Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tobacco Dreams]

Well, this is one of those posts which could go elsewhere (either in General Discussion or Off Topic), but I'm going to plop it down right here in the Tech thread since this is where the smarties seem to hang out, and where my questions actually seem to get answered--intelligently, too!--with a minimum of burp silage. (There is, besides, more than a bit of a tech angle here.)

Nearly six years now into the Korean experience, I've yet to have resolved my fundamental problem: Lack of access to a wide variety of English-language books.

Sure, they can always be bought online--but shipping fees get expensive. The guy in Itaewon is only too ready to help, I know, although--again--when I was last in his shop, prices seemed a tad steep. I'm not blaming the guy for trying to make a living, mind you--I am too.

What's finally almost, sort-of working for me now (though in reality it sucks!) is this:

I do most of my reading online. News, of course, is no problem: www.iht.com etc. keep me busy.

Www.Gutenberg.org helps, as do a few other such sites, though they typically DON'T have what you want, even if it is out of date and copyright-expired.

Finally, I'm now looking at shelling out $100 a year for www.Questia.com . This looks as though it oughtta meet a lot of needs.

(Not to forget the National Library of Korea [www.nl.go.kr], which isn't all that far from where I live here in Kangnam gu.)

WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO FOR BOOKS?

I'd love to know. In fact, I'll personally go out and buy you a six-pack of beer, any brand (available in Korea) if you can add SUBSTANTIVELY on how to come by English-language books WHILE ON A TEACHER'S BUDGET here in Korea.

[jajdude]

I have yet to borrow from a public library in Korea, but am told it's a good idea, many English books. I did borrow from one in Taipei and they had hundreds of interesting books. My friend there was pleased indeed. It was a good find, I just wandered into a building, checking it out, did not know the mandarin characters outside. Seemed like we were the only foreigners ever to borrow books there. The Taiwanese were typically friendly and helped though, and some spoke English well enough. (Unrelated, just reminiscing a bit.)

Some of those bookstores are good, but can be expensive. You are in a good location. Maybe some other person not far away can help you out. Maybe a book trade would work. Say, once a month, a bunch of people meet with a dozen or more books they're willing to trade. Perhaps you could propose this somehwere online or wherever. I have a friend or two I think would be interested.
Yeah, reading online is a bit tedious. Maybe you have access to a printer?

Sorry, no great reply, just a thought or two.

[bellum99]

I download and burn my eyes reading them on my computer...I have a VERY big monitor. Kyobo (in seoul) often has many books and a good selection. There is "WHAT THE BOOK", also (do a search).

[mindmetoo]

I go to the used bookstore in Itaewon What The Book. Also I have a PDA and dump a lot of web pages I want to read onto it for later reading on the subway. Alternatively, I just copy 'n' paste web pages into a doc and then print it out at work and read the print outs on the subway.

[rocklee]

I've also been to whatthebook and I agree that the books are expensive for secondhands. The good thing is that they're there and some people do prefer to hold a book than to read it off a pda.

Having said that, you can download e-books from torrent sites (there are thousands) and put them on devices like an mp3, pda or media players. Hard to get used to at first but once you get used to it you'll be loving the idea.

[jazblanc77]

[semphoon]

There is a bar in Shinchon (near Hongdae) called "Watt's on Tap." They have a book exchange - just drop one of and take one from their selection. Or you can pay a W5,000 deposit, and swear on the eyes of your first born, that you will bring it back.

I cant remember where it is exactly.

[Missile Command Kid]

Another vote for whatthebook.com. Their prices are higher than Amazon.com's, but shipping is free if you order more than one book at a time. I'm also a huge fan of Clarkesworld, though in my last order of books, the books were $10 cheaper than the shipping. I'm assuming that you know about the English-speaking section at Kyobo and the 5% (10%?) discount on "foreign" books, right?

Other online sources:

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Main_Page - Wikisource contains full text books, poems, essays, etc. that are all public domain.
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~wbarker/fairies/grimm/ - Full archive of Grimm's Fairy Tales
http://www.sacred-texts.com/index.htm - Many sacred texts from many religions. Amazing archive.
http://www.noveltynet.org/content/books/lovecraft/works.html - Complete works of H.P. Lovecraft.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ - Over 3,000 essays on religious issues, plus hot-button topics.
http://www.kk.org/outofcontrol/contents.php - Finally, Kevin Kelly's book Out of Control.

[sistersarah]

i just started going to whatthebook and i was impressed with the prices to be honest. a lot of the books are in good shape and are half the price of what you would pay for them new. they're also cheaper than the place around the corner in noksapyeong, foreign book store, or something.

[rocklee]

[i_teach_esl]

isnt there a book exchange done via daves?
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=44514&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30
i havent even read this post, im being lazy. somebody check it and tell if its useful.

[mindmetoo]

[jazblanc77]

[mindmetoo]

[Unreal]

I usually get my books from the bookstore in the express bus terminal. There are quite a few English books upstairs in the English section. Prices are reasonable.