my timesThe Korea Times
Lifestyle

Books

Recent books

The Start-up of You: Adapt to the future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha; RHK Korea: 284pp., 13,000won Unemployment rates are getting higher and higher and everyone is facing fierce competition in the job market regardless of age, gender and field. Even those who are currently employed are worried if their retirement is approaching. LinkedIn cofounder and chairman Reid Hoffman and author Ben Casnocha tell readers how to accelerate their own career in today’s competitive world. They emphasize the importance of managing a career as if it were a start-up business. The book also stresses the huge importance of networking today, making effective suggestions on how people manage relationships successfully. Readers will also find the best practices of Silicon Valley start-ups and how to apply these entrepreneurial strategies to their career. The book is for everyone working in different situations; a giant multinational corporation, a small local business, or launching a venture company. —RACHEL LEE

Aug 3, 2012

Germany, art lovers' paradise

By Do Je-hae If art is your passion, Germany is the country to visit. Financial prosperity and artistic flair have helped Germans build some of the finest museums. Many Koreans tend to associate the country with soccer, cars or electronic appliances. But the country has been a must-visit destination for Korean art lovers and experts as well. “Walking Through Germany’s Art Museums” by Maroniebooks is an introduction to 31 museums in 13 cities. The author Lee Hyun-ae majored in art history at the University of Freiburg, a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, state of Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. “The Germans have a special love for museums. According to 2010 data, there are around 6,200 galleries and museums in Germany. Around 10 percent of them are specifically devoted to art,” Lee wrote in the introduction. “In all of the country’s 16 states, one will find great museums and art-related events.” The writer introduces readers to such events, including the “Kassel Documenta,” an exhibition of modern and contemporary art which takes place every

Aug 3, 2012By Do Je-hae

Korean short stories for foreigners

By Do Je-hae A local publisher has released the first batch of renowned Korean short stories in both Korean and English in a bilingual series. Asia Publishers released the first 15 books in the local market Wednesday. Readers will soon be able to buy them on Amazon.com as well. The first set includes works by established writers such as Oh Jung-hee’s “Chinatown,” Choe Yun’s “The Last of Hanak’o,” Jo Jung-rae’s “The Land of the Vanished,” Hwang Sok-young’s “The Road to Sampo” and Shin Kyung-sook’s “The Place Where the Harmonium Stood.” Each volume is about 130 pages and costs 6,000 won. Titled “Bi-lingual Edition Modern Korean Literature,” the series has three categories: “Division” (of the Korean Peninsula), “Industrialization” and “Women.” “Despite Korea’s rising global status, it is still very hard to find our literature outside Korea,” Bang Hyon-seok, chief editor at Asia Publishers said during a press conference in Seoul, Wednesday. “We hope that the series will serve as a guide to Korean culture for foreigners.” The short stories were chosen because they properl

Jul 27, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

Forensic Entomology: An Introduction Dorothy Gennard; translated into Korean from English by Shin Sang-un, Hyun Chul-ho; Gloseum Publishing Co.; 304pp., 14,500 won With horrendous crimes sending shockwaves through society nowadays, this book gives background knowledge on how insects can be used to find hard evidence at crime scenes that can lead to the arrest of suspects. A number of criminals dismember the corpses of their victims and even move them far from crime scenes to destroy any possible evidence. The author, a forensic science professor at the University of Lincoln in England, explains that insects found on bodies can be crucial to establishing exact times of death and precisely where crimes occurred. Gennard provides several cases in Europe, where investigators commonly observe flies, maggots and other insects as they begin to inhabit dead bodies depending on the process of decay. This easy-to-read book offers a good understanding of forensic entomology for readers unfamiliar with the subject, as well as providing useful content for forensic investigators

Jul 27, 2012By Do Je-hae

For new literary star, writing is the great escape

Krys Lee says she is always creating escape routes. That seems an odd statement from a 30-something author who, sitting on the sunlit patio of a Hongdae cafe in western Seoul, is petite, pretty and engaging, and who, speaking a mile a minute, flashes a frequent grin as she expresses surprise at her recent global success. Yet this ostensibly sunny personality has produced a piece of art that probes some very dark territory indeed. Lee's debut short story collection features tales of North Koreans, Koreans and Korean migrants who, burdened by the weight of culture and history, struggle to survive loneliness, alienation and desperation. The critics have taken note. "Drifting House" has won wow reviews from media catering to literati on both sides of the Atlantic: The BBC, The Daily Beast, The Daily Telegraph, The Economist, The Guardian, National Public Radio (including appearances on "The Larry Mantle Show" and "The Bookworm"), The San Francisco Chronicle, Slate and The Sunday Times. That is not bad going for someone who was strongly dissuaded from penmanship from a tender ag

Jul 27, 2012

Korean netizens choose Kim Hoon as top writer for 2012

Korean netizens chose Kim Hoon, the popular writer of novels "Song of Sword" and "Heuksan," as this year's best Korean writer in an annual online poll, an online bookstore that conducted the vote said Thursday. Kim ranked first, gaining 11 percent or 9,991 of the 38,175 votes cast, in the poll conducted from July 2-25, according the Yes 24. Novelist Lee Mun-yul came second, getting 8.9 percent of the votes, followed by poet Ko Un and novelist Park Beom-shin with 8.8 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively. In the category of Korea's best young writer, Kim Yeon-su, known for her novel "Wonder Boy" topped the list with a 8.5 percent support. She beat Kim Ae-ran of "My Heart Throbbing Life" (8.4 percent) by a narrow margin. Novelists Jeong Yoo-jeong (7.3 percent), Cheon Myeong-gwan (6.9 percent) and Yoon Go-eun (5.9 percent) also earned a high number of votes, according to the bookseller.(Yonhap)

Jul 26, 2012

Korean-English book series of famous Korean short stories published

A local publisher said Wednesday it has issued the first 15 books of a new series of famous Korean short stories written in both Korean and English, after five years of preparation. The 15 titles of the "Bi-lingual Edition Modern Korean Literature" series, which contain one short story each, are available at local bookstores and will soon go on sale on Amazon, Seoul-based Asia Publishers Co. said. The books include "The Wounded" by Yi Cheong-jun, "Mother's Stake 1" by Park Wan-seo, "The Land of the Banished" by Jo Jung-rae, "The Road to Sampo" by Hwang Sok-young and "The Place Where the Harmonium Was" by Shin Kyung-sook. "This series will help Koreans better communicate with the world and serve as adequate extra textbooks for foreigners taking Korean studies courses," Lee Kyung-jae, a literary critic who produced the series for the publisher, said during a news conference in Seoul. He said South Korea is short of literary works translated into English and other foreign languages, although Korean studies is getting increasing world attention. The 15 short stories writte

Jul 25, 2012

Seoul to open 14 new Sejong Institutes

By Do Je-hae As part of efforts to promote Korean culture, the government will build 14 additional language institutes in the second half of this year, according to the culture ministry Monday. "To respond to the rising demand in Korean language education overseas, we will set up 14 additional King Sejong Institutes, bringing up the total number of these institutes to 90," Bang Seon-gyu, director-general at the ministry said during a press conference in Seoul. "Ultimately, we will run 200 institutes worldwide to spread 'hangeul.'" Sejong was the fourth king of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) credited with the creation of the Korean alphabet. The King Sejong Institute program was first started in 2007 with 12 facilities in major cities such as Tokyo and New York. These language classes take place at overseas Korean cultural centers or in universities that have departments for Korean studies. To enhance the quality of the language education, the ministry will send 20 licensed Korean language teachers to Sejong Institutes in 11 countries, including Mongolia, Vietnam and T

Jul 23, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

The Honest Truth About Dishonesty Dan Ariely; Translated by Lee Kyung-sik from English to Korean; Chungrim Publishing: 344pp., 16,000 won Why do people crave junk food when they are tired or stressed? Does religion make people more honest? The majority of people think that they are honest. But almost everyone lies, at least once in a while. Award-winning author Dan Ariely, professor at Duke University, looks at the truth about dishonesty with in-depth insight and extensive research. Through a series of tests and experiments, the author breaks down economist Gary Becker’s Simple Model of Rational Crime, which suggests that we evaluate situations using a rational calculation of the costs and benefits of engaging in dishonest behaviour while maintaining a positive view of ourselves. Ariely also sets out to determine the forces that cause people to cheat and examines the behaviour of various occupations including golfers, pharmaceutical sales reps and finance professionals. He delves into the conundrum of human dishonesty to find ways to help us understand our behavior.

Jul 20, 2012

In defense of ‘community-driven development’

Former knowledge economy minister re-reads economic rise By Kwaak Je-yup Koreans, especially those aged 50 and above, love to tell the story of the country’s astonishing rise to economic prosperity that we see today. But who would be better-informed to do it than a lifetime civil servant at the movement’s core? Choi Joong-kyung, 56, former minister of knowledge economy, took the civil service entrance exam in 1978 and has worked on economic and financial affairs in relevant government and international bodies ever since. Based on his experience, he tries to explain in his new book why Korea could achieve so much in relatively so little time. “Green Frog’s Success Story” refers to a rather grim children’s tale about a baby amphibian defying his mom’s orders and ultimately causing her untimely death. “Green frog” is an idiom for an intentionally and consistently misbehaving child. In this case, the author points to the country’s government-dictated development model that went directly against the contemporary Western faith in a free market. The sweeping recap of modern

Jul 20, 2012
previous page
117118119120121
next page

Most Read in Lifestyle