma lui Napoleon, "geniul" Fuhrerului n-a luat in calcul timpuria iarna ruseasca. Prima zapada, cazuta in 10 octombrie si cumplitul crivat au facut ca armata germana sa sufere o prima mare infrangere. Uleiul ingheta in arme, soldatii, in uniforme de vara, se protejau punandu-si tifon pe fata si ziare pe sub vestoane. Macelul continua insa: peste tot, halci de carne sangeranda si insuportabila duhoare de hoit.

Un milion o suta de mii de morti si raniti au fost pierderile armatei germane la numai 120 km de portile Moscovei, iar 5 decembrie 1941 a fost consemnata in istorie drept ziua dezastrului "Operatiunii Typhon". Ironia sortii face ca, retragandu-se, Sven sa fie ranit nu de arma unui rus, ci de aceea a unui neamt. Ranit la randul lui, de pe patul spitalului, Porta pune punct campaniei din Rusia in maniera-i caracteristica: cu un vant rasunator.

William Saito - An unprogramed life

William Saito - An unprogramed life 

(2012, en, 257pg)

The extraordinary story of a child prodigy and his remarkable entrepreneurial accomplishments

If anyone has "been there, done that" in starting and managing businesses, it's William Saito. Saito is a truly unique personality, and his remarkable story, An Unprogrammed Life, is the compelling tale of a young entrepreneur. More than just a high-tech autobiography or how-to guide, the book is the extraordinary story of a self-taught genius who became a savvy, serial business success story. Founder of multiple profitable companies, Saito now devotes himself to helping others to do the same.

 This book chronicles the journey of Saito from a young computer nerd programming stock market trading algorithms for a major broker at the age of ten, to selling three separate companies to Microsoft and becoming one of the world's foremost experts on data security. Saito's story focuses on his two key passions—entrepreneurship and data security. An authority in encryption, authentication, and biometric technology, he is determined to fight the never-ending battle to secure personal and corporate information from criminals, terrorists, and rogue nations. The book provides a peek into the author's work with anti-terrorism and anti-crime units and the threats to personal and corporate security posed by ordinary cell phones, office copiers, and laptop PCs.

Bill Bryson - In a sunburned country

Bill Bryson - In a sunburned country

(en, 287pg, 2001)

Every time Bill Bryson walks out the door, memorable travel literature threatens to break out. His previous excursion along the Appalachian Trail resulted in the sublime national bestseller A Walk in the Woods. In A Sunburned Country is his report on what he found in an entirely different place: Australia, the country that doubles as a continent, and a place with the friendliest inhabitants, the hottest, driest weather, and the most peculiar and lethal wildlife to be found on the planet. The result is a deliciously funny, fact-filled, and adventurous performance by a writer who combines humor, wonder, and unflagging curiousity.

Despite the fact that Australia harbors more things that can kill you in extremely nasty ways than anywhere else, including sharks, crocodiles, snakes, even riptides and deserts, Bill Bryson adores the place, and he takes his readers on a rollicking ride far beyond that beaten tourist path. Wherever he goes he finds Australians who are cheerful, extroverted, and unfailingly obliging, and these beaming products of land with clean, safe cities, cold beer, and constant sunshine fill the pages of this wonderful book. Australia is an immense and fortunate land, and it has found in Bill Bryson its perfect guide