Do Je-hae edits news stories as part of the AI team.
Recent books
By Do Je-hae
Entrepreneurs who found success
Hwang Dong-myung; Haenggan: 272 pp., 13,500 won
Walk into a bookstore in any large city in the world, and books written by successful entrepreneurs take up a considerable chunk of the shelf space. So what makes this new one stand out?
Unlike the usual manuals or case studies, none of the business people’s stories in this collection are exaggerated or glorified. They are not, say, by Mark Zuckerberg, whose level of success would be hard to emulate.
These people started off in sales or as factory laborers when they decided to strike out on their own — and they have made a lot of money. Any reader from any background would relate easily to these stories.
They willingly share their worst moments, from bankruptcy to gambling addictions.
While reading more about entrepreneurship teaches you infinitely less than trying it yourself, this is a neat and readable collection of encouragement.
— Kwaak Je-yup
The Wind Rises, I Like You
Lee Byung-ryul; Dal: 232 pp., 13,800 won
Poet and travel writer Lee Byung-ryul has published his second book of travel essays titled “The Wind Rises, I Like You.” His first, “Attraction,” was released seven years ago and is a long-term steady seller in Korea.
The long-awaited follow-up is full of stories from across the globe, making the reader want to pack up and go travelling.
Instead of listing practical information or impressions on a specific destination, Lee writes about the sentiment of the journey. It is like taking a peek into his travel journal. The book has no table of contents or page numbers, as Lee wants the readers to thumb through and read the page they want.
— Kwon Mee-yoo
To the Heart of China — A Journey of Love from Father to Son
Wu Hsiang-hui (Brian Wu); translated into Korean from Chinese by Huh Yoo-young; Next Wave Publishing; 377pp., 16,000 won
This is an account of the writer and his son’s trip to China, starting in Harbin and ending in Hong Kong. It carries their conversations at major tourist attractions and historic sites with people from all walks of life.
Wu is a well-known writer from Taiwan. In 1976 he published “Say No to the Joint University Entrance Examination,” which became famous all over Taiwan, making him an idol among Taiwan’s youth.
In the 1980s, Wu became a reporter for The United Daily, the newspaper with the largest circulation at the time. He later became the chief editor for the first political opposition weekly magazine “The Progressive Weekly” and won “The Best Contribution of Freedom of Speech” award. In addition, he founded and published weekly magazines The Front Line and Free Taiwan, which were both banned and shut down by the government.
Wu recently published “To the Heart of China — A Journey of Love from Father to Son”. His “Finland Unveiled” (2007) won several awards including being among Best 10 Chinese Writing of 2007 in the World.
— Do Je-hae