[This Week's Books] 'Haengdong' and 5 More Titles

◆Behavior = This is a book by neuroscientist Robert M. Sapolsky, who has been praised by world-renowned scholars as an “excellent guide to human nature” and “the greatest science writer of our time.” It is a masterpiece that took 10 years to write and spans 1,040 pages. The book delves into the theme of “why humans sometimes behave horrifically toward each other in ways that words cannot express, and at other times become extraordinarily generous.” The author deeply analyzes the duality of humans, who possess both cruelty and altruism, by traversing fields such as neurobiology, brain science, genetics, sociobiology, and psychology. The interpretation that unravels human altruism from a biological perspective under the premise that “humans do not dislike violence; they only dislike and fear the wrong kind of violence in the wrong context” is particularly intriguing. (Written by Robert M. Sapolsky · Munhakdongne)

◆Annie Ernaux’s Words = This is a dialogue collection between Annie Ernaux, a representative of contemporary French literature and Nobel Prize laureate in Literature, and sociologist Rosemarie Lagrave. The dialogues, conducted twice in 2021 and 2022 under the theme “Experiences and Writings of Feminist Class Runaways,” have been compiled. The two discuss literature, sociology, gender, and old age by analyzing their own experiences. They explore women’s lives, literary worlds, and further, the social and political aspects of literature. Ernaux, known for using her own experiences as material for writing, also reveals her feminist roots that boldly speak on women’s issues. Ernaux mentions that the root of such awareness was “reading,” introducing the book “The Second Sex” as the book that shaped her. “I was so excited the moment I first realized that society is divided by sex and that men enjoy privileges...” (Written by Annie Ernaux and one other · Maumsanchaek)

◆Possible = “Writing records blindly is nothing but doodling.” The author, Korea’s first record scholar and a note-taking enthusiast, emphasizes that the importance lies not in the notes themselves but in linking them to outcomes. He points out that if you write diligently but do not execute or merely copy without internalizing, it is useless. To utilize notes effectively, the author recommends recording on a monthly basis rather than yearly. One year is too broad to link records and goals for practical action. Using a month as a standard opens the perspective to daily and weekly views, creating 12 opportunities a year to renew commitments. While the previous work “Giant’s Notebook” deeply addressed the importance of recording itself, this book focuses on record-keeping methods for execution. (Written by Kim Ikhan · Influential)

◆Emotional Economics = This book deals with the impact of humans’ irrational psychology on the economy. While it is true that logical thinking as rational beings has driven civilization’s progress, the author explains that ordinary daily life is not made up solely of such high-level logic. Humans sometimes exhibit illogical behavior to bridge emotional gaps amid worries, anxieties, and depression. For example, impulsive shopping. The author interprets economic phenomena such as going on blind dates, watching YouTube Shorts, or suffering from gaslighting risks as rooted in this background. He explains that emotional decisions rather than rational choices have arrived in an era where people consume moods more than goods, and understanding these emotions is essential to understanding humans. (Written by Jo Wonkyung · Page2Books)

◆National Land Museum Pilgrimage = This is a follow-up series to “My Cultural Heritage Exploration.” It examines Korean history chronologically and introduces representative regions and cultural heritage of each era. The author shares that although he has introduced the Korean land over 30 years, he has felt physical limitations in covering everything. To cover the entire land, he would need to write as much again as he has so far, but life would not permit that. After contemplating how to complete the series, he decided to introduce yet-uncovered sites in historical order from prehistoric times through the Three Kingdoms, Gaya, Balhae, Unified Silla, Goryeo, Joseon, and modern times. While changing “exploration” to “pilgrimage,” the tone of travel literature as an exploration record remains intact. Volume 1 covers from prehistoric times to Goguryeo, and Volume 2 covers Baekje, Silla, and Gaya periods. (Written by Yu Hongjun · Changbi)

◆Earth Jurisprudence = This is the first book in the “Earth and People” series jointly presented by Munhakgwa Jiseongsa and the Earth and People Foundation. Earth jurisprudence is a legal system discipline that recognizes not only humans but also animals, plants, ecosystems, and nature as legal subjects. It aims to philosophically discuss the ontological meaning and protection measures by expanding legal personhood, which has been applied only to humans, corporations, and ships, to nature. The book contains 10 essays discussing earth jurisprudence from various academic backgrounds such as constitutional law, legal philosophy, political science, sociology, and political ecology. Last month in Korea, Jeju Island announced plans to amend laws to grant legal personhood to the Jeju southern bottlenose dolphin. If legal personhood is granted, it can pursue rights restoration through lawsuits when rights are violated. (Written by the Earth Jurisprudence Association · Munhakgwa Jiseongsa)