Recent Books
Think of a Number
John Verdon; Translated by Lee Jin from English to Korean; Viche: 588 pp., 13,000 won
A man receives a taunting letter that orders him to choose a number and he randomly thinks of “658.” To his surprise he opens an envelope that came with the letter that has that exact number written by a person identified as X. Then, a series of letters that carry his shameful past and wrongdoings he even can’t remember arrive and drive him into panic. Later, the man is found dead in his house and there are mysterious footprints on the snow-capped field around the body. The police investigate the murder case focusing on how the suspect reads the minds of the victim and the number game is revealed as the center of the serial murder case.
The novel is a thriller that unfolds with edge-of-the-seat stories at a fast pace equipped with realistic portrayals of the characters, captivating the readers not only in the United States but also in European countries. The book has been translated into some 20 languages, including Korean.
The author who started his writing career in his 40s created a “Verdon” syndrome by showing off his talented writing skills mixed with his chilling and clairvoyant imagination. Born and raised in New York, the writer worked for major advertisement companies and served as a promotion director but changed his career to a writer.
― CHUNG AH-YOUNG
Examples of Crises and Responsive Communication Methods in Korean Society
Yoo Jae-woong; Communication Books: 322 pp., 29,000 won
Crises take different forms depending on the culture of a given society. Responsive measures to such emergency situations vary accordingly.
In this book, the author, a professor of medical public relations and visual design, looks into the nature of recent crises in Korea.
It says that the controversy over U.S. beef imports could have foregone the candlelight demonstrations, damages because of Typhoon
Maemi could have been less, LG washing machines could have curbed the number of child deaths and that those directly involved in the Shin Jung-ah scandal could have suffered less slander.
The book points out that Korean society is easily inclined to insensitivity when it comes to safety issues but can be spontaneous and hot-tempered, and most importantly, fails to look at such characteristics as problematic to recognize the need to find alternative measures.
The writer looks at specific issues case by case in a comprehensive manner to discern what was possibly overlooked in countering or responding to such critical moments.
― LEE HYO-WON
World Travel Guidebook ― Bali
Long Han and Aura Kim; Sangsang Books: 334 pp., 15,500 won
Bali, one of the popular tourist spots loved by Koreans, is easily associated with fancy resorts and a romantic honeymoon destination. It is true but the book says the island has more charm than appears on the surface.
The authors introduce Bali in various spectrums by theme, cost and schedule that explore every corner of the island for travelers’ convenience.
The book consists of the four chapters ― Try Bali, Mission in Bali, Enjoy Bali and Step to Bali. Along with colorful photos, from the immigration procedure to local cuisine and hidden spots, the book offers useful information and tips to help tourists travel even alone.
“When people visit the same place, they have different feelings and meet different people. Some people remember Bali as a romantic honeymoon spot while others call it simply a remote place. We are hoping the readers would make their own stories in Bali and feel the genuine charms of the island, rather than just spending time in high-end restaurants and luxurious hotels,” the book says.
The World Is a Book
Lee Hae-wook, Kim Sung-sim; Dube: 340pp., 16,500 won
For Lee Hae-wook, "the world is a book and he wants to read it through to the last page."
Lee is the former president of KT and received a certificate as the first Korean to travel to all the possible countries in the world by the Korea Record Institute last year.
He traveled to 192 nations, mostly after retiring as KT president in 1993 with his wife, obstetrician-gynecologist Kim Sung-sim.
Starting in Europe and gradually moving across the globe, he traveled to South America four times to tour all the countries there. After that, he joined expeditions to remote African countries offered by a Japanese travel agency. Lee has piles of notes and memos from his extensive travels including his first business trip to Japan in 1971 and a trip to Guyana in 2009. The details have been woven into this book.
Three countries that are inaccessible due to travel bans ― Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia are still on his list of places to visit.
― KWON MEE-YOO