Recent Books

Blue Ribbon Survey: Seoul’s Restaurants 2010

Blue Ribbon Survey; Kleinix: 416 pp., 18,000 won

Where shall we go for dinner? Or brunch? Or a round of beer?

Blue Ribbon Survey, the country’s first restaurant guide, has published a handy new book highlighting Seoul’s eclectic dining scene for the year 2010.

The book introduces 1,124 restaurants, cafes and bars around the city that are perfect for dates, business meetings and other special occasions.

Included are everything from hole-in-the-walls and cozy cafes to high-end eateries and classy wine bars. Choices range from Korean, Chinese and Japanese, to French and Italian, as well as Indian, Thai and Mexican.

The franchises are ordered alphabetically (in ``Hangeul,’’ the Korean alphabet) with some 200 photos and short reviews, and details about the price range, opening hours, directions, etc.

But the guide also has four indexes where the restaurants are listed according to genre, to region and by characteristic (such as 'founded in 1930' or 'great for first dates'), as well as alphabetically for places with English names. There is also a whole section of maps that show where each eatery is located.

-Lee Hyo-won

The Strategic Drucker: Growth Strategies and Marketing Insights from the Works of Peter Drucker

Robert W. Swaim; John Wiley & Sons: 432 pp., $29.95

Peter Drucker (1909-2005), known as the “Father of Modern Management,” authored 39 books and wrote thousands of scholarly articles on management and society in his lifetime.

Four years after his death, the world continues to respect the wisdom and profound insights he brought into the fields of business management and strategy.

To mark a century of his observations, this book summarizes his astute views on strategy and business growth. The author also includes some exclusive views Drucker shared with him over their 30-year friendship on strategy and, in particular, on sales and marketing - views which have never been published.

This book uniquely combines Drucker’s theories with practical application by taking his teachings beyond their concepts and providing some application tools and guidelines for ready implementation.

The reader will also find that the author has integrated the work of other renowned contributors in the fields of strategy, marketing and innovation to reinforce and build on Drucker’s original work.

The book presents a unique and valuable review of Drucker’s contributions to strategic thinking and strategy.

-Chung Ah-young

Maisons d’Ecrivains (Writers’ Houses)

Francesca Premoli-Droulers; Translated by Lee Se-jin from French to Korean; Willbook: 392 pp., 14,800 won

Painters like Vincent Van Gogh allow fans to imagine his everyday life through paintings of his room, but what about for writers?

This book presents photographs of the houses of 20 prominent writers of the 20th century. Literary fans will be able to take an intimate glimpse at the private quarters of writers such as Hermann Hesse, Ernest Hemingway, Mark Twain, Virginia Woolf and Jean Cocteau ― places where they created lucid phrases and even ran into writer’s block.

The poet/novelist/painter Hesse’s house had a balcony overlooking a stream and garden, and an open view of cascading mountains. This is where ``Klein and Wagner’’ and ``Klingsor’s Last Summer’’ were born.

Gentry farmer William Faulkner, who would work in the field during harvest season, is said to have been inspired by the forest surrounding his residence for ``As I Lay Dying’’ and ``Light in August.’’

The book also introduces readers to Hemingway’s desk, where he would sit down to write, without fail, at 6 a.m. every day, as well as the bizarre props and objects found around Cocteau’s home.

Meditating Alone

Kim Seung-seok; Bulkwang Publications: 243 pp.,12,000 won

Although many people feel the urge to release stress, few manage to find the right way.

While some relieve their stress by doing sports or resting, others find their own unique way to feel better. The author Kim Seung-seok, a lawyer and devoted Buddhist, found that the best way for him was through meditation.

``I was very lucky to come across the teachings of Buddha. I wrote this book with hopes of helping others who are looking for a way to release stress through meditation,’’ he writes in the preface.

``Meditating Alone’’ is a personal story of the writer. As a lawyer, Kim trudged through busy days, and then he started studying the teachings of Buddha.

Kim focused on meditation, and after a couple of months he felt peace and the release of his daily stress.

The book does not offer fancy tips or difficult methods, but easy ways to find peace within yourself through simple steps of meditation.

-Han Sang-hee