Before Disgardium and Level Up, there was “The Bricks” — a raw, true-to-life novel about weakness, falls and self-overcoming: a young office worker sets out to rebuild his life brick by brick. It became a Runet phenomenon with over three million readers, and its film adaptation, “The Secret of a Leader,” won the Grand Prix at the 41st Moscow International Film Festival.

The Bricks 2.0 is the expanded novel edition — honest, practical, and merciless to excuses. If you’ve read my Level Up trilogy, this is where it all began: the heroes of “The Bricks” continue their story there. The English translation is on its way.