Author Archives: Pramathesh Borkotoky

Well I was surfing the bookstore when I saw this small little book with an interesting title. I just thought about taking a peek and I found it so interesting and completed the book there itself. Bad Manners. I know, but it just happened. This little book is full of humorous incidents that perhaps happen to all of us. Like why men can’t seem to find things or they say so, why women can see the hair in their hubby’s coat from 20 feet and hit the garage wall while parking the car, etc. etc. The book becomes interesting with some witty cartoons but still I found that Barbara dominated the book or perhaps it is just a man’s viewpoint.

The book is based on the plain and simple philosophy that Men and Women are two different varieties of the same species. This book will help you understand relationships better not because it is some kind of psychological treatise or something like that but will help you laugh off the things you hated about your partners.

I recommend the book for people who are in some kind of romantic relationships. Singles might take a look, but it is their choice.

The following will give you a fair idea of the book: (Image Courtesy: Google Bhaiyya)

Men literally have ‘tunnel vision’. That’s why they’re always so obvious when they look at other women. They have to turn their heads.

In a room of fifty couples it takes the average woman less than ten minutes to have analyzed the relationship between each couple in the room. She can see who’s who, what’s what and how they’re all feeling.

A Man would have to witness tears, a temper tantrum or be slapped around the face before he’d have a clue anything was going on.

It’s not that men are insensitive to the small details. Their brains just aren’t organized to pick up the non-verbal signals that allow women to notice small details and changes in the appearance of others.

Most men, if they’re going to lie to a woman, would be far better off doing it over the phone, in a letter or with all the lights off, and a blanket over their head.

Book: Why Men Can Do Only One Thing At A Time: And Women Never Stop Talking
Author: Allan Pease, Barbara Pease

ISBN: 8186775749 ISBN-13: 9788186775745, 978-8186775745

Publisher: Manjul Publishing House Pvt Ltd

The Smile

There is a Smile of Love

And there is a Smile of Deceit

And there is a Smile of Smiles

In which these two Smiles meet

 - An Extract of the Poem The Smile, By William Blake

These were the lines in the first page of the book that attracted my attention. I was surfing my book shelf when I found this beautiful book that I even forgot that I had. I suddenly remembered that my brother brought it in one of his vacations  and I used a poem from the collection to impress a lady at that time. Other than that I did not remember anything else about it. I decided to give a look at this book.Romantic Poetry was a kind of statement at one time, rejecting the formality of style and subject of Augustan Poets, the Romantics gave voice to sentiments, desires and unconscious feelings. Poets like Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley were trying to create a new style of poetry and were very active in the Romantic revolution.

I always hated literature as a subject when I was student and mostly bunked the classes, so it was a new experience for me reading these poems. And I would say that I definitely liked it. A must have in one’s collection if you are a poetry lover. A good companion in solitude… There are about 110 poems in the compilation. The poets who feature in it are William Blake, Robert Burns, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, JL Hunt, William Wordsworth, Robert Southney, Lord Byron, PB Shelley, Anon, John Keats, Walter Savage Landor, John Clare, and George Darley. The collection has wide variety of themes like human spirit, time, love, art and beauty. My personal favorites are To a Butterfly By Wordsworth, To a Skylark by Shelley and Infant Sorrow by William Blake. If you however ask who my favorite poet is, I would say John Clare.  So, I would end with one of his verse.

 I Am

I am: yet what I am none cares or knows,

My friends forsake me like a memory lost;

I am the self-consumer of my woes -

They rise and vanish in oblivion’s host,

Like shadows in love-frenzied stifled throes;

And yet I am, and live – like vapours tost.

-  An Extract of “I am” by John Clare

Compiled by Paul Driver

Publish date: 1995

Publisher: Penguine books

Paperback, 112 pages

ISBN 0140622020    (ISBN: 13: 9780140622027)

Book review written by Pramathesh Borkotoky

 They met in the Library.

She loved books but could not read. He was the librarian.

He used to read books for her.

Today also he is reading a book, but not in the library.

It’s Sunday and the Library is closed.

He is reading it in front of her grave.

This  55 fiction format story is written by Pramathesh Borkotoky .

For more about 55 fiction click here

Author – Rhonda Byrne

Publisher – New York: Atria Books

Pages – 198 (Hard Cover)

First Published – 2006

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1582701709

ISBN-13: 978-1582701707

Sometimes, some things happen to your life when need it the most. The same thing happened to me. I was overworked, and things were not working perfectly for me and more I thought about it, the more it became worse. So, I took a break and read a few books. One of them was ‘The Secret’ gifted by a friend of mine. I was very skeptical reading it as I don’t read much of motivational books. But, yesterday I read it and liked it to a certain extent. I liked the book because I wanted to like it.

The book preaches that we should be positive and being positive brings success to us. I felt much better after reading it and I was in love once again with myself.  But, it thoroughly disappointed me as it made me wonder that why a person would read a whole book when it says the same thing redundantly that could be summarized in one line.

The book is a huge success since it made debut in 2006. About 4 million plus copies sold till now and still going strong. The number of reviews available in the net is also a testimonial to the fact. Almost 2500 review available in Amazon itself. A well marketed book.

The book has a feel good factor but it lacks in many things. I felt good. But, that is not all. Sometimes I even felt like shooting myself. It talked about a person getting cured of Cancer because he wanted it. I know faith can enhance the speed of curing but completely curing by only faith is total bullshit. There were several other instances delivering many other sorts of bullshit. The book lacks a scientific support. The contributors aren’t credible as well as they are mostly motivational speakers.

I will give a 2 ½ stars for it. You may like to read it but I won’t say a must read book.

Book review submitted by Pramathesh Borkotoky

Recently, a Speaking Tree Summit was held. Trees of different countries took place. As the trees cannot move, the summit was held through phone conversations. As they don’t know how to use phone, volunteers from the human community who understand the language of trees were invited. I happened to be one of them. Oops! The secret is out that I speak with trees. I am not mad, believe me. It is a God’s gift to few people like me. Don’t get jealous. I am sharing some opinions shared by the trees during the event. Names of the trees were excluded as they wanted us to respect their anonymity.

“I am a tree, who was planted by some good people near the Highway, so that it looks good. People felt good passing by that highway and enjoyed the beauty. But, now the govt. is expanding the road. When plans were made, we used to spend our days (and also our nights) with the fright of being cut down. Thankfully, we were safe. But, the life after that has been worse. The construction is taking time more than it should have taken. The weather also is acting funny. Rain was very scarce last year. The whole area is covered by dust and I don’t know how to clean myself. Every time a vehicle passes, it drives all the dust to me and my friends. I am so dirty. God! I need a shower.”

“I am a tree, who was planted by the govt. for the beautification of the city. I felt honored, when they took this step. No one in my family has ever been to a metro. But, obviously nothing comes for free. There is so much of pollution, I cannot take it anymore. I knew that I was supposed to decrease the pollution but even we cannot take beyond a certain limit. I want to go back to my family. But, I cannot. I will be dying soon if they don’t do something about it.”

“I am a tree, actually half a tree. I was very happy as a kid. I had no complaints for 15-20 years. There was power line going above me. But, as I grew, I started to mess with power line. But that was unintentional. I tried my best to avoid it. But, sometime ago, I was cut down half vertically to make way for the power line.”

“I am a tree and I was very happy till last year. I am situated in village home. Children of the house used to play around me and there is a swing hanged to one of my branches. So, children often used to be around. But, now the children don’t have time to play. They need to study and focus on their career. The landlord of the house is also planning an extension of the house and it is towards where I stay. They are planning to cut me down. They don’t want to cut me down but, they don’t really have a choice. They even considered an expert if I could be relocated, but that also did not work. So, with a heavy heart they decided to cut me down next Sunday. I wish I could be present in the marriage that is going to happen in the house soon. I have seen him grow, and I love him. Perhaps my life will be a gift for his marriage.”

“I am the Royal Poinciana (Krishnachura). I stay with a whole bunch of my friends alongside a big pond built by one Ahom King. Great poets write great poems about me and keep flattering me. They still come, but of late their number has decreased. I see more of young couples since the government had fixed benches under my shadow. I like when people get in a romantic mood due to my presence but I don’t like when students bunk their classes to date under my shadow.”

Then there was a baby voice. “Hi, I am sapling. Since there is so much of hue and cry about global warming, government plants thousands of us in cities and suburban areas. They forget all about me after planting us in the highways and suburban roads. We starve for water and cough so much due to vehicular pollution and most of us die soon orphaned”

“Sorry for me coming here. I am not a tree, but a fern. I can be found anywhere. I am very common in warm temperate regions. I grow as wild but, people do eat me and I am the cheapest of vegetables as nobody cultivates me. Sometimes poor people collect it themselves when they have nothing to eat as a vegetable. People also make curry out of me. I had no problem with. Recently, my protein content has been widely popularized by the scientists. It is being said that I am more nutritious than a pack of soybeans. Now, I fear that people might eat so much of me that I might get extinct… Please do take care of me. I am a very useful plant.”

Well, there were many other issues that were covered in the summit, but I am feeling very sleepy now. I will tell you some other day. Till then check some pictures I found in one old calendar by CRY.

(Half Tree Picture Courtesy: People for Trees Link: http://www.peoplefortrees.com/treehunt.cfm

Article written and submitted by Pramathesh Bortokoty.