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I Am Potential
Patrick Henry Hughes; Translated by Lee Soo-jeong from English to Korean; Munhakdongne: 320pp., 12,000 won
This book is a tale about triumph over adversity, and is deeply moving and interesting enough to captivate readers from the first page, making it hard to put down until the end.
It's a good read for both young people and parents, especially for those who are battling against the odds.
Patrick Henry Hughes, a senior at the University of Louisville in the United States, is one of those people who turn physical challenges into leverage to out off the greater self inside.
Born permanently blind and with other physical disabilities, he believes that God is always fair. He has exceptional musical talent and unwavering optimism that enables him to defy his disabilities at every turn. The book's title, ``I Am Potential,'' is the very mantra he has tuned into.
It is not only the story of Patrick Henry's life, but of an incredible journey he shares with his father, Patrick John.
His father's initial reaction was ``Why me?'' but he eventually realizes that his family has been more than blessed with his son. The father-to-son bond will give readers a shot in the arm.
- CHO JAE-HYON
The Politics of Trot
Son Min-jeong; Eumse Publications: 256 pp.16,000 won
Music expert Son Min-jeong explores the world of trot, a Korean pop genre, ㅑㅜ her new book ``The Politics of Trot.''
``Trot'' is a unique form of Korean traditional music famous for its cheesy lyrics and fast beats. It has long been enjoyed among the older crowd, but thanks to younger trot singers like Jang Yun-jeong, many youths became fans.
While some say the genre grew from the Japanese music genre ``enca,'' others argue it is one of the purest pop forms in Korea. The book carefully explores both sides of the arugment and offers some insightful information.
Trot, according to the writer, was simply an entertainment tool for ordinary people, and it has now developed as a major force in the K-pop scene.
The book explores the genre quite intensively, journeying back to the 1920s when it first gained attention and slowly moving up to the 2000s when the younger generation started to appreciate and, eventually, embrace it.
For the older generation, the book will offer a trip down memory lane, while younger readers can learn more about the traditional pop genre and also of the ups and downs it has gone through over the years.
- Han Sang-hee
 Great Myth Conceptions: Cellulite, Camel Humps and Chocolate Zits
Karl Kruszelnicki; Translated by An Jeong-heui from English to Korean; Minumin: 248 pp., 10,500 won
In the busy modern world, people often squeeze in meals during work, by eating a sandwich, for example, at their desk. No one would, however, dare eat pastrami on rye using a toilet seat as a table.
But what if, contrary to common conception, the average desk contains about 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat? In light of this fact, it would be more sanitary to place one's lunch on the latter.
Esteemed Swedish-born Australian science critic and author Karl Kruszelnicki busts such common misconceptions ― or ``myth'' conceptions ― in his latest book.
Popular local TV programs such as ``Sponge'' examine common scientific phenomena and curiosities in daily life, and this book appeals to the masses in the same way.
The Ig Nobel Prize-winning author offers various fun scientific facts such as how cellulite, which the media and beauty magazines have turned into an arch nemesis, is actually not a bad thing. Other questions the book addresses are whether camel humps contain water, if the black box is really black and whether chocolate causes zits.
-Lee Hyo-won
 Cho Sei-hon's Faces
Cho Sei-hon; Alice: 224 pp, 14,000 won
Choi Sei-hon, one of Korea's leading photographers, has put together a photo essay on his trip to Xian, one of the oldest cities in China. In the book, Cho focuses on, as suggested by the title, people's faces and their expressions.
He talks about how the shutter speed of a camera lens allows one to capture 1/1000 seconds of a moment while the human eye can seize only 1/16. The photos, when developed, also enable one to see what the naked eye couldn't.
For example, he talks about how he took two days to take photos for his uncle, who runs facilities for the disabled in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province. After developing the photos, Cho realized that there was a family bond, as strong as ever, between its members, which he had not noticed during his two days there.
He briefly and intermittently mentions how he chose to study photography despite some opposition, and how his successful career track, from working for a magazine to freelancing to taking portraits of stars, was aligned with the times and helped by a little bit of luck.
-Kim Ji-soo |
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무디스, 스페인·伊·포르투갈 신용등급 강등
