[This Week's Books] "The Sense of Wealth" and More

The Sense of Wealth

Based on the proposition that "a company's survival depends not on profit, but on cash generation," this book explores the essence of founding, scaling up, and exiting a business. Moonsoo Kim, founder of Etoos, has advised over 400 companies for 25 years and emphasizes that a company's success or failure hinges not on the CEO's emotions or will, but on the ability to read a structure where money accumulates. Prioritizing account balances over sales, and cash flow over growth, this survival management guide presents the standards and execution principles for creating, growing, and preserving wealth through a 'sense of wealth.' (Written by Moonsoo Kim | Gimm-Young Publishers)

Wannabe Investor

This is an introductory guide that breaks down vague anxieties and the barrier of information overload that prevent people from starting to invest. It clearly and simply organizes the core concepts needed to understand the philosophies of investment masters, from the fundamentals of stocks to dividends, industry classification, and the "Dogs of the Dow" strategy. Before recommending charts and stocks, it helps readers build the essential foundation required for investing, presenting principles for surviving both bull and bear markets without wavering. This is a practical guide that encourages readers to take their first step during the investment golden time, which is "now." (Written by Ann Marie Sabath | Dongyang Books)

Trumpedia

This book interprets the seemingly unpredictable words and actions of Donald Trump not as "whims," but as a calculated survival formula. It traces how his business algorithm, formed during his days as a New York real estate developer, was transformed into political power, and analyzes the working principles of populism, noise marketing, and the art of the deal in a multidimensional way. Furthermore, it sheds light on the key power architects driving Trump's second term, providing a precise commentary for understanding the world order of the Trump era without being swayed by his verbal bombshells. (Written by Lee Jiyoon | Maumui Sup)

The New Age of Money, Stablecoins

This book provides a multidimensional explanation of stablecoins, from their concept and history to their potential impact on the financial order. Against the backdrop of the U.S. "Genius Act" and the debate over Korean won stablecoins, it examines the principles of value pegging, use cases, and the lessons from the Terra-Luna failure. Drawing on 25 years of experience as an economic journalist and interviews with global experts, the book offers a balanced analysis of issues such as monetary sovereignty, payment innovation, and regulation, guiding readers toward the future of new currencies. (Written by Kim Shinyoung | One&One Books)

The Core Minerals Supply Chain War

This book analyzes the reality of U.S.-China hegemonic competition extending beyond semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) to core minerals such as lithium and rare earth elements. The author highlights core minerals not as mere resources, but as strategic elements that determine industrial competitiveness and economic security. The book structurally unpacks China's dominance of supply chains and the responses of the U.S. and EU. Covering the entire process from mining development to refining, processing, resource recycling, and new technologies, it presents practical survival strategies and future solutions that resource-poor countries like Korea should consider. (Written by Park Junhyeok | Secret House)

The Minimum Chemistry to Understand the World

This book delves into the reality of U.S.-China competition over core minerals such as lithium, nickel, and rare earth elements. The author explains the background of core minerals emerging as strategic resources that determine advanced industries, energy transition, and economic security, and provides a multidimensional analysis of China's supply chain dominance and the strategies of the U.S., EU, and resource-rich countries in response. Covering the entire process from mining development to refining, processing, resource recycling, and new technologies, this economic security guide presents practical survival strategies and future opportunities for resource-poor countries like Korea. (Written by Kim Seongsu | Books on Earth)

From Today, You Will Speak Well

This book presents speaking as a "skill" that anyone can acquire through practice, rather than an innate talent. The author, who has worked as both an announcer and a lawyer, says that speaking has created opportunities at every critical moment, including interviews, presentations, and negotiations. The book provides a systematic training method to diagnose and improve weak points in vocalization, logical structure, and communication skills that build relationships, helping readers improve without attending a speech academy. With checklists, type-based analyses, and practice focused on real-life situations, this practical speaking guide offers immediately applicable skills for everything from presentations to everyday conversations. (Written by Park Suyeon | Hyunik Publishing)

Hey, Isn't It Dark Even During the Day for Me?

This essay candidly recounts the life of Hyunyoung Kim, a visually impaired psychological counselor, after losing her sight. Once a ballet major, she experienced despair after going blind due to retinitis pigmentosa, but she continuously forged new paths, becoming a civil servant exam candidate, athlete, counselor, professor, and radio host. Without denying the reality of her disability, she listens and empathizes more deeply while moving forward. This book cheerfully offers the courage to live without losing direction, even in darkness. (Written by Kim Hyunyoung | Jeonyeokdal)

The Philosopher's Last Lesson

This is the final record of philosophical reflection completed by Professor Zhu Rui, a philosopher who received a terminal diagnosis and faced death. After being notified that his treatment would be discontinued, he devoted his remaining time to examining the essence of life and death, demonstrating through his own life why philosophy ultimately heads toward death and how one can achieve a fulfilling life beyond fear. Through his last lectures and interviews, his thoughts traverse philosophy, literature, science, and art, powerfully conveying how preparing for death enables us to live more deeply today. (Written by Zhu Rui | Needle Book)

The Breathing School

This is an educational policy proposal by Eunhye Yoo, former Minister of Education, who had to determine the direction of Korean education during the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19. Drawing on her field experience and long-term reflection, the book contains the awareness of issues accumulated over more than 10 years of work on the Education Committee as a National Assembly member and her policy execution experience as minister. After her ministerial term, she combined her research on overseas educational administration and social consensus in Germany with the Korean context, presenting a national education vision and a broad blueprint for future educational reform that coordinates all stakeholders in education. (Written by Yoo Eunhye | Geulhangari)

The Heart of AI Innovation: China's Five Major City Clusters

This book traces the roots of Chinese innovation after the "DeepSeek shock" to China's five major city clusters. It analyzes the innovation ecosystems in advanced manufacturing, humanoids, physical AI, biotechnology, and fintech in areas such as Beijing, Shanghai, and the Greater Bay Area, using the latest data and policies. Covering key companies like DeepSeek, Baidu, Douyin, Huawei, and DJI, as well as the free trade pilot zone system, the author offers a multidimensional interpretation of China's future growth strategies based on field experience, providing practical insights for Korean companies and policymakers. (Written by Kim Jongmoon et al. | Davinci Books)

Buddha Laughs

This book by Monk Jeonggyeong revisits and organizes the teachings of Shakyamuni through a Q&A with ChatGPT. It examines which doctrines and interpretations, long called Buddhism, were actually Shakyamuni's original teachings, and restores the core truths of the Three Marks of Existence and the Four Noble Truths to simple, living insights. Encouraging questions rather than imposing belief, this book invites readers to contemplate the truth of impermanence in the language of the AI era, serving as a modern introduction to Buddhism and a guide to practice. (Written by Jeonggyeong | Wisdom Tree)

One Page a Day: English Vocabulary 365

This book presents the most efficient way to break the vicious cycle of memorizing English words. Instead of rote memorization, it helps readers understand Latin roots and the formation of prefixes and suffixes, enabling them to learn multiple words from a single root. Through structures that connect words like "producer" to "production," "conduct," and "introduce," it builds a solid foundation for reading, writing, speaking, and listening. By reading just one page a day for 365 days, learners can retain English vocabulary for a long time with this highly cost-effective vocabulary study book. (Written by Kim Dongsung | Hyundae Jiseong)

Unshaken by Strong Winds

We remember Mo Yan as a Nobel laureate and a master of Chinese literature. However, this book reveals the most human side of Mo Yan, hidden behind his illustrious titles. He says he wrote not to change the world, but to endure. He openly shares memories of hunger, shame, and failure, demonstrating through his life what it means to persevere. With gentle yet lasting prose, this book offers quiet courage and deep comfort to those who continue to struggle through life. (Written by Mo Yan | Philotic)

Kingdom of Roots

This book questions the perspective of viewing plants solely as "objects of healing" amid the gardening and plant interior trend. "Kingdom of Roots" by German botanist David Spencer explores the coevolutionary history of plants and humans, showing how cleverly plants communicate, adapt, and have survived on Earth. Plants are quiet but not passive, calm but never weak. In an era of energy, food, and climate crises, this fascinating popular science book suggests that we learn the answers for a sustainable future from "the beings deeply rooted beneath the ground." (Written by David Spencer | Flow Publishing)