Recent books

History of Korean Herbal Cosmetics

Kim Nam-il; Dulnyouk Publishing Company: 284 pp., 15,000 won

Korean cosmetic companies have long released products that contain ingredients used in traditional herbal medicine, from shampoos and body wash to make-up. These have been popular among local customers for years and are increasingly finding markets overseas.

In this book, the author, who is the dean of Kyunghee University’s College of Korean Medicine, cites a number of historical documents, including the Joseon Kingdom medical text, Dongeuibogam, to show that the herbal cosmetics of today have roots dating back to medieval times.

According to Kim Nam-il, herbal ingredients were used frequently in traditional cosmetics and were believed to contribute to a person’s health. He also illustrates the methods and substances used for skincare throughout history and how royalty and aristocrats tried to keep themselves healthy and looking good.

― Baek Byung-yeul

Management Lessons from Chinese War Strategies

Xiang-ru; Pyongdan Publishing; Translated from Chinese to Korean by Hwang Bo-kyeong: 296 pp., 13,000 won

"The Art of War’’ by Sun Tzu, the legendary philosopher-general of sixth-century B.C. China, continues to be voraciously read by those looking for life lessons in the descriptions of classic battle strategies.

Contemporary Chinese author Xiang-ru is the latest on a long list of writers who attempt to repackage Sun’s classic passages as books of business strategy.

Xiang-ru builds from Sun’s most famous quote, "It’s not about winning every single battle. It’s about defeating enemies without fighting,’’ and argues that companies should view competition in this way. He makes predictable efforts to apply some of Sun’s classic battle tactics to elements of management, which set up his speechifying about his idea of good management.

The author invested considerable effort to make his book easy to read, but it’s hard to deny that his writings provide only a firm grasp of the obvious.