[This Week's Books] 'Jalmot Sseuin Hanguksaui Gyeoljeongjeok Sungan Deul' and 5 More

◆Decisive Moments of Misused Korean History=The author points out that history written centered on the victors contains numerous concealments, exaggerations, distortions, and biases. He raises questions about the existing historical perceptions. For example, he doubts whether the final battle before Baekje's fall was truly the Battle of Hwangsanbeol, and whether General Gyebaek's suicide squad really numbered only 5,000. He also questions the claim that King Uija's extravagance and indulgence led to Baekje's downfall, asking why Baekje sought help from the Tang Dynasty to bring down a kingdom that would have fallen on its own. He suspects there may be hidden truths behind Baekje's collapse. The history from the Three Kingdoms period to the late Joseon era is reexamined through a lens of suspicion, asking "perhaps?" and "really?" (Written by Choi Jung-kyung · Mix Coffee)

◆The Uncomfortable Pension Book=The National Pension Service, launched in 1988 and now in its 36th year, currently faces criticism that "the money received is small while the money paid is large." However, the author, who participated in the 2015 civil servant pension reform and now works as a civic activist, emphasizes that "pension reform can lead us to a better society." In response to the criticism that it is difficult to even break even, the author proposes "extending the subscription period" as a solution and presents specific methods. He suggests automatic enrollment from age 18 and raising the current payment cap age of 59 to 64, the age just before benefits begin. He also proposes recognizing military service and childbirth/childcare periods as paid periods. The book presents the background of various pensions, their operation methods, and alternatives for stable management. (Written by Kim Tae-il · Hankyoreh Publishing)

◆What Does Russia Aim to Become?=This book traces the history of Russia, which has shaped a unique identity over a millennium. The author sheds light on Russia, which is full of points difficult to understand from a familiar liberal worldview, through Putin's neo-Eurasianism. This is because understanding all perspectives is necessary for an accurate perception. The author examines Russia's history in a long breath, from its birth, the period under Mongol rule, Peter the Great's Westernization, the formation and painful dissolution of the Soviet Union, to its reconstruction. He also introduces neo-traditionalism, which challenges the monopoly position of liberalism after the Soviet collapse. He explains various phenomena, saying that Iran's Islamic Revolution, India's Hindutva, and Turkey's neo-Ottomanism belong to this category. (Written by Lim Myung-mook · Psyche's Forest)

◆The Age of Fandom=Fandom is detected everywhere in politics, economy, and culture. Im Young-woong's 50s-60s fandom has changed the landscape of cultural consumption, and in politics, securing fandom has become a political asset. People with similar tastes and beliefs gather to share a single identity. The author introduces psychological cases, explaining that when humans form groups, they develop an obsession with distinguishing themselves from other groups and desire to gain high status within their own group. Examples include Star Trek, Jane Austen, Harry Potter, Michael Jackson, Richard III, and mass shooters Eric and Dylan. The author also points out the dangers of fandom through cases such as Donald Trump's supporters occupying the Capitol after his presidential election defeat. (Written by Michael Bond · Across)

◆I Am a Security Guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art=This essay contains the recollections of the author who worked as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It delicately depicts the journey of a man who, curled up in pain from the death of his family, spent ten years at the museum overcoming his sense of loss and facing the world again. One day, while building a career toward success in a prestigious job, the author lost his will to live due to his family's death and sought escape in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He decided to step away from a world that only moves forward and to let himself be by doing simple work in the most beautiful place. Thus, the author spent eight hours a day as a security guard, communicating with great masterpieces and bonding with fellow guards, each with their own stories, discovering the meaning of life and death, daily life, and art. He put these experiences into the book. (Written by Patrick Bringley · Woongjin Knowledge House)

◆David Rosenhan, Psychologist at Stanford University=Many people worry whether they themselves might be suffering from mental illnesses such as depression, panic disorder, adult ADHD, or schizophrenia, as these conditions are frequently exposed. But can modern medicine properly distinguish such illnesses? The author focuses on an experiment conducted about 50 years ago by David Rosenhan, a psychologist at Stanford University. Eight people without any psychiatric history pretended to have mental illnesses to see if they could be admitted to psychiatric hospitals. All the doctors who examined them misdiagnosed them, and the eight participants were confined in psychiatric wards for an average of 20 days, receiving incorrect treatment. The experiment was published in the academic journal "Science" and caused a huge sensation. The author traces the background of this historical experiment and provocatively questions the reality where mental illness diagnoses have become common. (Written by Susanna Cahalan · Bookhouse)