**A quirk of life. The time of Gorbachev and before him** In the book "The Strangeness of Life. The Time of Gorbachev and Before It", the author carefully and candidly examines a difficult period in the history of the Soviet Union - the end of the 1980s. This book is the result of a long work of the author, who studied the politicians who determined the power during this period, as well as the influence of Gorbachev on the collapse of the Soviet Union. Written, well-researched, and incisive, "The Oddity of Life" not only reveals the complexity of the political decisions made by Gorbachev, but also examines the impact of those decisions on the lives of ordinary people. The author uses historical sources, expert analysis and in-depth interviews to tell a fascinating story about the radical changes that took place at the beginning of the last decade of the Soviet Union. "The oddity of life. The time of Gorbachev and before it" is a book for those who are interested in history, politics and the influence of global events on the destinies of individual people. The author offers readers a new perspective on well-known events and helps to better understand the essence and consequences of the transformations that took place in the Soviet Union during the reign of Mikhail Gorbachev.