[This Week's Books] 'Teureobeul Sajeon' and 5 More Titles

◆Trouble Dictionary = Whether in novels, dramas, or movies, interesting characters always carry some form of ‘trouble.’ When characters easily achieve their desires, there is neither fun nor emotional impact, so skilled writers place characters in conflict situations to increase immersion. The author, who has published several writing guides, sheds light on uncontrollable problem situations in this book. Introducing 115 types of troubles that can push characters to their limits?from personal or relational dilemmas to sudden incidents or accidents?the book teaches how to inject tension into stories. It also includes writing tips on effectively building main and subplots and dramatically staging climax scenes, helping to turn ideas into compelling stories. (Angela Ackerman and one other author · Willbook)

◆Science Inside Apartments = Apartments are the representative residential spaces in Korea. The term “Apartment Republic” even exists. It is no exaggeration to say that two-thirds of all housing are apartments. However, understanding of apartments is often biased toward their investment value. Many are ignorant of the scientific context behind apartments. The science columnist author analyzes apartments from a scientific perspective. The book introduces fascinating scientific stories such as why the lifespan of Korean apartments is significantly shorter than in other countries, why even ultra-luxury apartments costing over 6 billion won cannot escape noise between floors, and why the sick house syndrome suddenly emerged in Korea in the early 2000s. (Kim Hongjae · About Book)

◆The Best Decision = The author is a legendary figure who achieved the highest sales in Goldman Sachs during about ten years after joining the company. He served as co-chairman of Goldman Sachs, chairman of the White House National Economic Council, and chairman of Citibank, and during the Bill Clinton administration as Treasury Secretary, he even coined the term “Rubinomics.” He is remembered as the most respected U.S. Treasury Secretary in history. This book contains the strategic decision-making methods he introduces. The author warns that the most uncertain world in history has arrived due to the pandemic caused by COVID-19, ongoing wars worldwide, accelerating climate change, and weakening democratic systems. He reminds readers of factors that are often easily dismissed due to low probability but must not be overlooked. (Robert Rubin · RH Korea)

◆Shakespeare Counseling = In the past, The New York Times conducted a survey asking global celebrities such as writers, actors, and singers who the writer they most wanted to meet was. The overwhelming number one was Shakespeare. He was highly praised for the power of his stories that evoke interest with attractive and realistic characters and then provide courage and wisdom through the protagonist’s journey with their struggles. The author, an Italian philosophy teacher, draws from Shakespeare’s works the power to soothe inner wounds and provide direction at life’s crossroads. The author emphasizes that although one can feel pain and sorrow through various emotions such as love, jealousy, mourning, anger, and betrayal intertwined in stories, it is only by passing through these processes that inner strength is cultivated. (Cesare Cata · Dasan Books)

◆That Book = This is a book about books co-written by Bologna Ragazzi Award-winning author Yoshitake Shinsuke and Akutagawa Prize-winning author Matayoshi Naoki. It introduces stories of 52 books told over 13 days to a king who loves books. The two, who travel the world collecting rare book stories on the king’s order because he can no longer read due to age, return after a year of wandering with a variety of stories. The stories are sometimes bland, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, and sometimes evoke nostalgic childhood memories. The humor delivered by Matayoshi Naoki, who has a background as a comedian, adds to the reading enjoyment. (Yoshitake Shinsuke · Gimmyoungsa)

◆Power and Progress = This is an exploration of ‘power and progress’ by an author who has studied the historical origins of prosperity and poverty and the impact of new technologies on economic growth, employment, and inequality over the past 25 years. Based on extensive research spanning past and present, the book persuasively presents how political and social power ‘chooses’ the direction of technological development and how technology can advance in ways that benefit everyone, grounded in meticulous argumentation. It challenges the conventional belief that technological advancement automatically raises everyone’s living standards and emphasizes that prosperity achieved through technological progress was never an automatic process. It offers bold insights on the ‘choices’ that guide the relentless path of technological development toward outcomes beneficial to all. (Daron Acemoglu · Saenggakuihim)

◆Jeju Island Talk = This is a new novel by author Hyeon Gi-young, who gained attention for publishing the novel “Suni Samchon,” which contains the truth about the April 3rd Incident, where innocent civilians were massacred during the harsh military dictatorship era. Through the voice of the protagonist ‘An Changse,’ who survived the tragedy of April 3rd, the novel conveys the horrors of that time to younger generations. The period highlighted in the novel spans from 1943, when the Pacific War broke out and Japanese oppression peaked, to the winter of 1948 when the April 3rd Incident occurred and suppression was carried out. It depicts the history of hopes and frustrations in the post-liberation era, when dreams of building a new country were high, and the pain of those sacrificed by state violence, using the power of literature. The Jeju legends and folktales quoted throughout also provide enjoyable insights into Jeju’s history and customs. (Hyeon Gi-young · Changbi)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.