Recent Books
Korean Business Law: The Legal Landscape and Beyond
Jasper Kim; Carolina Academic Press; 358 pp., $40
This book written by Jasper Kim, a professor of Ewha Graduate School of International Studies is the first of its kind in English that explains Korean business laws for business leaders, bankers, students and academics as well as lawyers.
The book consists of 18 chapters, each written by experts in their fields ― law firm partners, scholars and members of the judiciary ― to essentially help globalize Korea's legal commercial infrastructure. Each chapter is based on the relevant experts' empirical background that provide essential information on business law through the author's thoughtful insights.
Targeting a diverse global audience both inside and outside Korea, the book presents clear and concise explanations of what the law means relating to South Korea's often complex and changing business environment.
Major issues include corporations, mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings, the Korean judicial system, intellectual property rights, project financing, private equity funds, competition law, broadcasting/telecommunications, renewable energy law, corporate governance, legal risk management, labor law, real estate, trade law and torts.
-Chung Ah-young
2010 Keyword Economic Dictionary
Kwak Hae-seon; Random House:620 pp., 20,000 won
In the 21st century, it's difficult to live without knowing some economic terms and phrases. Before 2008, it was fine not to know what ``subprime mortgages'' meant, but now it's imperative to keep an eye on all the important terms making the headlines.
The 2010 Keyword Economic Dictionary by Kwak Hae-seon helps readers who are eager to learn, but cannot find an adequate tool.
The book is an upgrade following the first version the 2009 Keyword Economic Dictionary, and the writer has removed terms that are out of date, while adding more depth toones that have became more important in our everyday lives.
The terms are written according to the order of hangeul (the Korean alphabet), making it easier to find when readers need a quick reference.
``It's impossible to list all the economic terms. Instead of focusing on the number of words, I concentrated on how to define them,'' Kwak wrote in the preface.
Unlike other economic books where the definitions are usually more complicated than the word or phrase, the 2010 Keyword Economic Dictionary is simple and precise with illustrations, graphs and examples.
-Han Sang-hee
Case Study on the Lazy
Naoyuki Honda;Translated from Japanese to Korean by Hong Seong-min; Tohan & EYA: 244 pp., 12,000 won
If you feel lazy, don't bother feigning kindness. Do not complain or even attempt to change someone's character. Skip the second round of drinks. Relish the first five minutes of the morning, while you're still lying lazily in bed. Make a list of things you are not going to do.
The author, a consulting company CEO who has written a series of best-selling books for boosting one's personal and professional life in Japan, brings an uncanny self-help book for the chronically lazy.
Most people, even including highly successful social figures, admit that they perpetually submit to sloth. But the vice can be seen as having inspired great advancements in human technology, from the invention of the car to the television remote control, says the author.
Indolent people can be divided into two types, the degenerate lazy who run away from and avoid trouble and the proactive lazy who quickly deal with it. The book essentially argues in favor of becoming the latter, for it's the things that one feels lazy doing wherein the secret to changing oneself and one's life lies.
The book is easy to read, especially because it includes hilarious comic strips featuring Potato Boy, a very relatable, antiheroic personification of laziness.
-Lee Hyo-won
Results Management: Effective People Management to Achieve Excellent Results
Ong Teong Wan; John Wiley & Sons: 200 pp., $19.95
Developing a strong management system might be a top priority for companies today to enhance the capabilities of human resource management closely related to productivity.
This book is written for practicing managers who want to enhance the productivity of those under their charge and improve business results through the results management system (RMS).
Results management is part of an integrated system linking an organization's strategic focus, product/service delivery system, the organization structure, and functional accountabilities supporting product/service delivery to the customer.
The author with over 25 years of working experience with numerous organizations shares his insight on how to move beyond strategy to results management, how to attract and retain talent, and how to measure individual efficiency and effectiveness.
This book captures real-life experiences of managing people and provides the insights of many managers. It is not only focuses on performance measurement, but also highlights the importance of performance management which emphasizes the achievement of results through, and with, people.