[Books of the Week] "The Future of the Oil Empire" and More

The Future of the Oil Empire

This book analyzes the "power of oil" that underlies fluctuations in international oil prices, the situation in the Middle East, and the reshaping of energy security, traversing both history and the present. Through 45 events from World War I to the age of AI, it examines how oil has shaped war, diplomacy, finance, and industrial strategy. Even amid discussions of energy transition and carbon neutrality, it demonstrates that oil remains a key variable in national competitiveness. Drawing on the author's field experience at Korea National Oil Corporation, it provides a structural perspective for understanding the international order. (Written by Choi Jiwoong | Wisdom House)

Refresh

This collection of book reviews re-examines contemporary Korean society-characterized by the prolonged division system, democratic fatigue, inequality and social fragmentation, and the climate crisis-not with simplistic solutions, but through "reflection via books." By rereading already published works through the lens of current issues, it situates the crisis of our society in historical and social contexts. The 32 essays are organized into five themes: division and the international order, discrimination and disparity, ecological transition, and the power of culture. Moving beyond quick judgments, it proposes a starting point for deeper, more layered questioning that allows us to see reality anew. (Written by Kim Hakjae et al. | Changbi)

Kwon Hyojae's Great Transformation of K-Shipbuilding

This current affairs book analyzes the future of Korean industry through the shipbuilding sector, which has emerged at the forefront of the US-China power rivalry. It explores the background behind shipbuilding becoming a core national strategic asset, triggered by the Korea-US shipbuilding cooperation project MASGA, and structurally interprets the significance of Korea's shipbuilding competitiveness in the context of diplomacy, security, and supply chain order. Based on 16 years of experience in the shipbuilding fields of Korea, China, and the US, the author presents shipbuilding not as an outdated heavy industry, but as a strategic industry that determines national security and energy transition, questioning Korea's choices and direction. (Written by Kwon Hyojae | East Asia)

Kind Momentum

This essay offers courage and direction to office workers who wish to continue doing what they love for a long time. Park Yunjin, who worked as a copywriter and creative director at Cheil Worldwide and Daehong Communications for over 20 years, shares insights gained from experiencing both workaholism and burnout, discussing "how to go further by working less." The book emphasizes kindness as a source of career strength, suggests attitudes for achieving work-life balance, and provides practical advice and emotional management tips that can be immediately applied, offering encouragement to wavering K-office workers to rediscover their original motivation. (Written by Park Yunjin | Willbook)

On the Worst Day of My Life, Buddha Spoke to Me

This introductory book presents Buddhism as a way to find unshakable happiness in uncertain times. It explores the root of anxiety that persists even after success and achievement, emphasizing the importance of changing the mind rather than external conditions. The book guides readers toward sustainable satisfaction through 10 minutes of daily meditation, mindfulness, and virtuous deeds in everyday life. Avoiding technical jargon, it uses real-life examples to make it accessible for beginners, and reinterprets Buddhism as a practical tool for cultivating inner strength. (Written by David Michie | Tiramisu The Book)

War in Animal Societies

This popular science book explores the essence of war and cooperation through violence and conflict in animal societies. Ecologist Loic Bollache vividly illustrates the realities of all-out warfare, strategies, and internal competition among animals such as chimpanzees, dolphins, ants, and meerkats. At the same time, it highlights that war arises from the breakdown of cooperation, shedding light on the wisdom of animal societies in maintaining peace, as seen in the reconciliation and solidarity of bonobos and wolves. It prompts readers to reflect anew on violence and order in human society. (Written by Loic Bollache | Saramin)

2026~2027 Industrial Map of Korea

This investment book provides a multi-dimensional analysis of Korea's industrial capabilities at the turning point of the AI revolution and supply chain restructuring. Assuming an era where performance, rather than macro uncertainty, determines stock prices, it examines the interplay of policy, technology, and market structure. By organizing 27 industries and 2,230 listed companies into value chains, it presents promising opportunities in AI semiconductors, secondary batteries, energy, shipbuilding and defense, and K-beauty and entertainment. Rather than focusing on predictions, it sets standards for "response," assisting investment decisions. (Written by Lee Laehak | Gyeongiroom)

Looking Back, That Place Was Heaven

This poetry collection contains 134 new poems by poet Na Taejoo, written upon reaching his eighties as he reflects on his travels in Tanzania and the trajectory of his life. The poet, now in his eighties, recounts meeting a sponsored girl after a 21-hour flight, and the emotions drawn from his travels become turning points in his life. The poems, filled with gratitude, farewells, and the breath of everyday life, convey the message that "if you pause and look back, that place is heaven." Accompanied by the poet's own pencil drawings, the collection offers gentle comfort to life. (Written by Na Taejoo | Dal)

From Fifty On, It's Best to Live Simply

This book, written by psychiatrist Lee Geunhoo at the age of 90, shares insights on managing one's mind in midlife and beyond, drawn from 50 years of clinical and life experience. It suggests crossing over the anxieties, lethargy, and losses that come after fifty not through "striving," but by "letting go." The book addresses relationships, worries about money and time, and concerns about old age with psychoanalytic insight and practical advice, showing that a simple attitude can restore emotions, relationships, and the future to their rightful places. (Written by Lee Geunhoo | 21st Century Books)

I Visited the Art Museum Again Today

This essay, written by an art journalist with 17 years of experience, records a year spent visiting European art museums. Staying in London as a visiting scholar, the author toured over 100 museums, introducing not only the National Gallery, Louvre, and Prado, but also Jacquemart-Andr?, Borghese, and Reina Sofia. With a journalist's perspective, the book unpacks history, masterpieces, and hidden gems, featuring over 180 illustrations, offering readers a vivid experience as if strolling through European art museums. (Written by Kim Seulgi | Maumsanchaek)

Everything About Starting a Design Business

This is a practical manual for solo designers to survive as entrepreneurs. It covers the entire process from preparing to start a business, setting up an office, building a revenue model, to delivery and after-sales service, presenting 14 design items-such as logos, detailed pages, and packaging-that directly connect to profits, like a roadmap. Through the experiences and Q&A of senior designers, as well as tips on negotiation, contracts, and concepting, it teaches how to sell design as "value," not just "work." (Written by Kim Jinkyung et al. | Telescope on the Shoulder)

Awakening the Universe

This popular science book chronicles the journey of exploring the origins of humanity and the universe at the forefront of modern astronomy. Science writer Richard Panek follows the birth of the James Webb Space Telescope and its observational achievements, narrating the challenges and efforts of a large-scale project involving more than 20,000 participants in a documentary style. The book vividly conveys the new cosmic landscapes and scientific significance revealed by the telescope, offering readers the most human journey through the universe with high-resolution space photos and commentary. (Compiled by Richard Panek | Waterbear Press)

The Panmunjom Project

This book recounts inter-Korean relations from 2017 to 2019 not as a results-centered chronology, but as a record of what worked and what did not. Assemblyman Yoon Kunyoung, who was in charge of working-level negotiations at the time, candidly describes the behind-the-scenes of inter-Korean dialogues at Panmunjom and Pyongyang, North Korea-US summit diplomacy, the breakdown in Hanoi, and the reasons for unimplemented agreements. Focusing on process over outcomes, it reveals behind-the-scenes negotiations, variables, and the constraints of international politics, emphasizing that peace is not a declaration but the sum of all preparations. (Written by Yoon Kunyoung | Gimmyoung Publishers)

Doing R&D Right

This practical guide answers the fundamental question of "how to conduct research and development" in an era when technological competition determines the survival of companies and nations. The author, who led R&D at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology and Samsung SDI for 32 years, draws on field experience to highlight that the success or failure of R&D depends not on talent, but on goal setting, problem decomposition, resilience to failure, and leadership. Using concrete tools such as technology roadmaps and learning curves, the book explains how to turn R&D from an abstract ideal into an actionable system, providing researchers and technology organizations with realistic pathways to innovation. (Written by Jang Hyuk | Cloud Nine)

The Art of Turning My Salary into Assets with ETF Investments

This investment book presents the "criteria for selection" that individual investors must have in the domestic ETF market, which is approaching 300 trillion won. Going beyond explaining the structure and advantages of ETFs, it details how to distinguish between ETFs that will survive among the rapidly increasing products and so-called "zombie ETFs" at high risk of delisting. In an era where what to filter out is more important than what to buy, it offers practical standards and strategies for investors who want to turn their salary into long-term assets. (Written by Choi Changyun | One & One Books)

The Symbol of Yi Kwangsu in Korean Society

This research book traces how the name "Yi Kwangsu" has been invoked and appropriated in Korean society from the colonial period through liberation, industrialization, and democratization. Through the ways intellectuals of each era-such as Kim Dongin, Sunwoo Hwi, Bok Geoil, and Kim Yoonsik-interpreted and utilized Yi Kwangsu, it sheds light on the intellectual conflicts of the postcolonial modern nation-state. In particular, by uncovering and analyzing Yi Kwangsu's literary activities in Shanghai-a gap in existing research-it provides a multi-dimensional view of the continuity and rupture in his thought and literature, expanding the landscape of debates surrounding Yi Kwangsu. (Written by Choi Juhwan | Somyung Publishing)

The Miracle of 20 English Mindsets That Turn 'Studying' into a 'Weapon'

This practical self-help book delivers the message that one's attitude toward English, rather than proficiency, determines career success. Based on the experience of an ordinary office worker who missed opportunities due to English, but chose "communication" over "fluency" and leaped onto the global stage, it presents a mindset that transforms English from a test subject into a tool for work. The book guides readers to use English as leverage to increase their value by escaping obsession with pronunciation and grammar, structuring thoughts, and employing strategies to speak without fear. (Written by Seo Bokyung | Sejong Books)