Korean Job Discussion Forums

[philinkorea]

hi
i found a thread a while ago but am dammed if i can find it. it showed a list of cool books about korea to read while living here. one of them i got which was great called 'korea unmasked'. where is this thread? or what other cool books have you read while living here to get more out of your time.

[Son Deureo!]

Korea's Place in the Sun by Bruce Cumings is a good history book that is enjoyable to read.

[Squid]

How Koreans Talk,

I forget the author, but it's a book of idioms, very entertaining and students like it too.

It's on my bookshelf but I have a baby over my arm.

Lots of good ones at Kyobo or COEX bookstores.

Must get my avatar fixed.

[syclick]

Ditto on How Koreans Talk. Got that book for Christmas, and it's excellent.

My Dad visited over the holidays and couldn't put the book down.

[J.B. Clamence]

If you don't mind reading academic texts, Edward W. Wagner's translation of Lee Ki-Baik's A New History of Korea is a classic thorough account of Korean History from the Prehistoric times to 1960, when it was first published. It's pretty dry, though. I studied History at uni, so I'm used to these kinds of books, but if you're not accustomed to it, you might find it pretty boring.

[Zenpickle]

"A New History of Korea" by Ki-baik Lee

It's the textbook we used in my Korean history courses and what got me wanting to come here in the first place. I have reread it recently, and the style (even though it's translated) is engrossing, especially once you hit the end of the 19th century and all the countries in the West and East start vying for control of the peninsula. It does slow down a bit because Lee wants to give credit to every single figure in history, so it lists names a lot.

I'm glad I have read this book because whenever Koreans start frustrating me, I'm reminded of what a long, exciting history this culture has had.

[JacktheCat]

[Zenpickle]

[JacktheCat]

[Zenpickle]

[Len8]

There are a few good books floating around by Carter Eckert. He's the head of the Korean studies department at Harvard. Many of the better books about Korea quote him a lot.

Pearl S. Buck wrote a book about Korea too. I think it was called "The living Reed"

Potok wrote a book about Korea during the Korean war which wasn't fiction. In it he described the conditions of the times very well.

[margaret]

My favorite book about Koreans and Korean culture was not exactly about Korea, as it is about pioneer women living in the U. S. It's KOREAN PICTURE BRIDES by Sonia Shinn Sunoo. A great book all around.
Margaret

[bosintang]

[url=http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312326092/qid=1107536188/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-6117412-4221438?v=glance&s=books]
The Koreans : Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies
by Michael Breen [/url]


Reading it now and just about finished. I think Breen has some excellent insights as a foreign journalist here.

[chronicpride]

I also will chime in about Korea Unmasked. I extra specially liked it cuz I can look at all the pickchuhs.

[just because]

I also will go with both

The Koreans(though Breen really does love Korea doesn't he but it was a very interesting read)

and

Korea Unmasked(an entertaining read).