Korean Job Discussion Forums

[merrilee]

I highly recommend, "The Geography of Thought : How Asians and Westerners Think Differently...and Why" by Richard E. Nisbett. I've never seen it mentioned on this board, but I think it's great.

I read it on the plane to Korea, and it really helped me understand things from a new perspective. (At that time I was simply using it to understand the many complaints on Dave's).

It was also quite valuable reading it again 6 months after I'd been here. If you understand the mindset, you can make your "challenges" work for you here.

[saint_moi]

If anyone has bought Roadmap to Korean + Korea Unmasked in the past and read them and they're collecting dust, please pm or message here, I'd like to offer ya a couple of won if you're kind enough to sell.

[JacktheCat]

Ah shucks saint_moi. I just gave away an extra copy of Korea Unmasked that I had lying around for ages this past weeknd.

However you're welcome to borrow my primary copy if you live near Incheon or when I get up to Seoul.

[saint_moi]

aw shucks

[Neil]

I know I'm in a minority but I though Korea Unmasked was a load of nationalistic shite and I'd be embrassed if book like it was written about my Country.

My favourite book is
How Koreans Talk it talks about the slang used in Korea and explains the orgin of these phrases.

[Lizara]

[the saint]

I finished the Aquariums of Pyongyang recently. It isn't well written and so it rides on the story although this is quite interesting. I'd recommend it.

[Juggertha]

The Two Koreas: A Contemporary History by Don Oberdorfer
The Koreans by Michael Breen
The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol Hwan

I thought they were all decent looks at Korea.
As for how Koreans talk cool book but more of a reference thing.

[Universalis]

Both Breen's book and Korea Unmasked are must-reads if you really want to understand Korea and its people.

I alos recommend Donald Kirk's Dynasty: The Chung ju-hyun Story (I think that's the title). It's a bit dry at times, but reveals alot about the Korean business world and how it intersects with Korean politics. The chapters on Chung's abortive 1992 Presidential run and the final chapter on his oddball family are the highlights.

Brian

[OiGirl]

I finally read Breen's book. I thought it was interesting, but poorly written. I would get to the end of a paragraph and go back to try to find a topic sentence or some indication of where he was going. I also thought be breezed over some topics (of course having spent much time in Gwangju, I think 5.18 is more important than he does.) In general, a lot of the things he talked about were "duh" to me now, but would be more useful informaton to a newbie. I did learn some new things from him, though.

[bundaegi]

For those of you familiar with Ruth Benedict's Chrysanthemum and the Sword, which many who study Japan consider to be the definitive book on the Japanese, is there a counterpart of equal greatness on the Koreans?

By the way, when I taught at ECC, they had an allowance for texts or books related to teaching and I bought some really interesting stuff every month (sorry, don't remember the titles) and other teachers with intellectual curiousity about the country they were in would read them too. Ask if your hagwon or university offers such a stipend and get some good titles on your shelves at the school.

[fistful of krugerands]

[dogbert]

[Son Deureo!]

[tommynomad]