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Giving in to Vanity
In Fact Denounced as a Four-Letter Word, you offer readers a collection of aphorisms centered on topics ranging from politics to corporate culture. Why was this an important book for you to write?
There were three factors that drove me to self-publish my accidental thoughts.
First, the fear that I would hear someone say or read somewhere a thought that I deemed as invented by me. This fear grew with years but itself would probably not push me to plunge into self-publishing.
Second, the vanity, pure and simple – the devil’s favourite sin as per the concluding line of The Devil’s Advocate. As I self-police my mind to the tune well above the average I needed a justification for giving in to vanity. Here is my DIY absolution: Facebook and Instagram are powered by little more than human vanity. I am unlikely to make any sizable damage to humankind.
Third, I thought that if writing those thoughts provided me with some solace, they might console others too.
How did you go about organizing the reflections in the book? Was there a specific flow or structure you were aiming for?
When ploughing my journal for the selection of thoughts it was already organised into some categories. I have chosen a handful that I deemed to be better than the rest. When I surveyed the distillate, so to speak, some new categories appeared to me. Not all fit neatly hence the “Miscellaneous” chapter.
The sequence of the chapters was driven by my assessment as to their attractiveness to a wider audience. I put in the front those I thought would resonate with a wider audience and put at the end those that could count just on a niche appeal.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Sense-making, seeking solace, and trying to counter helplessness. Those three would stand for the bulk of my accidental thoughts. Picking on peculiarities and playing on words would be to other angles. Finally, pinning down absurdities that might be prevalent and yet are not obvious.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I have published a series of articles on Medium.com on what I refer to as grey mosquitos. Grey mosquitos is a term I would like to think was invented by me. It refers to a concept diametrically opposite to Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s black swans. Black swans are, by definition, close to impossible to predict. Grey mosquitos are ever present, but we are nearly always blind to them. I might develop this idea to a self-publishable stage.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Fact Denounced as a Four-Letter Word
Piotr Bardzik’s Fact Denounced as a Four-Letter Word is a clever, biting, and darkly funny collection of aphorisms, reflections, and thought fragments arranged by theme, from politics to corporate culture to personal peeves. Drawing inspiration from Stanisław Jerzy Lec and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Bardzik doesn’t tell a story so much as pelt you with truths, ironies, and contradictions like philosophical snowballs—some cold, some stinging, many hilarious. The format is loose, casual, and even chaotic at times. But beneath the humor lies a sharp critique of modern absurdities and a deeply personal wrestling with doubt, certainty, and the slow erosion of nuance in public and private life.
Reading Bardzik’s book felt like sitting with someone who’s both had enough of everyone’s nonsense and still somehow finds it all worth laughing at. The writing is fresh and raw in a way that’s rare. Just punchy truths dressed in wit and a healthy dose of cynicism. He hits targets most of us recognize but rarely skewer aloud: corporate meetings that drain souls, the performance theater of politics, and the hypocrisy in both our systems and ourselves. His aphorisms are tight, smart, and often funny, but they also carry the quiet weight of someone who’s thought hard about the world and found it wanting—and still decided to document the madness.
There’s weariness here, yes, but also a strange kind of hope that truth, or at least honest confusion, still matters. Some entries struck me as profound. Others felt like they were written more for the writer’s release than the reader’s benefit, which is fine, really. That’s part of the charm. It’s not polished or pretending to be. The book feels like a journal cracked open for anyone curious or frustrated enough to look inside.
If you enjoy sharp and sardonic commentary that doesn’t take itself too seriously but doesn’t pull punches either, Piotr Bardzik’s Fact Denounced as a Four-Letter Word is for you. It’s especially suited for thinkers, skeptics, and folks who’ve sat through one too many pointless meetings or witnessed the news and felt their souls shrink a little. Bardzik writes for the reader who’s tired but not yet numb.
Pages: 51 | ASIN : B0F7ZXBYV5
Corporate Comedy
Corporate Comedy by Thobias is a crazy funny yet totally believable account of one man’s life in India’s corporate sector. His experiences that made up his professional career are so entirely funny and entertaining, you may not want to read this book in public. In some ways this book is extremely ridiculous in the things that take place in the corporate world. These people are frustrating and yet laughable. They seem like characters from a movie! Yet the whole point is the story of a man who climbs the corporate ladder and his experiences. It’s a profession many think would be a great one, but the realities of what this man went through makes the reader see it all in a brand new light.
While this book is longer than some, it moves quickly. The story line flows smoothly and keeps moving at a quick pace. I like to laugh so it doesn’t take much, but I found myself laughing inappropriately loud and a bit embarrassingly, to be honest. I got some seriously weird looks from my own flesh and blood, I can only imagine if I would have been trying to read this somewhere more public, like the bus or at the park! I wouldn’t have been able to help myself. I ended up reading this book in one quick weekend.
Corporate Comedy by Thobias can be considered a comedy biography burrito. It’s both things all wrapped up in a warm outer shell. I truly felt myself feeling sorry for those in the corporate sector that are the middle man. Those that end up having to travel and be away from their loved ones. I used to think all that traveling would be fun, but in a way this book made me see it in another light. I am not quite sure how these people can manage to do it all.
I loved the descriptions of some of the locations and characters. They weren’t too wordy and overwhelming as some books do but are good enough that you can really visualize the character or location. I also loved how you would find yourself cheering for the main character. When he gets to the point where he stands up for himself I found myself rooting for him to really say how he feels! These people are so ridiculous at times I almost couldn’t deal with all of it!
It may be set in India but the situations and interactions could be in any corporate building located around the world. I really think that I will start seeing those busy men and women in a whole different light than before. It’s no wonder these people seem like totally unrelatable people by the time they reach a higher up position. If you enjoy quirky workplace comedies then you will absolutely enjoy Corporate Comedy. It’s hilarious and truly enjoyable from the start.
Pages: 246 | ASIN: B06Y12NZFG
LITERARY TITAN 