en-US Sun, 16 Mar 2025 11:39:45 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7408387654 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 11:39:45 -0700 /review/show/7408387654 Jin gave 4 stars to λ‚� μ—¬μžμ� 열맀 (Paperback) by Han Kang
Short story collection of works from Han Kang between 1996 and 2000.
By now, I've read quite few works from Han Kang and I still love her writing style. It's clean, soft spoken but still powerful. It's about human interaction and communication including the unspoken atmosphere. She manages to capture bits of emotion which would normally get lost in all daily hectic routines.

I'm a fan of her. But I didn't like all of the short stories in this book. Some were too fragile, too weakly constructed. Some were too far away, not being able to grasp what's really important (or I'm stupid and just couldn't get it). But then there is this part μ•„ν™‰κ°œμ˜ 이야κΈ� relatively at the end of the book which I enjoyed a lot. In order to tell a story, the author doesn't need to write thousands of pages. Sometimes it's enough to use few sentences to create a scene with enough life which continues to live in the reader's head.
Anyway, I had to keep in mind that these works are rather old and I applaud her for publishing them anyway in 2018 and keep having it published (my version is from 2024). And I also liked her words in the afterword and I'm looking forward for her next book. ]]> Review6682329820 Sun, 16 Mar 2025 11:26:56 -0700 /review/show/6682329820 Jin gave 4 stars to Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies (Paperback) by Jared Diamond
The subject matter was of my interest but it took me a long time to start reading even though I had it sitting in my shelves for years. Maybe it was because the book looked so huge. While the book felt too long at some parts, it was still enjoyable and I learnt a lot.

"Guns, Germs, and Steel" gives a detailed overview on societal developments on how some triggers and markers made certain areas develop faster or not at all. It's dealing with questions such as why certain developments were possible in Spain and not in Fertile Crescent even though the Fertile Crescent area was highly evolved outpacing other regions at some point. Please note that this question is just a small part of the whole book. It continues to screen through different areas of geology, biology and technology to explain the differences between societies and how it has formed our lives today. What I liked was the general setup of the book: it was clear from beginning till end where the author wanted to go. Also, it gets plus points for his demand to treat human history as science and how important scientific work on this topic is.

If you already have a detailed, profound knowledge about human societies and their development, this book may bore you or you may even disagree with certain aspects. But for me, it was a great introduction to the whole topic and I will definitely have a second look later to check if there are any books I'll pick up under his recommended further readings. ]]> Review6100609976 Sat, 08 Mar 2025 00:08:41 -0800 /review/show/6100609976 Jin gave 5 stars to Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection (Hardcover) by Charles Duhigg
I didn't have high expectations when I started reading this book. Actually, I even expected to get just some advice which you can just read everywhere like listen to the other person, get to know him/her, etc. Naturally, the author mentions these obvious points but this was not all (thank God).
"Supercommunicators" is well structured, gives wonderful insight with extensive endnotes and includes interesting real-life cases with some personal views from the author. The advices and tips are focused to explain and improve communication and connections to others. One can see that there was a lot of research and work put into this book and I enjoyed it.

But I wonder how realistic and realizable some of his advices are. We all know how difficult it is to change oneself especially when it comes to communication. We are doing so much of our communication unconsciously and to change so many automatic processes meticulously is certainly a huge challenge. If someone would really go through all the details from the book and work on being vulnerable, honest and really care to listen and bond with the other, this person will definitely experience a complete change of his/her life.

I'll be honest that I'm not sure if I would ever have the courage to change myself so much and open myself to strangers or even to enemies. But maybe, I could just start with tiny steps in changing in my ways of communications and see where it goes. ]]> Review7385261833 Fri, 07 Mar 2025 23:55:56 -0800 /review/show/7385261833 Jin gave 4 stars to μ²� 개의 νŒŒλž‘ by Cheon Seon-ran
This book goes for a soft/light SF story written for a broad audience using technical items in a near future and people learning about themselves through a broken humanoid robot. Even though this is a light read, a page-turner, it has potential to move the reader's heart especially through the views and analysis by the humanoid robot. Surprisingly, the robot itself doesn't get much "screen time" but maintains enough presence for each character to think about their own lives and even change at some point.
While I liked the general attempt and concept of this book, some scenes were reminding me too much of a feel-good-Disney-high-school-movie-feeling where young adolescents try and succeed to change a seemingly bad adult society. The book dips into some philosophical views and I also loved some of the storytelling and the author's choice of words but in general it felt a bit too predictable and too "good".

Even though I liked the whole book, maybe I'm just not the right target group.
If you are looking for a light read with some heart throbbing moments, you will enjoy this. But if you rather want a deeper approach with philosophical challenges, you may be disappointed. ]]> Review4965829418 Sun, 02 Mar 2025 04:27:12 -0800 /review/show/4965829418 Jin gave 5 stars to The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company (Hardcover) by Robert Iger
Having worked at The Walt Disney Company years ago as an intern, this was intriguing to read. To be honest, the storyline was kind of predictable but it surprised me how personal Robert Iger got at some points. Disney is and has always been very strict when it came to their communication methods, IPs and strategies. Even though there are some personal insights and life milestones of Robert Iger, it feels too perfect, prim and proper, trimmed to perfection that there is no other way than to shine. Just like how Disney wants the world to believe and see its brand. I'm sure that the book got several reworks and revisions by whole teams before it could be published at all.

I don't mean all of this as a critique or negative points. As a CEO or someone who was one of the leading managers in the world, just anyone would do the same, may it be Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Obama and so on.
But still, through all the polishing to perfection, I was moved by his storytelling, his fight for his career and humbleness.

If I would have read this book 15 years ago, I would feel mostly awe at what he has achieved (and perhaps also blinded by all the famous names). While I still feel a lot of respect for his achievements and courage to take huge risks, what I felt was that it's not just his management tips as a leader but his resilience, hard-working style and consistency which were standing out. I believe that there are just some people who are born to be a leader and Robert Iger seems to be one of them. One doesn't have to outshine everyone or be a creative genius to be successful as a good CEO/manager. At some point it was surely also his character being the person he is which helped not only Disney but also him to grow to be one of the most successful CEOs.

The book felt like a typical American story where someone from the bottom (not really bottom like dish washer but you get what I mean) can work hard to become a CEO. I was not mind-blown by his lessons learned (also summarized in the end of the book) but I liked everything else, how he started his business life, his connections to other people and how he communicated and dealt with difficult situations. The personal experiences he reported were interesting to read and it reminded me that we are all human after all from supervisor of a TV channel up to CEO, just in different dimensions.

After reading the final page, I had two questions in my mind:
1. How different would be the media landscape now if Steve Jobs would still live?
2. How different would Robert Iger write his book if it was written and published after Covid? Or after 2026? (The memoir was published in 2019. His contract as CEO expired 2020 but he came back in 2022 with a contract being renewed until 2026) ]]> Review3478564017 Sun, 02 Mar 2025 04:11:22 -0800 /review/show/3478564017 Jin gave 5 stars to Migrations (Hardcover) by Charlotte McConaghy
Around a year ago I read one of her other books "Once There Were Wolves" which left an unforgettable mark in my brain and heart. "Migrations" has been on my want-to-read-list for a longer time but besides my excitement to start reading, I was also afraid. Will it break my heart as it did with her other book? Or will it underwhelm me because of my high expectations?

In the beginning, the book didn't really touch me with a protagonist, Franny, who is unreliable, not "good" as per traditional sense, surrounded by people who were living their own lives as best they can. Franny was stubborn, brutal and irrational, all things I normally hate. Nevertheless, the storytelling was intelligent and beautifully done that in the end I developed some sort of sympathy towards her. I was captivated by her voice, vulnerability and longing for love and freedom. The book was a page-turner demanding more and more of my time and brain until I reached the end which touched my heart deeply.
There are so many things I liked about this book: first, as mentioned above, the superb language, soft spoken, poetic yet strong in its execution. Second, the way the story moves back and forth in time keeping the tension until the end. Third, the subtle bond between not only human beings but also between humans, nature and animals, in this case in particular with birds, the arctic terns. There are different facets of love and sadness which was wonderfully told in this story. Finally, how the author shows different sides in regards to climate change and the people who defend it and not. It's always important to listen to different voices without outrightly judging anyone.

Now I read through the book I'm sad that I can't have the same reading experience again and I'm also excited to read more from Charlotte McConaghy. ]]> Review7210146387 Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:36:29 -0800 /review/show/7210146387 Jin gave 5 stars to Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (Hardcover) by Michael J. Sandel
A wonderful, detailed philosophy book about justice and other aspects in human society linked to it. I was positively surprised to learn what other core values also trigger how we perceive and exert justice. The author masterfully explains how justice is setup by using well known philosophers and their theories, and also by retelling some real-life cases and thought experiments which challenge the reader's view on justice. The reader will not only learn about justice and "the right thing to do" but also what morale, freedom, politics, ownership and so on mean which is the basement on our just decision making. From the introduced ideas and philosophies I could connect most to Aristotle's vision but everyone will form a different opinion when reading this book.
In the end, I was missing a proper conclusion because of the elaborate introduction and middle part of the book. It was not bad per se but felt left out in comparison to the rest of the book. Anyway, this book is definitely worth reading especially if you are into philosophical thinking and thought challenges. ]]> Review7304365867 Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:15:40 -0800 /review/show/7304365867 Jin gave 5 stars to The Seven Year Slip (Paperback) by Ashley Poston
I enjoyed "The Seven Year Slip" much more than I thought! This book gave me all the things I didn't know I wanted to read about. The sorrow of losing someone you love, a strong-willed woman to work hard and grab for the stars, and wonderful friends and a love interest who is separated through a magical apartment by 7 years.

I'm glad that this book is not just a romantic story about the time (timing) problem of 7 years but also how the protagonist grows as a person. Additionally, the story was convincing by being realistic (as it can be) and sticking to the character traits given to each person. It happens very rarely that I like the female protagonist but I really loved Clementine including her fears, stubbornness and pushy sides. Maybe I was drawn to her because I happen to love books, watercolors and work (and travel) just like her.

I guess that people might argue about the time shifting aspect and how the memories are connected between Clementine and Iwan, especially for hardcore SF fans. But I decided not to delve too much into that aspect. While the ending felt a bit rushed (with Iwan's sudden change I would have loved a few more pages or another time leap few months into the future) I still loved the overall concept, writing style and the book as a whole. ]]> Review7342264508 Fri, 21 Feb 2025 09:13:22 -0800 /review/show/7342264508 Jin gave 5 stars to 투λͺ…인간 by Sokze Song
Title: Invisible Human

I love dogs. But I'm not a huge fan of golden retrievers.
Years ago, I was discussing about different dog breeds with a friend in a supermarket.
When it came to golden retrievers, I said that I don't prefer them because they are too friendly that they seem to be dumb. That was when an older lady cut into our discussion and pitied me that young people nowadays misunderstand friendliness with stupidity that they can't differentiate between these attributes.

I had almost forgotten about this but remembered again when I read this book and got to know the main character Man-Suk (λ§Œμ„).

It is an extraordinary book about human life, fate and how the historical and social background can affect not only one person but a whole family. The book shows a detailed view into a family where Man-Suk is the centerpiece. He is not brilliant, good-looking or extremely intelligent but still manages to be the reason why his whole family somehow survives and holds together. It is not a feel-good book but manages to keep a constant flow of ups and downs just like the way life unfolds for most of us.

What impressed me most was the author's storytelling. There is no real separated chapters but sections/paragraphs which are each told from different characters, some of them recurring. The author never reveals the character name but the reader gets to know with every additional line who is currently speaking. With each paragraph we get to know more about the characters and life situation, and we are moving further in the timeline from Man-Suk's birth until the moment of probable death.
While doing so, it was never confusing and the incorporated historical background gave more weight and reality to each character. Maybe that's also why I felt all sorts of sorrow and at some point anger as well.

I would say that this book showcases a typical Korean story and I wished that this would be translated well into English and other languages. While I have my doubts about good translations for this particular story, it will give a good view on Korean families how they survived poverty, political and social pressure over generations. ]]>