[This Week's Books] 'Korea's Land Rich' and Others

Korea's Land Tycoons

The author, a land analysis expert and investor, shares stories of domestic land tycoons. He recounts cases such as farmland prices in the Seongsan-eup area soaring 70-fold when the Jeju Island Second Airport was announced seven years ago, turning farmland worth about 100 million KRW into sales of 7 billion KRW; land prices near highway interchanges rising significantly; and making large profits by selectively acquiring small fractional land shares in redevelopment zones. Conversely, he also introduces cases of losses, including a comprehensive discussion of an investment in the Yangseo-myeon area of Yangpyeong-gun in 2023, which was halted due to political issues despite expectations of development benefits. (Written by Jang Byeol-cheol | Yuno Books)

Finally Meeting Geography Class

This introductory geography book by a geographer introduces the necessity and applications of geography. It covers physical geography exploring the relationship between humans and the natural environment, human geography analyzing human-made spaces and activities, and the history of geography and map-making. The author emphasizes that seeing the world through the "eyes of geography" provides a new perspective. Questions such as why housing prices rise in Gangnam, why "hot places" emerge, and why global companies gather in Silicon Valley are analyzed from a geographical viewpoint. (Written by Lee Dong-min | Hyundai Jiseong)

Why Great Powers Do Not Take Responsibility

The conflict between Israel and the armed group Hamas surrounding Palestine continues even after ceasefire. In fact, this is part of the ongoing Israel-Palestine dispute that has lasted for over a century. The author, of Jewish origin but critical of Zionism, argues that the conflict continues as Western great powers approved the Zionists' aspiration to establish a Jewish state out of guilt for having overlooked the Nazi genocide. He stresses that answers should not be sought only in the Middle East but that Western great powers must take action. (Written by Vivian Forrester | Dodo Books)

World History 10 Years Later: The Future Counterattack

This book examines the current state of technological advancements in innovative fields such as robots, artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors, and mobility, analyzing the multifaceted changes these bring to international relations, politics, economy, and society. It broadly forecasts how global hegemony will shift in the future. It introduces the impact of advanced technologies like robots and AI on daily life and related regulatory measures, highlights the third-world dynamics aiming to lead innovation amid US-China hegemony competition, and reviews technological efforts by countries to address environmental issues such as climate change. (Written by Gu Jeong-eun and one other | Chusubat)

Protecting Her

This novel unravels the secret hidden in the Piet? statue confined underground in the Sacra Monastery in Italy through the twisted life of a stonemason born with dwarfism. The story unfolds through the meeting of 'Mimo,' a boy treated as a demon due to his small stature, and 'Viola,' a girl with a genius intellect who is forbidden even to read because she is female. Set in fascist Italy, the novel conveys the beauty of humanity that does not bow to innate limitations of disability and gender or social obstacles. The author, also a film director, presents detailed descriptions as if capturing scenes from a movie. Winner of the 2023 Prix Goncourt. (Written by Jean-Baptiste Andrea | Open Books)

Speak with Numbers

While many believe that speaking well is key to success in the business world, the author emphasizes that presenting numbers accurately is better. No matter how fluent the speech, it is useless without a message. For example, instead of vague expressions like "sales seem to be rising," say "sales increased by 25% compared to last month." Saying "the project is delayed" is less trustworthy than "it is expected to be about two weeks behind the scheduled deadline." The book introduces how to produce objective data and communicate logically. (Written by Yoshinori Sadai | Maeil Business Newspaper)