[This Week's Books] Samsung Electronics Signal and Others

Samsung Electronics Signal

A KBS reporter shares stories that were not covered in documentaries related to Samsung. Samsung's 2024 revenue is 300 trillion won (220 billion dollars), which is not significantly different from 216.7 billion dollars in 2013, ten years ago. During the same period, TSMC grew threefold and SK Hynix grew fourfold. Samsung is facing a crisis in all areas, from smartphones to displays, foundry, and memory. The author analyzes this phenomenon while recalling Samsung's past experiences of turning crises into opportunities. He argues that the mass production of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) and 6th generation DRAM will be signals of either a resurgence or decline. (Written by Seo Young-min | HanbitBiz)

50 Philosophies That Lighten Life

The usefulness of philosophy often feels somewhat distant. Although philosophy may be useless for enduring moments, without philosophy to build life, it is easy to lose one's way. The German philosopher author draws wisdom for life from famous quotes left by various philosophers from ancient to modern times. Through the wisdom of philosophers who pondered first and pursued truth thousands of years ago, answers to various practical problems are presented. The philosophical meanings contained in each quote are examined, and specific examples and application methods are introduced. (Written by Ulrich Hofmann | Chusubat)

I Don’t Want to Be a Bad Boss, But I Hope Employees Do Well

Lee Gi-dae, head of Startup Alliance Center, shares tips on human resource management in startups based on his experience. Although startups are flexible, they are not free from structural contradictions inherent in organizations. Representative examples include competitive relationships in performance distribution, information asymmetry, and conflicts between the company's personnel management methods and individual career management. The author introduces ways for the CEO’s ‘right words’ not to be perceived as ‘unpleasant words’ by employees to solve these problems. (Written by Lee Gi-dae | Cloud Nine)

The Market Knows

The author, a Wall Street financial expert, predicts that inflation will occur worldwide in the future, a multipolarization phenomenon will arise with various entities joining hands against the U.S., and a massive capital shift will happen as financial assets turn into hard assets. He also asserts that the era of disinflation’s mutual cold war has ended. He forecasts that the dollar’s weakening trend will strengthen and investors will tend to abandon tech stocks and invest in precious metals. However, the book presents evidence supporting the claim that ultimately capital will shift massively from growth stocks to value stocks. (Written by Lawrence McDonald | Power of Thought)

The History of Privacy

In the past, London had a judicial institution called the ‘Nuisance Court’ where people could sue or accuse those who invaded their privacy. Although the concept of privacy was vague at the time, people hoped their own space would be protected. This is exemplified by the case in 1341 when a woman named Isabel sued four neighbors for invading her privacy by opening windows and living openly. The book examines the long-standing development of privacy and analyzes the concepts and applications in each era. (Written by David Vincent | The Quest)

The Wardrobe of Portraits

Clothing and accessories seen in portraits often carry meaning, whether intentional or not, as they vividly testify to the life of the person and the era. The author, knowledgeable in Western fashion history, shares fascinating stories related to fashion from the Renaissance to the Belle ?poque of the 19th century. One interesting anecdote is about the Spanish king banning the wearing of the inflated skirt called guardainfante in the 17th century as a means to hide pregnancy, which ironically became a huge trend. (Written by Kim Jeong-yeon | Nulwa)

The Two Faces of the Chinese Economy: Peak China vs. China Shock

The risk of US-China trade conflicts has increased with Trump’s potential return to power, raising global economic uncertainty. As recent deep-sea controversies show, China’s influence on the global economy is enormous, but at the same time, China is constantly plagued by economic crisis theories due to the real estate market downturn. This book highlights the dual nature of the Chinese economy and compares the leadership of Xi Jinping, who emphasizes a new era, with Trump, who emphasizes America’s golden age. (Written by Oh Kwang-jin | Sol Science)