I. HAWAIIAN BOOKS:

• HAWAIIAN BOOKS
  
• HAWAIIAN BOOKS: KAMEHAMEHA SCHOOLS PRESS
• OUT OF PRINT

• AMERICAN BOOKS WITH A KOREAN CONNECTION
  
  • Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America -- Mary Paik Lee's tale of a Korean immigrant's struggle to survive at the turn of the century.
  • Kori: The Beacon Anthology of Korean American Fiction -- First anthology of Korean-American fiction
  • Century of the Tiger: One Hundred Years of Korean Culture in America (Manoa 14, 2) -- Work by some of the best and most eloquent Korean authors in Korea and America, past and present, in order to tell the dramatic story of Korean culture in America over the last century and the diverse experiences of Korean Americans today, particularly in Hawai'i.
  • In the Absence of Sun: A Korean American Woman's Promise to Reunite Three Lost Generations of Her Family -- A woman's promise to her grandmother to reunite three generations of the family
  • Still Life With Rice : A Young American Woman Discovers the Life and Legacy of Her Korean Grandmother -- A young woman's retracing of her grandmother's life
  • House of the Winds (Novel) -- Girlhood vignette's of growing up in Seoul in 1960s
  • One Thousand Chestnut Trees: A Novel of Korea -- A woman's journey to Korea to rediscover her roots
  • Native Speaker (Novel) -- A Korean-American who is the perpetual outsider
  • East to America: Korean American Life Stories -- Diverse series of interviews with Korean-Americans grew out of the editors' reaction to the media portrayal of ``inarticulate aliens'' during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.
  • The Foreign Student: A Novel -- Korean man's experience in 1955 at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
  • The Foreign Student: A Novel -- Korean man's experience in 1955 at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee.
  • The Korean Frontier in America: Immigration to Hawaii, 1896-1910
  • The Ilse: 1st Generation Korean Immigrants in Hawaii, 1903-1973 (Hawaii Studies on Korea)-- A compelling social history of the Korean experience in Hawaii from 1903 to 1973 as seen primarily through the eyes of the ilse.
  • Man Sie: The Making of a Korean American
  • Growing Up Asian American
  • Everything You Need to Know About Asian American History
  • People and Cultures Hawaii -- A Psychocultural Profile
  • Beyond Ke'Eaumoku : Koreans, Nationalism, and Local Culture in Hawai'I (Asian Americans)
  • The Dreams of Two Yi-Min
  • Moonbay -- A collection of 7 short stories previously published in Amerasia Journal, Hawaii Ridge, and other literary magazines, presenting a fascinating gallery of unforgettable characters, set in meticulously crafted stories of war, displacement, discrimination, and reconciliation.
  • Cry Korea Cry -- Mixed reviews on thriller.
  • A Ricepaper Airplane: A Novel (Intersections: Asian and Pacific American -- Dreams of a dying Korean laborer to return to his homeland.
  • The Watcher of Waipuna (Bamboo Ridge, No 55-56) -- Messages of a Korean immigrant in Hawaii.

• LITERATURE
  • Tales of a Korean Grandmother -- Recommended as the first book to read about Korean folklore.
  • Korean Folk and Fairy Tales -- Great tales...that are good reading for kids and adults.
  • The Woodcutter and the Heavenly Maiden Vol1 and the rest of the series -- A series that makes provides English text at the top -- Korean text at the bottom. Aid for teaching English to Korean youngsters.
  • Proverbs, East and West: An Anthology of Chinese, Korean and Japanese Savings With Western Equivalents -- Collection of sayings that are funny and thought-provoking.
  • A Guide to Korean Literature -- A little tedious but many examples of Korean styles
  • Best Loved Poems of Korea -- Selected for Foreigners
  • The Long Season of Rain -- Novel of a woman's plight of unfulfilled dreams. Set in 1960s Seoul.
  • Understanding Korean Literature (New Studies in Asian Culture)
  • Anthology of Korean Literature : From Early Times to the Nineteenth Century (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works) -- A definitive collection
  • Han Sorya and North Korean Literature (Cornell East Asia Series No. 69) -- A A historical look at North Korea literature
  • Silver Stallion : A Novel of Korea -- Novel about Korean War by Ahn Junghyo. Made into a popular movie.
  • White Badge : A Novel of Korea -- A novel about the Vietnam War by Korean soldiers by Ahn Junghyo. Made into a popular movie.
  • The Clan Records: Five Stories of Korea -- Five of Kajiyama's Korean tales, the first English translations from Japanese that deal with Korea under the harsh Japanese military rule.

• KOREAN CULTURE
  • An Introduction to Korean Culture -- Covers many areas of the asian culture and how the Korean people have evolved.
  • Folk Art and Magic: Shamanism in Korea -- A great pictorial book on the Mudang (Shaman) practices in Korea.
  • Korean Shamanism: The Cultural Paradox (Vitality of Indigenous Religions)
  • Korea's cultural roots -- The book is divided into three parts: Shaman Roots, Buddhist Roots, and Neo-Confucian Roots.
  • Korean Impact on Japanese Culture: Japan's Hidden History -- Another great pictorial source of information that attempts to prove the hypothesis that the first emporer of Japan was Korean and other cultural aspects are owed to the Korean Paekje people.
  • Voices from the Straw Mat: Toward an Ethnography of Korean Story Singing (Hawaii Studies on Korea)
• HISTORY

  ---

  Ancient History

  ---

  • The Archaeology of Korea -- Surveys Korean prehistory from the earliest paleolithic settlers, perhaps half a million years ago, through the formation of the Three Kingdoms and on to the creation of United Silla in AD 668, when the peninsula was largely united for the first time.
  • An Introduction to Korean Culture - Covers many areas of the asian culture and how the Korean people have evolved.
  • Korea: Tradition and Transformation: A History of the Korean People -- Great historical reference book that is well-organized and provides insights to Korean life.
  • Traditional Korea: A Cultural History -- A Korean nationalistic re-interpretation of history -- "the study of the total culture of Korean as patterns of interrelated experiences by applying the disciplines of history, literature, art, philosophy, and social sciences." Traces Korean history up to the late Yi-Dynasty.
  • Korea Old and New: A History -- Highly recommended history book
  • Generals and Scholars: Military Rule in Medieval Korea -- History of the Koryo dynasty period.
  • The Confucian Kingship in Korea -- Story of 18th Century King Yongjo, tragic sage king.
  • Confucian Gentlemen and Barbarian Envoys: The Opening of Korea, 1875-1885 -- Two categories in the Korean world-view, Korean Confucianists and barbarians osolates the important decade from 1875 to 1885, when Choson negotiated treaties with Japan, China, Russia, the United States, and France.
  • The Confucian Transformation of Korea: A Study of Society and Ideology (Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series, No 36)
  • The Samurai: A Military History -- Excellent source of information on the 1592-1598 Japanese Invasion of Korea
  • Min Yong-Hwan: A Political Biography (Hawaii Studies on Korea) -- The diplomat and scholar-official Min Yong-hwan (1861-1905), described by one contemporary Western observer as "undoubtably the first Korean after the emperor," is considered to be the foremost patriot of Korea's Taehan era (1897-1910).
  • Sources of Korean Tradition -- Collection of primary readings in the social, intellectual, and religious traditions of Korea from the sixteenth century to the present day.
  • Sourcebook of Korean Civilization -- A compilation of the basic materials necessary to study Korean thought, religion, and culture, for students and general readers, based on the five-volume Korean edition published from 1984 to 1986.
  • The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth Century Korea -- Lady Hyegyong wrote the collected four memoirs in an attempt to weather the storms of political intrigue surrounding her.
  • Korea and Her Neighbours -- Isabella Bird Bishop, an independent British Victorian lady toured Korea four times between March 1894-7.
  • Culture and the State in Late Choson Korea (Harvard East Asian Monographs/Harvard-Hallym Series on Korean Studies, 182) - Investigating the late sixteenth through the nineteenth century, this work looks at the shifting boundaries between the Choson state and the adherents of Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, and popular religions.
  • Offspring of Empire: The Koch'Ang Kims and the Colonial Origins of Korean Capitalism, 1876-1945 (Korean Studies of the Henry M. Jackson School of int - Detailed economic, historical, and biographical polemic about the origins of capitalism in Korea. The author argues, that Japanese "(c)olonialism...for better or worse...was the catalyst and cradle of industrial development in Korea...".
  • God, Mammon and the Japanese: Dr. Horace N. Allen and Korean-Amer Relations 1884-1905 (Multinational Corp Ser)

    ---

    Japanese Occupation

    ---

  • Korea : A Geography Based on the Authors Travels and Literature -- by Hermann Lautensach this book remains a standard Korean reference text
  • For Whom No Labor of Love is Lost; The History of Presbyterian Medical Center "Jesus Hospital" Chonju, Korea, 1898-1990 -- A book that traces the missionary efforts in the Provincial capital of Chollabuk-do, Korea.

    ---

    Contemporary History

    ---

  • Korea and Its Futures : Unification and the Unfinished War -- Hypothesis that Unification to South Koreans is largely perceived not as the integration of different identities but as the southern conquest and assimilation of the north - in short, as winning the war.
  • Korea's Place in the Sun : A Modern History -- A controversial look at Korean history slanted towards revisionist history
  • South Korea's Minjung Movement: The Culture and Politics of Dissidence (Studies from the Center for Korean Studies)
  • Laying Claim to the Memory of May: A Look Back at the 1980 Kwangju Uprising (Hawaii Studies on Korea) -- The Kwangju Uprising--"Korea's Tiananmen"--is one of the most important political events in late twentieth-century Korean history.
  • Kwangju Diary: Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age -- A insider's view that blames the U.S. for its "cowardly" acts. The Korean viewpoint is not necessarily the world view.
    
  • Korean Politics : The Quest for Democratization and Economic Development -- The changes in politics up to Kim Dae-Jung.
  • Education Fever: Society, Politics, and the Pursuit of Schooling in South Korea (Hawaii Studies on Korea) -- Transformation from a nation where a majority of the population had no formal education to one with some of the world's highest rates of literacy, high school graduates, and university students.

• BUSINESS
  • Think No Evil: Korean Values in the Age of Globalization -- Trying to understand the Korean catchword "Globalization" and what it means to the Koreans.
  • Korean Etiquette and Ethics in Business -- An excellent condensed form of business etiquette and ethics. But there have been many changes due to "globalization" in Korea...and the IMF pre-conditions have changed things even more.
  • Doing Business with Korea
  • Passport Korea : Your Pocket Guide to Korean Business, Customs & Etiquette (Passport to the World)
  • Made in Korea : Chung Ju Yung and the Rise of Hyundai -- Story of the founder of Hyundai whose methods would be extreme today, but whose success cannot be denied.
  • Help Wanted: Korea; The Insider's Guide to Working and Living in Prosperous, Exotic South Korea -- Guide for college grads to find a job in Korea...
  • The Culture of Korean Industry : An Ethnography of Poongsan Corporation -- An ethnography of a South Korean metal manufacturer, showing how Korean values, ethics, and other cultural traits such as kinship networks are translated into organizational structure and economic life.

• LIFESTYLES AND MODERN LIFE
  • The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies -- A controversial look at the Koreans by an English correspondent
  • Culture Shock: Korea
  • South Korea Handbook
  • Lonely Planet Seoul: A Planet City Guide (2nd Edition)
  • Chi-Hoon : A Korean Girl -- A week in the life of a 8-year old in Seoul.
  • Class Struggle or Family Struggle? : The Lives of Women Factory Workers in South Korea -- In a male-dominated society, trying to be a traditional mother and a modern wage-earning woman can be a problem.
  • American Images of Korea -- A collection of American impressions of Korea dating from the late 1880s to the present some of which would definitely not be looked upon favorably by Koreans.

• MILITARY
  • OCCUPATION FORCES
  • KOREAN WAR
  • AFTER THE KOREAN WAR
• OUT OF PRINT
  • Korea Patterns -- Exceptional book to add to your Korean library if you can find it.

• Dok Suni: Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen -- Combination of personal narrative and appealing recipes in which Jenny Kwak shares stories and food from her mother's Korean kitchen.
• Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen: A Cookbook -- Part autobiography and part cookbook. Over 175 recipes follow for a wide range of everyday and special-occasion dishes.
• Practical Korean Cooking -- From the beautifully laid out step-by-step pictures to the detailed instructions, this book is far and away the best cookbook for authentic korean cooking. 200 recipes.
• Practical Korean Cooking -- From the beautifully laid out step-by-step pictures to the detailed instructions, this book is far and away the best cookbook for authentic korean cooking. 200 recipes. The Korean Cookbook: Quick & Easy Recipes -- A lot of common-sense ideas for making Korean food, but somewhat hard to follow.
• Korean Kitchen: Classic Recipes from the Land of the Morning Calm -- High marks, but biggest drawback no pictures.

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Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America

Kori: The Beacon Anthology of Korean American Fiction

In the Absence of Sun: A Korean American Woman's Promise to Reunite Three Lost Generations of Her Family

Still Life With Rice : A Young American Woman Discovers the Life and Legacy of Her Korean Grandmother

Native Speaker (Novel)

East to America: Korean American Life Stories

The Foreign Student: A Novel

House of the Winds (Novel)

One Thousand Chestnut Trees: A Novel of Korea

Reviewer: Kalani O'Sullivan: An interesting book that covers how the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Association (HSPA) used fraudulent practices to import the Koreans into America. The Koreans were to be used as the "scabs" to offset the growing Japanese presence and demands for higher wages. The HSPA is definitely NOT the good guy in this tale. Well-documented and informative, it also illustrates the corruption and incompetence in the last Korean king's government...and the desperate poverty of the Korean people at that time. As a side-note, it also highlights the noble work of Protestant missionaries in Korea who helped Koreans to emigrate.

The Ilse: 1st Generation Korean Immigrants in Hawaii, 1903-1973 (Hawaii Studies on Korea)

Growing Up Asian American:

Review: Kalani O'Sullivan: Stories of childhood, adolescense and coming of age in America from the 1800s to the 1990s -- by 32 Asian-American writers. Though an anthology of many authors, the tales are really the trials that ALL immigrants to America faced -- Asian or Hispanic...then or now. "Fourth Grade Ukus (1952)" by Marie Hara tells of life in the old non-standard English schools of Hawaii. It is both illuminating and funny. "Carnival Queen" by Marvis Hara is a poignant story of Japanese-American girls struggling with concepts of American-caucasian beauty standards at McKinley Highschool many years ago.

The heroic tale of Mary Paik Lee (from Quiet Odyssey ) is the tale of a Korean immigrant's struggle to survive at the turn of the century. What sticks in my mind was a statement by the father that though they were suffering in America, the life in Korea was worse. A tale of Korean stoicism, patriotism, family-relationships and all things Korean.

Everything You Need to Know About Asian American History

Price: $11.16
Paperback - 366 pages (August 1996)
Plume; ISBN: 0452273153 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.78 x 7.92 x 5.30

The Dreams of Two Yi-Min

Cry Korea Cry

A Ricepaper Airplane: A Novel (Intersections: Asian and Pacific American

Reviewer: Kalani O'Sullivan: Though the book is "dated" in the sense that the writing style is a little old-fashioned, it is filled with insights into Korean culture. Originally published in 1947, it captures the flavor of Korea folklore and life in the Choson Dynasty. It presents a very good overview of Korean folk tales from the Tangun myth to insights into old customs of Korea. I recommend this book as the FIRST book to read before reading any of the hundreds of Korean folktale books (geared for the young reader) on the market today.

Reviewer: Kalani O'Sullivan: A representative sampling of Korean stories passed down from generation to generation. From these tales one can gain some insights into Korean culture. Nice illustrations help in visualizing the tales...from spooky ghost stories to animal parables. These tales are as well-known to a Korean as Grimm's Fairy Tales are to a Westerner. Well written and very entertaining.

Reviewer: Kalani O'Sullivan: Excellent for teaching English to Korean children. These books have the English at the top of the page and the Korean translation below, with large colorful illustrations on the opposite page. Ideal for teaching English reading skills to Korean students -- especially if you don't speak Korean and can't explain the words. My daughter, whose primary language is Korean, learned to read English using these books. Books in this series seem geared for Korean-American market -- not for Korea. The Korean kids will read the Korean and bypass the English version unless forced to read it in class. Once past the elementary stages, it is of limited value as a teaching aid.

A Guide to Korean Literature

The Long Season of Rain

Understanding Korean Literature (New Studies in Asian Culture)

White Badge : A Novel of Korea

An excellent pictorial guide to Shamanism in Korea. The pictures do most of the talking as no amount of words can explain the intricate ceremonies or elaborate decorations used. Covers everything from the Mudangs (shamans) to Geomancy. A great resource book that is well worth the cost.

Excellent pictorials from an ART HISTORIAN. Though the historical premise may be argued by Japanese historians, the Covells make a pretty convincing pictorial argument. The comparisons of Haniwa pottery with ancient Korean pottery shows distinct similarities. Even if you don't agree with their historical pronouncements, you'll love the photography. From this book you'll learn that many of the present-day Japanese national treasures are really Korean "gifts" from the Paekje Kings. Most historians agree that the spread of Buddhism from Korea to Japan brought with it changes in architecture and art forms.

Ancient History

A fascinating book that covers all the major facets of Korean history. Though some areas are glossed over, the main ideas are well-covered and coherent. Well-written with all the facts organized in an easy to follow manner. I found it an interesting book that I couldn't put down until I had read it cover to cover -- something I seldom do with a history book.(NOTE: Dr. Nahm has a stripped-down version that covers basically the same areas for half the price. However, in places it reads like a tourist manual.)

This Korean history translated into English was first published in 1972. It was edited in 1997 after Professor Joe's death for republication. It covers Korean history up to the late Yi Dynasty. It is an attempt at "the study of the total culture of Korean as patterns of interrelated experiences by applying the disciplines of history, literature, art, philosophy, and social sciences." The concept comes up with "refreshing new perspectives and interpretations"...namely a Korean nationalist reinterpretation of history. Overall, it handles all the facets of the Korean society in an even-handed and factual manner -- except when it comes to the Japanese. It loses its scholarly perspective when dealing with any reference to Japan. For example, on early Japanese contact with the Japanese from Tsushima Island, they are described as "the most recalcitrant, inveterate law-breakers who might take to piracy at next turn. It was they who caused a series of uprisings aalong the southern coastal provinces in 1510, 1541, and 1555." It covers the transfer of culture and knowledge through Korea to Japan as a one-way conduit, but any reference to Japan reveals a historical prejudice. It states, "...they were coming. This time, Japan, having halfway transfored itself into a cocky modern state, took it upon iteself to pry open "the clam shell." Backed by its military forces, the erstwhile "dwarf" nation, now a sophomoric giant of the Far East, was ready by 1875 to apply its own conscience on Korea in reverse." I found these periodic lapses disturbing. However, if read with an open mind, it will fill many holes left uncovered by other books covering the early Korean eras.

Korea Old and New: A History

Though not a book about Korea, it contains the best information I've read on the Japanese campaigns in Korea between 1592-1598. Thank God for Admiral Shin, but it shows how the Korean military leadership was inept. The only Korean general to win a land battle during this invasion was executed by the Koreans themselves!!! Interesting notes on the Japanese methods of battle and the atrocities perpetrated. A good counter-point to the fictionalized versions on Korean TV. Rated as a 5-star book.

The author, stephen.turnbull@virgin.net , June 25, 1998
My first book, now fully revised
Long out of print, The Samurai: A Military History is once again available. I still think this was my best ever book!

A reader from Cambridge, MA, USA , November 9, 1998
An excellent start for learning Japanese history

What I liked about this book was it starts with the Japanese creation myth and seamlessly blends that into the begining of their history. The stories and ancedotes are very interesting reading and his analysis of of their history is enlightening. I've become a big fan of his work because it make the history interesting and enlightening. Highly recomended.

Mshipley88@aol.com from Bremerton, Washington , September 28, 1998
A Must-read for Japanese Military Historians

I checked out this book from the library a decade ago. I have been looking to purchase it ever since. Turnbull covers the length and breadth of Japanese military history, up to the end of the Samurai era in the 1860's. This book has information which is not available elsewhere. Turnbull's book includes maps, battle accounts, political history and other information that makes Samurai history come alive. You will be extremely pleased with the depth and quantity of the information available in this book.

Generals and Scholars: Military Rule in Medieval Korea
by Edward J. Shultz

Price: $27.95
Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: University of Hawaii Press; ISBN: 0824823249; (June 2000)

The Confucian Kingship in Korea
by Jahyun Kim Haboush

Price: $20.00
Paperback: 336 pages ; Publisher: Columbia University Press; ISBN: 0231066570; 0 edition (March 15, 2001)

The Archaeology of Korea

Sources of Korean Tradition

Sourcebook of Korean Civilization

The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyong: The Autobiographical Writings of a Crown Princess of Eighteenth Century Korea

Culture and the State in Late Choson Korea (Harvard East Asian Monographs/Harvard-Hallym Series on Korean Studies, 182)

Japanese Occupation

Korea : A Geography Based on the Authors Travels and Literature
by Hermann Lautensach

Price: $115.00
Hardcover (December 1988)
Springer Verlag; ISBN: 0387191399

Price: $15.96
Paperback - 224 pages (April 1999) Providence House Publishers; ISBN: 1577361393 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.67 x 8.96 x 5.98

Contemporary History

Korea's Place in the Sun : A Modern History

Reviews
Amazon.com
Bruce Cumings traces the growth of Korea from a string of competing walled city-states to its present dual nationhood. He examines the ways in which Korean culture has been influenced by Japan and China, and the ways in which it has subtly influenced its more powerful neighbors. Cumings also considers the recent changes in the South, where authoritarianism is giving way to democracy, and in the North, which Cumings depicts as a "socialist corporatist" state more like a neo-Confucian kingdom than a Stalinist regime. Korea's Place in the Sun does much to help Western readers understand the complexities of Korea's past and present. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The New York Times Book Review, Nicholas D. Kristof
Bruce Cumings is a prickly and provocative historian who is denounced by his critics almost as sharply as he denounces them. The foremost revisionist trying to reshape our understanding of the Korean War, he built his reputation several years ago with a monumental two-volume history of the origins of the conflict ... In Korea's Place in the Sun, written for the general reader, Mr. Cumings ... [offers] an energetic revisionist account of the two Koreas in the years since the war ... His book is important precisely because he marshals considerable evidence to challenge conventional understanding ... Korea's Place in the Sun is passionate, cantankerous and fascinating. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Chalmers Johnson, author of MITI and the Japanese Miracle
Bruce Cumings is America's leading historian and political analyst of contemporary Korea. His new book [conveys] a sophisticated analysis of the Korean Civil War and of South Korea's economic ascent ... He also refocuses attention on Korea as one of the world's distinctive civilizations, not some amalgam of Chinese and Japanese cultures ... This is the single best book anyone today can read on Korea. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

South Korea's Minjung Movement: The Culture and Politics of Dissidence (Studies from the Center for Korean Studies)

Kwangju Diary: Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age

Reviews The publisher, Cornell University Press , February 24, 1999 About Korean Politics: Extraordinary political and economic changes have rocked the Republic of Korea over the past fifty years. John Oh, a Korean-born political scientist, has written a clear and insightful account of government and politics throughout this turbulent period. His chronological and thematic study analyzes both the conflicts between authoritarian forces and populist/democratic elements and the nation's determined efforts to achieve economic growth. In relating Korea's transformation to a democratic society and an industrial state, Oh explains how the country's politics and economy are interrelated. He covers the launching of the first democratic republic, the emergence of military regimes, and the growth of the middle class and the civil society. He also reveals the causes of collusion between political and economic groups which led to corruption, structural anomalies, and economic crises. Korean Politics is the first English-language book to draw on original Korean-language sources including testimonies from the trials of former presidents in its analysis of their military-dominated governments. The book concludes with succinct discussions on the first peaceful transfer of power to an opposition leader, Kim Dae-jung. Timely and authoritative, it is an ideal classroom text and an indispensable reference on contemporary Korea.

Think No Evil: Korean Values in the Age of Globalization

Only if you're interested in how business operates in Korea. A small book that's full of insights into doing business in Korea. It is Korea as it IS -- not how it's advertised. Most Koreans will NOT agree with what is said in this book. However, the opinions here are those expressed IN PRIVATE by most foreign businessmen in Korea. It relies heavily on information from the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM). Korea is a protectionist environment for foreign businesses and getting one's foot in the door is very hard. In the past, Korean laws were stacked against the foreigners, though it appeared on the surface to be fair and open. "Special" laws protected domestic markets. Korea can be a frustrating environment for foreign businessmen due to the "old boys clubs" and business customs. Though the IMF agreements have changed many things, it will be a few more years before any substantive changes occur. Dementhe has recently released an updated version in 1998, but I have not had an opportunity to read it as yet. In the Korean newsgroups, it was lauded by foreigners, but vilified by Koreans. Should be interesting.

Doing Business with Korea

(Global Business series)
Price: $10.36

Practical advice to businessmen. Reprint.
ISBN: 087570434

Passport Korea : Your Pocket Guide to Korean Business, Customs & Etiquette (Passport to the World)

Made in Korea : Chung Ju Yung and the Rise of Hyundai

Help Wanted: Korea; The Insider's Guide to Working and Living in Prosperous, Exotic South Korea

The publisher, Pilot Books , April 10, 1998
More than a hundred years ago, a Midwestern editor advised: "Go west, young man." Today, he'd probably write: "Go east, young man - and woman - to Korea." After reading Pilot Books' HELP WANTED KOREA...The Insider's Guide to Working and Living in Prosperous South Korea," a lot of readers might do exactly that.
South Korea is the hot, new place to earn good money, fast. It's where American college graduates are in great demand, teaching English to Koreans of all ages. Author and long-time South Korea resident Sam Hawley, tells about employment opportunities for the adventurous American in this friendly, foreign land. Hawley knows the ropes there, understands and respects the culture, and enthusiastically shares his experience and knowledge in this fascinating, fact-filled book. It gives readers both the big picture about life in South Korea and full information about the hows and wheres of getting a job, a place to live, where and what to eat, have fun, take care of your finances and anything else a prospective American in Korea will want to know.
Go East young man - or woman - is smart advice for today's (or yesterday's) college grads.

A reader from Korea , September 17, 1998
Excellent! I found a great job because of Mr. Hawley. Mr. Hawley really knows his stuff.

Reviews
Booknews, Inc. , March 1, 1993
An ethnography of a South Korean metal manufacturer, showing how Korean values, ethics, and other cultural traits such as kinship networks are translated into organizational structure and economic life. Confucian in origin, yet distinctly Korean, these values help account for that country's recent economic development. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. As Americans become more conscious of trade competition from Japan, Korea looms large as another source of high-quality goods. What accounts for Korea's ability to compete in foreign markets, and what distinguishes it from its island neighbor? Anthropologist Choong Soon Kim sheds light on this question through an ethnography of Poongsan Corporation, a metals manufacturer in South Korea. Through this single case, Kim shows how Korean values, ethics, and other cultural traits such as kinship networks are translated into organizational structure and economic life. Confucian in origin yet distinctly Korean, these values help account for that country's recent economic development. Kim's study is based on personal observation at Poongsan and on interviews with both labor and management, and also draws on a variety of company documents. During his fieldwork, Kim witnessed a prolonged strike at the company, which lent additional insight into corporate behavior. Despite Korea's adaptation of Japanese models of modernization, distinctive traits of Japanese industry were not found by Kim to be clearly evident at Poongsan. His book thus reveals characteristics of Korean industry that have never before been documented, offering scholars and professionals in a number of fields an opportunity to better understand one of our most important trade partners.

The Koreans: Who They Are, What They Want, Where Their Future Lies

Culture Shock: Korea

(Culture Shock Series)
Price: $10.36
Book Description
You'll never feel intimidated and awkward about the customs and etiquette of another country again. With the insights provided in this CULTURE SHOCK! Guide, you'll learn to see beyond the stereotypes and misinformation that often precede a visit to a foreign land. Whether you plan to stay for a week or for a year, you'll benefit from such topics as understanding the rules of driving and monetary systems, religious practices and making friends. There are tips on political traditions, building business relationships, and the particular intricacies of setting up a home or office. Great for the business traveler, the foreign exchange student, or the tourist who makes a sincere attempt to cross the bridge into a new and exciting culture.

Reading level: Ages 9-12; Paperback - 48 pages Reprint edition (March 1998)
Price: $7.96
Synopsis
"A week in the life of an eight-year-old Korean girl is presented through diary entries, wry third-person narrative, and full-color photographs. Children will delight in this work . . . an exemplar of how this type of book should be done".--starred review, "School Library Journal" . Synopsis
A look at what it means to grow up female in a traditionally male-dominated culture, based on a Korean girl's own diary, follows Chi-Hoon as she attends school, goes to temple, shops at a market, and eats with her family. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

South Korea Handbook

A reader from Sunny Southern California , September 21, 1998
This book was my good friend for one year in Korea...
I took the first edition of this book with me when I went to Korea a few years back. I referred to it often over the course of the year or so that I lived there. I found it to be remarkably thorough, usually quite reliable (one of the yeogwans recommended by the book, a place in Pusan, was not what I'd been led to believe by the wonderful writeup in the book...) and totally useful. I recommend this book enthusiastically, and after paging through the second edition in a competitor's bookstore, found it has been improved upon. A must-have if you're headed to Korea for any length of time.

A reader from Chicago, USA , July 31, 1998
Excellent and Detailed Guidebook
The South Korea Handbook is the best guidebook available for Korea. It's coverage is much more complete than its major competitor, Lonely Planet.

Synopsis Here is essential information for travelers on holiday or on business, with full details on transportation, Seoul restaurants, accommodations and sights, and 60 detailed maps accompanied by English and Korean script. color. 60 maps

satterth@yahoo.com from Florida , August 25, 1999
must have for backpacking in Korea
traveled to Korea in 1994 with previous edition of LP Korea. Some of the prices were off, but one can only expect this with the economic conditions in Korea (or anywhere else). Information on transportation and assessment of restaurants and hotels was accurate. Remember that the book is geared to back packers and you'll do well.

A reader from Georgia, USA , June 1, 1999
A Definite "Must Have" for Anyone Traveling to Korea
Lonely Planet Korea was our "Bible" while living in Korea on my husband's one year tour with the U.S. Army. Without the book, I do not think we would have been able to venture out and see the countryside. The book explained so many things that we would have never known had we not had it to reference to. Most people who are in the Army who go to Korea with the military never get out to see much of Korea, but with this book it shows "how to's" and "where to go's". I would recommend this book for anyone traveling with the military or just on vacation. Our Lonely Planet Korea has worn and torn pages after our one year tour there. I recommend this book to anyone going to Korea. Its well worth the money we spent.

Brendon A. Carr (b.a.carr@usa.net) from Seoul, Korea , September 24, 1998
Best Travel Guide to the Real Korea
Although it tends toward the low-rent travel experience (my parents were horrified by the restaurant recommendation of a Denny's-style Western place on Cheju-do), especially the young backpacker crowd, the Lonely Planet Korea guidebook is by far the best guide to the Hermit Kingdom. For backpack travellers, there is no beating the Lonely Planet camaraderie. Once, while looking for the recommended hostel in Kyongju, my travel companion and I looked down the alleyway only to see two similarly-lost young men (a Magyar and a Japanese) consulting their similarly-dogeared Lonely Planet guidebook. The way these books throw like-minded budget travellers together is the best part of the Lonely Planet experience.
I have lived here for six years on and off since 1990, and whenever I hit the road it's with Lonely Planet in my travel kit.

Reviews
Booknews, Inc. , June 1, 1996
Chronicles the contemporary Korean environmental reality, factors involved in environmental degradation, and the emerging environmental movement, with chapters on the human and environmental costs of industrialization, the history and structure of environmental administration in Korea, environmental law; democratization and internationalization, NGOs; and environmental stability and the prospects for progress. Includes bw photos. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or. --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title

Just my note to this book. I have personally seen the headlong rush to perform "miracles" without any environmental studies or thought of long-term consequences. I remember teaching one professor of Marine Biology who had to leave my class because he had to do an environmental study of the effects of construction to the reclaiming the mudflats. Seemed funny at the time as the project had been underway for two years before the study was called for. The pollution and sad state of the ground water all attest to lack of planning, inadequate controls and poor accountability practices for businesses. Such is life in Korea. -- Kalani O'Sullivan

"The American understanding of the history and culture of the Korean people is surprisingly weak in comparison to our knowledge and understanding of Japanese and Chinese history and society. ... This is a historical survey of how Ameircans have come to learn of Korea and the Korean people since the earliest publications in English dating back to the early 1800s. ... An extensive review of images of Korea drawn from thousands of books, newspapers, magazines, film, and television have been analysed and presented. The results of a survey conducted between 1988 and 1996 of over 2,000 Americans on their images and knowledge of Korea is included in this publication." -- American Images of Korea jacket cover.

I found this book stimulating and thought-provoking. Excerpts from many accounts of history rounded out the facts that I'd already read about. However, the one thing that is certain is that this book will NEVER be a #1 best seller of Koreans. In fact, most Koreans would probably be insulted as many of the things written by foreigners about Korea were highly uncomplimentary. Though the first hand accounts were factual, to modern Korea these accounts would be a slap in the face. However, given the abject poverty of the past and the unspeakable suffering of the Korean people had endured at the hands of foreign powers (and their own Korean leaders), the things foreigners saw in Korea of yesteryear (dating back to the late 1800s) were definitely not conducive to glowing reports.

Koreans love to eat and a meal is the most important event of the day. It is polite to talk as little as possible until the meal is over as Koreans like to savor their food. This cookbook covers just about every popular Korean dish (though the kimchee dish recipes would require another volume altogether.) The recipes in this cookbook are simple enough for anyone to follow, but they appear to be seasoned for Seoul tastes. (Bear in mind that the types and amounts of seasonings vary from province to province.) Thus it is best to season these recipes to suit YOUR taste. First published in 1977, times have changed in Korea. It says that Korean men NEVER cook. Though Korean men traditionally do NOT help out in the kitchen, nowadays a lot of Korean men are good cooks. However, they prefer to keep it a secret.

Dok Suni: Recipes from My Mother's Korean Kitchen
by Jenny Kwak, Liz Fried (Contributor)
Price: $19.25

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Dok Suni is an enchanting combination of personal narrative and appealing recipes in which Jenny Kwak shares stories and food from her mother's Korean kitchen. Since few cooks are familiar with Korean food, it is helpful that Kwak's descriptions of each dish tell what results to expect: Spinach and Clam Soup, you discover, "is good boiling hot (yet) there is a cool sensation about the flavor ... from the clams." The 70 recipes in this volume include important classic Korean dishes. There are six versions of Kim Chi, the incendiary pickle made from cabbage or other vegetables, garlic, and mounds of red pepper. Bibimbop, a dish of sautéed chopped vegetables served over rice--often in a heated clay dish--is topped with a raw egg that cooks as you mix it in. Proving how much Koreans love beef, Kwok gives her mother's recipes for Bulgogi and Kalbi. Bulgogi is thinly sliced beef marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine, then grilled. The short ribs used for Kalbi are similarly marinated before they are barbecued.
A caveat is necessary. Though Dok Suni is coauthored by a native English speaker, select recipes contain some questionable or incomplete directions. For the Pumpkin Porridge, the black beans are cooked for only five minutes, and no presoaking is called for, which seems an inadequate cooking time. Where brown rice is called for, there is no indication whether to use short or long grain. This being said, the book is still an inspirational introduction to Korean cooking that's also filled with Korean folklore and charming family narratives. --Dana Jacobi



Reviewer: Brenda Smith from Hattiesburg, MS USA Best Korean cookbook I've come across., January 19, 2002 My mother has recently begun to share her own recipes with me, and I've found that the recipes in Dok Suni are the closest approximations to hers. I think it's ridiculous to argue that these recipes are somehow not "authentic" because they don't taste like your mother's, or your boyfriend's, or your best girlfriend's. Korean food preparation will vary from family to family, as well it should. The quantities of ingredients are basically right on the nose (yes, that's the right amount of marinade for 1 pound of meat; and if you don't like it, double or triple the recipe--it'll just give you leftover marinade). The recipes are simple, and I am relieved to find a cookbook that makes good food accessible to everyone. Food that is eaten at home SHOULD be easy to prepare: we should not be intimidated by recipes so much that we are afraid to cook. These recipes are about as simple as Korean cooking gets, but in no way are they inauthentic or unsatisfying. Every bite of every recipe I have prepared has instantly transported me to a time when I could only look with wide eyes at the food my mother had prepared for me and hope that one day I would be able to make the same kind of food for myself and for the people whom I love. If you buy no other Korean cookbook, buy this one.

Reviewer: A reader from Boston, MA below my expectations, July 30, 1999 Being korean-american, I guess my expectations were too high. I thought that since, the authors of this book were korean, that this book would help me hone my korean cooking skills. I was very disappointed because there are not that many recipes contained in the book and also many of the techniques used are not traditional. The recipes turned out okay, but they seemed to be lacking something. The ingredient list and techniques used seemed to be simplified so that they would be easier for nonkoreans. However, for someone who is unfamiliar with korean food in general, there are not enough pictures to help them. There are 8 pages of pictures and six of them contain pictures of finished products.

Reviewer: A reader from California, United States A nice compilation of favourite Korean recipes, July 25, 2002 A wonderful book with easy-to-follow recipes! I had attempted about half of the recipes, and they all had been wonderful cooking experiences thus far. A word of caution: if "really" spicy or savoury food is not your cup of tea...tone down the red pepper & coarse salt amounts as indicated in the recipes.

Reviewer: mfisher150 from New York, NY USA Hmmm. I don't think so..., October 4, 2001 Dok Suni is one of my favorite restaurants, so I bought this book to see how to make d'uk boki, my fave rice noodle dish. The recipes are good jumping-off points, but one can't help thinking that ingrediants have been left out of the dish. A more specific sense of direction would have been useful (i.e., what BRAND of red pepper paste is recommended, and is there a difference between different brands).

Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen: A Cookbook
by Hi Sooshin Hepinstall
Price: $20.97

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Korean cuisine is a tantalizing blend of sour, sweet, hot, burning hot, salty, bitter, and nutty, or so writes Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall, author of Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen. Part autobiography and part cookbook, this remarkable work provides a practical introduction to a cuisine Americans have encountered with delight, and a poignant memoir of a time and place in which an average family meal could consist of seven or more dishes, hierarchically served according to gender and family standing (males and grandmas ruled).
Beginning with a scene-setting journey to the author's childhood home, the book then provides a detailed account of relevant ingredients, equipment, techniques, and sauces and pastes (many based on soy beans and red pepper). Over 175 recipes follow for a wide range of everyday and special-occasion dishes, from rice and cereal specialties, including an intriguing fried rice with chicken, mushrooms, and kimchi; to fresh salad and vegetable dishes such as Sautéed Spring Garlic; to barbecued specialties like Fried Beef Ribs; to desserts and confections. A chapter on celebratory dishes, such as the extraordinary, multi-ingredient Celestial Hot Pot, is balanced by a homey section on stews and dishes such as Braised Pork Spareribs. Throughout, Hepinstall offers asides that place the food in its cultural context, variations, and technical information. With an illuminating section on tea and other drinks, the book makes an exciting introduction to a kind of cooking Westerners can now prepare and enjoy at home. --Arthur Boehm



One Of The Rare & Finest Cookbooks You Will Ever Find!, February 17, 2002 Reviewer: J. Janus from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The book, "Growing up in a Korean Kitchen," by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall is without a doubt a treasury of recipes you will never regret making for guests or family.
I believe this one of the firsts Cookbooks on Korean cooking too. You will find it very helpful in cooking all kinds of diverse cuisine for healthy enjoyment with your family and friends. I especially enjoyed the details of each recipe and how she used both English and Korean terms naming the dishes. And the suggestions on preparation or finishing the dishes is what many Cookbooks lack, but not this one.
Whether it is the Kmichi Soup to Seasoned Spinach to the Art of Korean Barbecue, you will find this book very rare indeed to supplement Asian Gastronomy.
What is interesting as well is how many of the recipes were low fat in content and very nourishing and filling. These recipes alone will help anyone with Heart Disease, Diabetes and looking for a healthy diet. Korean cookery uses much cabbage and spicy sauces that add to your need to maintain a true healthy diet that you look forward to eating in large portions without a concern for high calories.
If you want to be different, pride yourself on diversity, and just want to impress your family, friends, and guests, this is the book for you! I hope she becomes a regular Chef on TV as well, it would be great to see her preparing and cooking such fine cuisine. I highly recommend this book without reservation.

No, no, no. No., January 19, 2002 Reviewer: Brenda Smith from Hattiesburg, MS USA I have a couple of questions about this cookbook:
1) Why are the actual Korean names of these dishes not listed in the index? Shouldn't people unfamiliar with Korean food be able to talk to other people about bulgogi and not "fired beef"? Shouldn't people familiar with Korean food be able to look up "japchae" in the index instead of "Sweet Potato Noodles with Meat and Mixed Vegetables"?
2) Why, dear God, WHY is she putting hot peppers in japchae? Or napa cabbage, while we're on the topic of Things That Have No Business in Japchae.
Some of these recipes were so foreign that, if they had not been in a Korean cookbook, I would have been unable to guess that they were Korean. I can only assume that this is the author's European influence, since she spent time in Europe studying cooking techniques. (Would that explain her fondness for walnuts, even in radish kimchi?)
One redeeming quality of this cookbook is its inclusiveness of particularly festive Korean dishes, including desserts. This is something that is typically so lacking from Korean cookbooks that it might seem that Koreans only ate "peasant" food when in fact, Korean ceremonial and party foods are among the most sophisticated in the world.
Another is that the book contains more obscure recipes that people like my mother might perish if they had to do without. One of these is kosari (fernbracken). On a beautiful day in spring, my mother and father might be driving down a highway and my mother will scream, "Stop!" and my father will have to pull over and they will spend the next 45 minutes collecting fernbracken for her to eat. While this type of food is wholly unappealing to most Americans, it is so Korean that it demands a place this type of cookbook.

Great guide to traditional cooking, but needs color pictures, August 22, 2002 Reviewer: c_barron from EAST PALO ALTO, CA United States I'm American but my mother grew up in Korea, and I bought this book hoping it would show me how to cook dishes "like Mom makes". This is definitely the right book for the job. Other Korean cookbooks I've found tend to focus on more recent trends (fusion dishes) and don't include many of the really time-consuming traditional dishes. This book is about as "old-school" as you can get- it even tells you how to make your own soy sauce (get some charcoal and clear-out a couple weeks of your calendar).
Besides the recipes, the book contains many anecdotes and other bits of the author's family history. Besides being interesting in their own regard, they really help you understand why things were done in the traditional way. I've really enjoyed this book, I've made several great dishes thanks to it, and I later gave copies to my brother and my mother as gifts.
Still, I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because the recipes REALLY need color photos or at least clear illustrations of some of the stages of food preparation. The pictures that do appear are small and black-and-white. Traditional Korean cooking places a lot of emphasis on the shape/size/color of ingredients, a point the author acknowledges, which makes me wonder why better photos and illustrations weren't provided. Still, a great cookbook and you really can't find some of these traditional recipes any place else (unless you have a Korean mother or aunt).

Great Book for People Somewhat Familiar With Korean Cooking, June 21, 2002 Reviewer: A reader from CO United States The first word that comes to mind is FINALLY! Finally, there is a Korean cookbook that contains almost every Korean recipe you could ever want. Finally, there is a Korean cookbook that keeps recipes authentic. Finally, there is a a Korean cookbook that I can turn to when my finicky in laws come for dinner! Growing up Korean-American it was hard to get recipes from my mother since as any other Korean-American knows Koreans never measure ingredients! I own at least 5 Korean cookbooks written in English and not one of them can compare to this one in it's comprehensive addition of recipes. There are 164 recipes in this book! In the author's attempt to remain authentic the gamut of recipes runs from the well known to the more obscure for those unfamiliar to Korean cooking. The recipes are fantastic.
This is a book for those who are both serious about Korean cooking and somewhat familiar with the techniqes involved. It is also a great book for those who are looking to fine tune their Korean cooking skills or add onto their repertoire of Korean dishes since after almost every recipe there are suggestions for ways to modify the dish. Just as every individual has a way of personalizing a recipe, the author does the same however, the author's personalization does not detract from the flavor that the dish should have.
I would think that this is not a book for those who are just looking to begin because the book lacks specific technical description of preparation and presentation. It would be difficult for someone who is unfamiliar with Korean food to know what the outcome should look like since pictures of the final product are rare. If you are just starting out or if you prefer detailed step by step pictures and instructions "Practical Korean Cooking" by Noh Chin Hwa is a great book, although not quite as thorough as this one but still authentic.

Reviewer: SCOTT J NIETO from APO, AP USA Great Book, November 25, 2000 I only paid 19 dollars for this book, brand new in a military post exchange?. Why is it 47 dollars here?

Reviewer: A reader The Korean Cooking Bible, September 16, 1999 This is the book that Korean mothers buy for their daughters when they get married!!! It's as close to authentic as you can get.

Reviewer: A reader from Boston, MA the most comprehensive korean cookbook, July 30, 1999 From the beautifully laid out step-by-step pictures to the detailed instructions, this book is far and away the best cookbook for authentic korean cooking. This book contains 200 recipes. The recipes cover the range from side dishes to desserts and beverages. It is appropriate for those looking for popular korean dishes(such as "bulgoki" or "galbi") but also more traditional, authentic recipes(such as "gopchang jungol" as well. Buy this book if you want to experience true korean cooking. Don't buy the other books by this author, however, as I have seen them in bookstores and they are only repeats of what is contained in this book.

Reviewer: Prof. Robert A. Hall (hallra@compuserve.com) from Grafton, New Hampshire Simple easy to use with flavorful results even to the novice, May 9, 1999 Practical Korean Cooking is well worth the investment. Its easy to follow directions, supported by pictures with step by step directions make this one of the easiest Asian cookbooks to use. With its well laid out sections it is easy to plan a traditional Korean meal down to what the table should look like. The handy glossary of terms make it valuable to the seasoned cook or the beginner. A must have cookbook for the eclectic cook.

Korean Kitchen: Classic Recipes from the Land of the Morning Calm

Price: $10.36

Kalani comment: 5 star rating. Reviews compliment it on its clear and friendly written style. Covers most of the basics, though a few left out. In any cookbook, everyone has different opinions of what is "basic Korean fare". But the bottomline is that it's a great cookbook.

Editorial Reviews
Ingram
Written in a clear and friendly style, this comprehensive guide to Korean cooking opens the door for novice and expert alike to the vivid flavors and satisfying conmbinations of the Korean home-cooked meal. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Reviewer: A reader from Kissimmee, Florida A Great Korean Cookbook For All, June 5, 1999 I have purchased many Korean cookbooks and tried countless recipes from those books and The Korean Kitchen is one of the few that live up to it's name. The recipes are truly from a Korean kitchen. The recipes are authentic and wondeful. There are many recipes, from every day food to food for special occasions. A great book for someone that already loves Korean food or for someone just learning to love it. It has easy to follow recipes and a great glossary. There is a great variety of Korean recipes in this book, around 140! The author even includes recipes from the island of Cheju, something you don't usually find. The author includes his own experiences that he had while traveling in Korea which add a delightful feeling of having been on his journey with him. The book deserves four and a half stars. The only thing that could have made the book better would have been pictures of the food to show how beautiful it is.

Reviewer: A reader from Seoul, Korea Ok, but would you make it if you had never seen it?, May 2, 2000 This book does cover many Korean recipes, but it misses a few very common Korean foods (like kimpap, etc.). The titles are also only written in romanized Korean, which may not be the end of the world, but is an annoyance and a hassle at times. The book does have good explanations of certain foods, but does not really impress. No pictures, either

Reviewer: resurgasm from Los Angeles, CA United States First time or experienced, this is a great basic!, June 30, 2002 Unlike the western cooking, most cultural recepies aren't exact. You can't say a teaspoon here or a 1/3 cup there. Great food comes from experience and well, one shoots from the hip.
That being said, I must say how much I love this book. I am a Korean myself, ate Korean food most of my life, but never learned how to cook it. Sure, I regret it, but I seem to have a definate flare with western cuisine more than eastern. Or so I told myself.
On my mother's birthday, I decided to try my hand on cooking Korean for the first time. You can say fear was in the eyes of my family and could see them biting their tongue. My husband purchased this book for me a while back, and though I've cracked it open, I've never cooked anything from it. This was my chance and I seized the oppourtunity. After sitting on the bookshelf for two years, its moment finally came.
I made the bul-go-gie and the chicken casserole (duk-chim). By intuition, I substituted the regular sugar for light brown sugar. (It came out a bit darker but the molasses in the sugar gave it a depth that white sugar would not have given.) Also, a note - it is very important to get the best beef you can from your butcher when making this dish. If you get [poor quality] for beef, you'll essentially get [poor quality] for meal. Anyhow, it came out perfectly and tasty too! The chicken casserole (I cooked it in an oval dutch oven - enamel cast iron from Le Creuset) under low heat and the meat literally fell off the bone and melted in my mouth!!
The final test came when my family ate my creations. Their eyes opened wide and everyone was very impressed that I actually cooked this without help from them! I got wonderful compliments and I knew this book was a total reference guide that shouldn't be shoved in the back of the bookshelf!
It's important to use the best ingredients possible. Having the right equipment is very important too. But the most important thing is to learn to understand which intensity you'd like to enhance and which to tone down as you flavor the foods. No book can teach you what's EXACTLY right in your mouth. Only you can dicipher the complexities of that. Use this book as a guide and you'll enjoy a very successful time cooking Korean food.
p.s. My best friend isn't Korean (though I swear her inner child is) and she's been cooking out of this book from cover to cover and has nothing but praises for it!


Reviewer: Lee, Jee Yeon from Seoul South Korea hmmm...., January 10, 2002 I'm a Korean. Maybe an American sees us like this? Interesting. But I cautiously comment that the two recipes on the sample pages may not make the dish (thou barley tea isn't a dish). Bean sprout soup with rice requires some kind of stock and several other ingrediant, better not to try it. Simply, far-east style rice cooking is not so easy for foriegners...(ask your Japanese/Chinese friends, they will know). And for the barley tea, boil up to 10 minute, or put roasted barley, turn off and wait for 10-15 minute. 2 Ts barley in 5 cups of hot boiling water for 20 min, that makes dark lequid with bitter taste.
For now it seems our real good meals didn't meet Westerners, for what real food that compared with(and defeated by) sandwitch of fastfood restorant is? Koreans are not mere work-worms;) We have restorants and food courts in great number(actually too much) and have many of them disappeared quickly.
ps. If you happened to visit Chonju, Korea, take a taxi and say "Cong, na, mul, guk, pap!" and he will drive you to most up-dated place for the right taste.

(Kalani O'Sullivan note: "Cong na mul guk pap" I assume means beans sprout soup with rice.)

Couldn't locate this book in Amazon, but keep an eye out for it. It's a gem to add to your Korean book collection. It's a treasure house of insights into how Koreans operate...and how you should act in Korea. Though the book is "dated" in the sense that the "exteriors" of Korean society have changed, the individuals in Korea haven't changed that much. They've only modified their behavior. It has been said that if you scratch a Korean businessman in a three-piece suit, you'll find a "yangban" (olden-day aristocrat) underneath. Though many Koreans may NOT agree with some of the remarks, Dr. Crane's observations are based on being born and raised in Pyongyang (pre-WWII), and working as a medical doctor in Chonju Korea into the late-1960s. The advice to foreigners is worth its weight in gold.