[This Week's Books] 'The Era of Finger Murder and Law' and 5 More Titles

◆The Era of Finger-pointing Murders and the Law=Cases of defamation without fact-checking online are increasing. Not only celebrities but also ordinary people are targeted by criticism. School violence, bullying, workplace harassment, and even ostracism among neighborhood moms occur. How should one respond in such cases? Co-authors, a former prosecutor from the Major Crimes Division and a German criminal law PhD, introduce quick and effective methods. They explain how to collect evidence and whether to file a criminal or civil complaint depending on the situation. Expert help is essential in defamation and insult cases because the degree of insult felt varies by person, and rulings often fluctuate. Even the same criticism can result in guilt or innocence depending on how it is expressed, so the book easily introduces precedents clarifying what situations constitute a ‘crime.’ (Written by Ryu Yeohae and one other · Sille Books)

◆Unfolding the World Map Reveals the Flow of Money=South Korea’s economy heavily depends on the United States and China. This has been the case so far, and this trend is unlikely to change easily. However, as the global economic situation diversifies, the existing axis is indeed shaking. With growing uncertainty, red flags have appeared in stocks, real estate, exchange rates, and interest rates, and China’s unstoppable growth has barely stayed in the 3% range, raising concerns. The author emphasizes the need to prepare for emergencies and introduces cases helpful for devising alternatives. The book covers various economic stories such as how Taiwan became a semiconductor powerhouse, why Saudi Arabia is obsessed with mega-projects like Neom City, how Hong Kong built an environment to become the world’s largest financial industry hub, why hegemonic powers are now focusing on Greenland, and why African governments are trying to replace traditional currencies with cryptocurrencies. (Written by Park Jeongho · Banni)

◆I Wanted to See You for a Long Time=This is a comic poetry book created by flower poet Na Taeju and webtoon artist Dahong. The book begins with memories of the poet’s dearly beloved granddaughter, Ayoung. When she was about three or four years old, the child gave her poet grandfather a flower ring with a scruffy face. The poet encourages Ayoung, now an elementary school student, by saying, “No matter what happens, I am on your side,” and comforts her turbulent adolescent self with, “Never forget that the most precious thing in the world is yourself.” To Ayoung, who is now married and has children, he smiles and says, “You are still pretty and cute.” Na Taeju confesses that publishing his poetry as a comic book was a dream and a bucket list item. Webtoon artist Dahong, who helped realize this dream, says this publication was “a small comfort in a weary daily life.” (Written by Na Taeju and one other · Double Book)

◆Love Squared=With active brain science research, love has now reached a level where it can be scientifically analyzed to some extent. Various hormones such as dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins prove the process by which feelings of love emerge. Scientifically, love can be described as a chemical neural reaction influenced by hormones secreted in the brain, and feelings like excitement, heart pounding, and love stem from the mechanisms of these hormones. However, the question of why this mechanism occurs only for certain individuals remains a mystery. Unable to easily explain this even by those involved, six authors seek answers from a literary perspective. They take an unusual challenge of finding the roots of love’s emotions in science fiction. (Written by Jeon Hyejin and five others · Hubble)

◆AustraloGPTcus=A novel featuring a fictional couple encountering generative AI. The author names the first humans who cleverly utilize AI lifestyle changes centered around ChatGPT as ‘AustraloGPTcus.’ The story depicts how two ordinary protagonists transform into AustraloGPTcus by using ChatGPT. Through dating, doing assignments, preparing parties, planning camping trips, and traveling abroad with ChatGPT, readers experience a preview of the AI-driven future. The author advises that the impact of ChatGPT on life will vary by person and encourages discovering ‘one’s own usefulness’ within it. (Written by Song Junyong · Yeouido Bookstore)

◆To Invite the Wind into Our Lives=“Now, what threatens us more than viruses is lethargy, and more than the risk of disease is the death-like boredom.” The author focuses on ‘lethargy’ and warns against ‘isolation’ and the ‘lack of real experiences.’ Diagnosing that we live “a life so tiring that we are exhausted before opening our eyes in the morning,” the author argues that to shake off lethargy and boredom, we must recover the ‘sense of life.’ Furthermore, the author emphasizes the urgent need for the wind that refreshes thoughts, saying, “Only when a house or room is open to the outside can it function as lungs.” “Smartphones make the world useless. Because the world comes to me, I don’t need to go out into the world.” The author introduces 15 clues to help recover the ‘sense of life,’ warning that fake experiences on screens cannot provide a real life. (Written by Pascal Bruckner · Influential)

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