Recent Books
Before Cup Rise New York
Lee Myung-seok and Park Sa; Thinking Tree: 468 pp., 18,000 won
A cafe means more than a place to drink coffee. Many people enjoy not only coffee but also the culture itself there. As now a rising number of franchised coffee shops, luxurious cafes and cheap take-out cafes are mushrooming in Seoul, some are looking for decent and unique cafes palatable to their tastes.
The book offers a distinct glimpse of the stylish café culture in New York, looking into lifestyles and contemporary culture.
Twenty-five cafes, including Nine Street Espresso, MOMA Café, KAFFE 1668, Café Regular, Abraso and 88 Orchard, are selected from downtown to Brooklyn for their diverse atmospheres and stories around them that make travelers feel comfortable and familiar with the culture.
With colorful photos taken by the authors, the book is comprised of a dialogue between them about the cafes along with the introductions of the confectioneries served.
It also captures vivid cultural scenes around these establishments with an eye-catching map of the city and detailed information.
Le Corbusier’s Voyage to the Orient (Le Corbusier Le Voyage D’orient)
Le Corbusier; Translated by Choi Jung-soo from French to Korean: Ahn Graphics: 316 pp., 17,000 won
Le Corbusier, one of the top architects in the 20th century, traveled to Constantinople with his friend from Berlin where he worked in 1911. The two men traveled with a small budget around Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria and Bohemia and discovered flamboyant architecture there. They decided to write a journal with sketches about the trip and learned how to appreciate the objects.
Some parts of the journal were posted in the provincial newspaper and all the content in the journal was compiled to be published as a book. However, some 54 years later the Swiss-French architect published the book that carries the memories and discoveries of his youth in 1965.
Now published in Korean, the book includes snapshots of Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Lucerne, Florence, Rome, Athens and Constantinople that show the then fads, designs and architecture styles.
In this book, “orient” is used in the broad meaning referring to the first classicism and antiquity he came across in the forms of Greek temples, and Islamic and Roman cities among others.
PD Notebook: The Witness of Truth
The PD Notebook crew, Ji Seung-ho; Bookpolio: 388 pp., 16,000 won
Among all the news programs aired in Korea, MBC’s ``PD Notebook’’ might be the most talked about. It was one of the few shows that shook the nation and now readers can take a closer look into it with the new book ``PD Notebook: The Witness of Truth.’’
The covers the past 20 years of the show. Interviewer Ji Seung-ho managed to meet the nine producers of the program and listen to their sides of the story: the ordeals, the threats and most importantly, the truth.
``PD Notebook: The Witness of Truth’’ is a book of interviews. From start to finish, it’s comprised of questions and answers, making readers feel like they are in the same room with the interviewer and interviewees. Raw and somewhat provocative questions and answers go back and forth, proving that fiction is not the only genre with suspense and thrills.
From prosecutors’ scandals to the safety of United States beef, PD Notebook stirred the nation and caused uproar in various parts of society, but was the effort meaningful? What were they looking for? For all the answers, read the book.
Park Hong-gwan's Jasaho Story
Park Hong-gwan. Ireun Achim: 167 pp., 22,000 won
The author is a doctor of literature who has penned books on Korean tea history and culture as well as volumes about the art of teaware. During the past decade he has turned his interest to China and its tea customs.
It is said that the Chinese emperor Shennong was the first to taste tea in 2,737 B.C., and the Chinese are known to be avid fans of the drink to this day, virtually consuming it more than plain water. The book focuses on the significance of the teaware "jasaho." No Chinese tea is prepared without it.
The book at first may seem a bit too specialized, that might only interest tea enthusiasts or pottery makers. But in Korea there has been growing interest in tea, from European-style black teas to local herbal drinks, and various manufactured beverages found in stores. The history of tea, however, as suggested by Tom Standage in his bestselling “A History of the World in Six Glasses,’’ gives an insight to understanding the past, and the book is even more interesting with its focus on the aesthetics of jasaho.