[This Week's Books] "History for Tomorrow" and More

History for Tomorrow

This book presents ten crises currently facing humanity and seeks solutions from history. The ten crises are resource depletion, intolerance, consumerism, polarization, the tragedy of the commons, the dismantling of democracy, information monopoly, inequality, artificial intelligence (AI) risk, and the collapse of civilization. The author emphasizes that overcoming this era of multiple crises requires fundamental change, and that three key elements must combine to trigger "disruptive change": existing crises, impactful social movements, and pioneering new ideas. (Written by Roman Krznaric/The Quest)

Reading the Sky

This book directly refutes former U.S. President Donald Trump's claim that "climate change is the greatest hoax perpetrated worldwide." It presents clear data on the climate crisis and provides scientific explanations, while also offering fascinating insights into the climate systems that make life possible. From the birth of atmospheric science to the current reality of the climate crisis, the book explains these issues in a clear and accessible way. It does not separate weather from climate, but rather shows the scientific principles of how the atmosphere operates as an organic system. (Written by Simon Clark/Dongasia)

Unified Growth Theory

The author is the founder of the "Unified Growth Theory," which explains the entire history of human economic development within a consistent framework. He has been mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Economics. Based on Unified Growth Theory, he refutes claims that the history of human prosperity and economic growth has ended. By revealing the driving forces that enabled humanity to shift from stagnation for hundreds of thousands of years to a phase of explosive growth, and by uncovering the roots of modern inter-country inequality, the author clarifies the essence of human economic growth. (Written by Oded Galor/RHKorea)

Everyday Archaeology: The Silla-Tang War and King Munmu

This book re-examines the Silla-Tang War and King Munmu in history to suggest how the Republic of Korea can prevail against great powers today. In the 7th century, King Munmu of Silla skillfully used both cooperation and confrontation against the Tang dynasty, the most powerful nation of the time, to win the Silla-Tang War and achieve the unification of the Three Kingdoms. The actions of King Munmu demonstrate that today's leaders, living in a cold international environment, must actively leverage foreign powers to pursue national interests. (Written by Hwang Yoon/Reading Cat)

The Age of Diagnosis

The author, a neurologist, realized that more and more young people were coming to see her, claiming to suffer from chronic illnesses. She began to question whether, due to the advancement of unconventional science and shifting social attitudes toward health, we are now living in an era of excessive diagnosis-overdiagnosis. Ultimately, she finds that the boundaries between "normal" and "abnormal" are often ambiguous, with the scope of normality shrinking and abnormality expanding. The book explains what medical diagnosis truly means and urges doctors to reflect on their practices. (Written by Suzanne O'Sullivan/Kachi)

The Songwriters

This book delves into the lyrics of 117 classic Korean ballads, retracing the flow of Korean popular music history and its sensibilities. It re-examines singers who delivered meaningful messages in Korean music history-such as Lee Moonse, Yoo Jaeha, Yoon Sang, Yoon Jongshin, Kim Dongryul, Kim Kwangjin, Lee Seunghwan, Yoo Heeyeol, Lee Sora, Jannabi, and IU-from the perspective of a lyricist. The book views music through the lens of lyrics rather than musical form. In particular, the author refers to 1986-1996, the pre-industrialization era of Korean pop music, as the "age of miracles" and focuses on this period of Korean popular music. (Written by Kim Youngdae/Munhakdongne)

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