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Recent books

Entrepreneurs who found success Hwang Dong-myung; Haenggan: 272 pp., 13,500 won Walk into a bookstore in any large city in the world, and books written by successful entrepreneurs take up a considerable chunk of the shelf space. So what makes this new one stand out? Unlike the usual manuals or case studies, none of the business people’s stories in this collection are exaggerated or glorified. They are not, say, by Mark Zuckerberg, whose level of success would be hard to emulate. These people started off in sales or as factory laborers when they decided to strike out on their own — and they have made a lot of money. Any reader from any background would relate easily to these stories. They willingly share their worst moments, from bankruptcy to gambling addictions. While reading more about entrepreneurship teaches you infinitely less than trying it yourself, this is a neat and readable collection of encouragement. — Kwaak Je-yup The Wind Rises, I Like You Lee Byung-ryul; Dal: 232 pp., 13,800 won Poet and travel writer Lee Byung-ryul h

Jul 13, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recharge with books during vacation

By Do Je-hae A good way to recharge during the summer holidays is reading and the National Library of Korea (NLK) has compiled a list of 100 books recommended for the vacation season. It will be distributed to public libraries nationwide. It is also available at www.nl.go.kr. “We hope the list will be helpful for those who will devote some of the summer holidays to reading,” said an official with the library. The books were selected by librarians at the KLK. The top choice is one of this year’s bestsellers, “Things You Can Finally See When You Stop” by Harvard-educated Buddhist monk Ven. Haemin. As a Buddhist monk, it’s difficult to become famous. But Ven. Haemin is an exception. His Twitter site has an enthusiastic following, particularly among young people, regardless of their religious background. He has some 40,000 followers. The book is mostly about how people can better handle conflicts that they face in daily life, both at work and at home. Though written by a monk, there is very little related to Buddhism in it. It reads like a self-help book, with soothin

Jul 13, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

Tears of Chong Tese — Life Story of a Man With Three Homelands Chong Tese; translated from Japanese into Korean by Han Young; Renaissance Publishing: 207 pp., 12,000 won There are a number of Japanese-Korean footballers playing in Japan or overseas clubs. Uniquely for a footballer of his background, Chong Tese he has chosen to play for North Korea’s national team and drew much attention from the South Korean press when he played for the Stalinist state at the 2010 FIFA World Cup against Brazil. The Korean press nicknamed him “the People’s Rooney.” The third-generation Japanese-Korean first published an autobiography in Japanese in 2011. The Korean version was published last week. On the cover of the book is a large photo of Chong weeping ahead of the match against Brazil upon hearing the North Korean anthem “Aegukga.”He said that those were “tears of joy” for finally reaching his dream of representing his homeland on the international stage. Chong, currently plays for FC Koln, and was born in Nagoya, Japan. His father retains a South Korean passport, which makes

Jul 6, 2012

Division of early Korean community in Hawaii

By Do Je-hae One of the most famous figures from the earliest Korean community in Hawaii is Dr. Syngman Rhee (1875-1965), the founding President of the Republic of Korea. A new book on the origins of Korean immigration to Hawaii shows some intimate details about Rhee’s independence activities against the Japanese occupation (1910-1945). “When the Korean World in Hawaii was Young 1903-1940” contains essays based on interviews with 19 descendants of Koreans who settled in Hawaii at the turn of the 20th century. Questions regarding their families, childhood schooling and religious affiliations, invariably resulted in discussions regarding Rhee’s role in Hawaii. Of the 19 interviewees, 10 had

Jul 6, 2012By Do Je-hae

Dr. Jaerock Lee's books attract attention

Urim Books (www.urimbooks.com) took part in the 18th Seoul International Book Fair 2012, in which approximately 580 publishers from 20 countries gathered and displayed their products. The book fair was organized by the Korean Publishers Associations, and held in COEX, Samseong-dong in southern Seoul from June 20 to 24, under the theme “The Future is in Books.” Urim Books displayed Dr. Jaerock Lee’s 64 books in Korean and also more than 200 books in 40 languages. Taking full advantage of widely-used digital ministry, Urim Books also presented those books in various media such as e-books in 34 languages. The booth’s ambience allowed visitors to enjoy a feeling of comfort as though they were in a personal library in Heaven. There were also two special places in the booth. The “Photo Wall” where visitors had the opportunity to have keep-sake photos taken and a break area for comfortable leisure reading of books. In particular, they were provided with a chance to read electronic books from Urim Books through Kyobo e-book reader, iPad and Amazon Kindle Fire, which drew great attent

Jun 29, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon) Richard Polsky; translated by Bae Eun-kyoung; Artbooks: 368 pp., 16,000 won Pop art dealer Richard Polsky’s “I Sold Andy Warhol (Too Soon)” provides interesting insight into the art market, especially auctions. For 12 years he sought to possess an Andy Warhol painting and finally got his hands on a green version of “Fright Wig” in 2002. The process was elaborated on in his previous book “I Bought Andy Warhol.” Polsky decided to auction his beloved “Fright Wig” in 2005, in an attempt to turn a profit in the booming art market. In just three years the price of his Warhol piece jumped from $47,500 to $375,000 and he seemed satisfied. However, this feeling didn’t last long, as the price of Warhol’s paintings skyrocketed to eventually be worth millions in the robust art market. The author explicates what happens behind the auctions and how power shifted from galleries to auction companies before the market collapsed due to the global financial crisis in 2008. He also discusses ways of finding and purchasing affordable artwork in the art marke

Jun 29, 2012By Do Je-hae

Best of Pyongyang's architecture

Book offers virtual tour of North Korea's isolated capital By Do Je-hae As a general rule, dictators like to use architecture to demonstrate their power and express aspects of national character. North Korea’s late leader Kim Jong-il (1942-2011) was no exception. Kim even authored a treatise called “On Architecture (1991),” in which he extols the virtues of “Juche” architecture, that is, works that symbolize and represent the state doctrine of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Situated about 240 km from Seoul, Pyongyang is actually closer to Seoul than Busan. But most people in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula have only a vague idea about what the North Korean capital looks like, as visiting North Korea is strictly prohibited. For those who are interested in Pyongyang, German architect Philip Meuser’s latest book “Architectural and Cultural Guide Pyongyang” offers a visual guide. Containing fantastic photos and meticulous essays, the book offers a rare glimpse into one of the most isolated states in the world. The Korean version hit books

Jun 29, 2012By Do Je-hae

Choe publishes book on Korean tea culture

By Kwon Mee-yoo Ceramic artist Choe Chong-kan has published “The Transmission of Korean Tea Culture to Japan.” The book is a history of Korean tea culture and discusses the beginnings of the tea ceremony in Japan. According to Choe, a monk called Musangseonsa from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C.-935 A.D.) created the Zen tea ceremony, considered an important part of Zen practice, while in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-906). The author goes on to say that later in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), Kim Si-seup developed it as the Choam tea ceremony, which was introduced to Japan in the 15th century and influenced the start of the Japanese tea culture. “That is why tea bowls produced in the southern region of Korea during the 16th century often appear in the Wavi Tea Society of Japan,” he said in the book. “I have thus elucidated a new diffusion and a major communication route of Korean tea culture towards Japan.” The first part of the book describes the origin and development of Korean tea culture and continues to the diffusion of the Korean tea culture to East Asia.

Jun 26, 2012By Kwon Mee-yoo

Recent books

3 grams Shin Ji-sue; Mimesis: 178 pp., 12, 800 won Illustrator Shin Ji-sue felt something strange was going on in her body when she noticed her stomach was sticking out as if pregnant. Her sense of foreboding was not wrong as she got a health check and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She was 27. The book “3 grams” tracks her fight against cancer, from the moment she finds out and her initial treatments to surgery and recovery. Her story is not just tear-jerking but depicts life in a hospital in detail including even the mundane parts. She quarreled with another woman in the ward over the television and was surprised by an unexpected visitor to the hospital. This graphic novel offers consolation, not pity, for those who are struggling against poor health and disease. The title refers to the average weight of an ovary, which is not even recognizable for most people, but weighed heavily on Shin’s life. — KWON MEE-YOO

Jun 22, 2012

Where to put your money post-recession

Veteran analyst says emerging nations’ fates will vary even after recovery By Kwaak Je-yup Anyone looking to invest in the emerging markets, pay attention: they are no longer the surefire jackpots, says this compelling book. “Breakout Nations: In Search of the Next Economic Miracle” by Ruchir Sharma, head of Emerging Market Equities and Global Macro at Morgan Stanley Investment, tries to break the myth that the developing world will continue to rise as spectacularly and quickly as it has in the last decade. Rarely in history has the world, with the fewest of exceptional, disconnected nations, grown together in unison, he argues; after the Great Recession we are in, the fates of nations will greatly divulge. The book reads just as well in reverse order. The final sentences are the volume’s key argument: “No nation can hope to grow as a free rider on the tailwinds of fortuitous global circumstance, as so many have in the last decade. They will have to propel their own weight, and the breakout nations of the new era will take their mantra from a Latin proverb: ‘If there is n

Jun 22, 2012
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