Recent Books
Freestyle Hero
Park Tae-hwan; Joongang Books: 312 pp., 13,000 won
What is the life of an Olympic gold medalist like? That is what the nation’s fastest swimmer tries to explain in his self-penned book.
He has experienced both the highs ― gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics ― and the lows ― disqualification in Athens four years earlier and even worse, a no-medal showing at the 2009 World Championships. He catalogs these events, starting from Athens in 2004 to London this year.
While any Korean vaguely interested in Park would know all these facts already, the 23-year-old’s take shocks with its candor. He talks about the hours following the disqualification scare after the preliminary 400-meter freestyle race in London and how he cried in the post-race press conference. He wanted to pour his heart out but his eyes did the talking for him.
None of the confessions or the events feels especially monumental, however; the swimming champion seems to have transcended them all. His skirmish with his parents over choice of college, especially, lacks drama. That’s it, a reader may be forced to ask.
But that uncomplicated, almost naive character, is probably why the nation fell in love with him in the first place.
― KWAAK JE-YUP
The Great Builders
Kenneth Powell and others; translated into Korean by Lee Jae-young; Open House Publishing; 304 pp., 40,000 won
This book pays tribute to the creations of 40 architect-engineers who have been pioneers in aesthetic design and the application of materials. The Korean translation of the English-language book, originally released in 2011, was published last week.
The contributors include practicing architects and leading academics, and their essays focus on the architects and engineers through history who have shaped and transformed the building environment.
The book covers world-renowned architectural masterpieces, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Sydney Opera House and the monumental Taj Mahal among others.
Also included in the book are 150 full-color and 80 black-and-white photos.
―Do Je-hae
Heart-beating Speech of My Leader
An Mi-heon; Next wave Media: 248 pp., 13,000 won
The importance of communication and speaking skills has grown enormously. These days, people even say that those speak well tend to become more successful than those who just work hard with no communication ability. It means that every single word is crucial especially for the leaders in various industries.
An Mi-heon, CEO of Korea Biz Training, has worked as an education expert for 16 years. Kim has given lectures on communication to over 500 companies including Samsung Electronics, Shinsegae Department Store and Shinhan Bank. Through her career as a specialist in the field, Kim realized the need to publish a book featuring speaking techniques for those in different positions.
This book “Heart-beating Speech of My Leader” will be a useful guide not only for leaders in business, but also for people of all ranks and classes including politicians running in the presidential election in December.
―Rachel Lee
Fairy in Jangsu Bathhouse
Baek Hee-na; Bearbook: 44 pp., 11,000 won
Picture book artist Baek Hee-na, who authored “Cloud Bread” and “The Moon Sorbet,” has returned with “Fairy in Jangsu Bathhouse.”
The book is set in an old-fashioned public bathhouse and gives Korean folk tale “The Fairy and the Lumberjack” a modern twist. The original story revolves around a lumberjack who conceals a fairy’s celestial robes to keep her with him. In the end, he gives back the robes in a moment of weakness and the fairy leaves for heaven with her two children.
In "Fairy in Jangsu Bathhouse," Deok-ji, a young girl goes to a bathhouse with her mother and meets an elderly lady at the plunge pool. This wrinkled old lady insists that she is the fairy from "The Fairy and the Lumberjack" who couldn't return to heaven. Deok-ji befriends the fairy and they play together in the water.
Baek made clay dolls of the fairy, Deok-ji and her mother and took pictures of them at a real bathhouse, giving a realistic touch to the book.
―Kwon Mee-yoo