As this issue of 10 Magazine goes to print, we should be in the middle of another hot and humid Korean summer–an excellent time to stay indoors and read (when you’re not at one of the water parks we reviewed). This month we offer our “Summer Blockbuster Sequel” issue, which offers recommendations for follow-up works to some of the books we read last year.

The Girl Who Played With Fire
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest
Stieg Larsson
The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest follow the blockbuster The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The new books feature the same hero and heroine: crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist and prickly female hacker Lisbeth Salander. Fire re-unites the two, who were separated at the end of the first book. As Blomkvist investigates sex trafficking in Sweden, Lisbeth, interested in summary judgment and not investigation, is charged with multiple homicides. She goes underground and Blomkvist successfully chases her down, only to find she is shockingly involved. Hornet’s Nest is not as tightly written as its predecessors, which themselves have a distracting tendency toward long lists and over-precise descriptions. Even so, it brings the trilogy to a neatly tied-up end, which might seem unlikely, given all the plot-threads that Larsson spins.
The Girl Who Played With Fire: paperback 503 pages, W9,590
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest: hardcover 576 pages, W28,510

Dead in the Family
Charlaine Harris
Fans of Dead Until Dark have been blessed in the past few years as Harris has pumped out ten volumes of Dead books, the latest being Dead in the Family. Heroine Sookie Stackhouse’s love life is finally going well, but everyone else’s life is, at least figuratively, going to hell. This latest chapter in the Dead series is a bit slower-paced than previous outings and at times seems cobbled together. Plot lines are introduced and not always concluded, and this means that by the end of the book the reader might well ask where the big payoff was. While this book will be a must for fans, a reader who has not religiously followed Harris’s Dead series might be better off reading a previous effort such as the classic, and classically titled, From Dead to Worse. hardcover, 311 pages, W26,470

The Associate
John Grisham
The Associate, which followed 2008’s The Appeal, is not precisely a sequel but as Janet Maslin of the New York Times notes, “Mr. Grisham so often writes similar books that the same things must be said of them.” Perfectly suited to the beach, The Associate features a “ripped from the headlines” story. Protagonist Kyle McAvoy, a good man with a secret that threatens to derail his life, is drawn into a web of deceit and betrayal. Grisham is typically deft in his portrayal of the ins and outs of corporate law, and his view of the legal world as a snake pit is admirably drawn. The one exception is that he occasionally slides into narrative judgment of Bennie, the bad guy that seems a bit too obvious.
paperback, 434 pages, W11,990

This month, the theme of our reviews is fantasy.
So hop on your unicorn and follow us as we read.

Boneshaker
Cherie Priest     
Boneshaker was a name for the original bicycle, and Cherie Priest, in her book of the same title, not only takes us on a ride, but also manages to rattle things around. Featuring one of the classic steampunk tropes, the airship, Priest also manages to work in industrial accidents on an epic scale, maternal love, and that most essential literary ingredient, the zombie! In an extremely alternate reality, Civil War-era miners unleash a hideous shuddering catastrophe. Some of the character names had me shaking my head: Leviticus Blue, Lucy O’Gunning, Briar Wilkes? Still, the pace is ferocious and the story well told. At Boneshaker’s heart lies a rather conventional and reassuring story of mother-son love, and the story is told from their alternating perspectives. Just when you think you might have your hands on the wheel of this novel, it twists off the road at its conclusion, and it is a stunning feat. If you like science fiction, steampunk, alternate histories, or just plain well-written work, this is one to pick up. 416 pages, W19,190

Glenn Beck’s Common Sense
Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck’s Common Sense is common, but utterly without sense. Lifting its title from the classic by Thomas Paine (A bit like David Duke making a home movie and calling it Citizen Kane), Beck’s book attempts to place Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt into bed with Karl Marx and then informs the stunned reader (stunned, that is, if the reader graduated high-school) that this unlikely troika’s shared ideology was why the Japanese were interned in concentration camps in World War II. Logical leaps here are of Cirque De Soleil acrobatic level and only loosely tied together by a hatred of “intellectuals,” by which Beck seems to mean people he disagrees with, or who went to colleges that Beck’s SAT scores denied him. Keep this one in mind next time you need a gag gift.
174 pages,  W14,390

Burning Lamp
Amanda Quick
Returning to something resembling reality, we have Burning Lamp. Matching a criminal on the verge of madness with a crusading young woman and her lamp, this is the second novel of the Dreamlight Series from bestselling author Quick. It pairs crime lord Griffin Winters (those names again), a man with an empire and a hereditary curse, with the orphaned and magically adept Adelaide Pyne. Adelaide possesses a magic lamp, the only artifact that can save Winters from madness. Other forces, even more nefarious, are also at work, and Winters and Pyne are forced into a partnership that is substantially enhanced by their mutual attraction. Fast-paced and adroitly plotted, the story is sometimes predictable, but overall quite good. 352 pages, W26,470

The Last Song
Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song won the Goodreads Choice Award for Chick Lit (2009) and is now a terrible movie starring Miley Cyrus. This should give a pretty good triangulation on the book, which its publishers describe as “compelling family drama and a heartrending tale of young love.” Veronica “Ronnie” Miller is 17, and when her mother sends her, with her brother Jonah, to spend the summer with her estranged father, she is unhappy. The story is a slow telling of their reunion, spiced up by an imbalanced teen love-triangle and Ronnie’s experience with true love, true tragedy, and pretty much every other over-amped emotion that teens can generate. The plot seems obvious at times and the characters contrived. Still, Sparks has decent heartstring-pulling skills, and The Last Song will leave you damp-eyed and sniffling if it doesn’t seem corny and manipulative. You know who you are and what you will buy. 413 pages, W17,990

Shanghai Girls
Lisa See

The story begins with two Chinese sisters in love with “all things foreign, from the Westernization of [their] names to the love of movies, bacon, and cheese.” Unfortunately, the sisters are forced to move to California. In order to make good on gambling debts, their father sells them to two Chinese men in America. Thus begins a two-decade rollercoaster ride replete with rape, murder, penury, and betrayal. As a reader would expect, it is the bonds of sisterhood that keep the sisters together and, ultimately, help them get through. The writing is very occasionally creaky and a reader should be aware that the story ends without complete resolution. It seems fairly obvious that a sequel is coming. The bond of the sisters, the historical background, and the range of experiences portrayed in Shanghai Girls, however, make it a book with appeal beyond the chick lit genre. 336 pages; $10.20 on Amazon, but coming to Korea shortly.

The Bum Magnet
K.L. Brady

Much chick lit focuses on chipper (if put-upon) 20-something white women overcoming the dastardly deeds of equally white men. Which is why it is a pleasure to recommend The Bum Magnet, as it focuses on Charisse Tyson, an African-American heroine. In some ways Charisse comes with the normal chick lit accoutrement—a great job, a snazzy car, and an upscale love pad. But she is also a size-14 sex symbol dating primarily black men. As the book begins, Charisse is told that “a good man is like Santa Claus, believing in him feels real good until you find out he doesn’t really exist.” For the rest of the book, Charisse, after reading a self-help article, haltingly attempts to sort her love life out, a process that is confused by the amusing range of untrustworthy men she meets. If you want your chick lit with snappy dialogue and solid laughs, this is the right book. 292 pages, $12.78 only on Amazon

by Charles Montgomery

Korea Through Western Eyes
Robert D. Neff and Sunghwa Cheong
Korea, once known as “the Hermit Kingdom,” was late to accept visitors from the West. Robert Neff and Sungwha Cheong’s Korea Through Western Eyes is an interesting mosaic account (the book collects a series of articles) of what it was like to be one of those early Westerners. Beginning in the late 1880s with colorful and ultimately hapless pioneers like Paul Mollendorf, the authors trace a two-decade path that ends in 1905 as Japanese colonialization descends upon the nation.
The mosaic nature of the book is a strength; you read it all in one sitting or episodically and enjoy it either way. Many stories in this book will strongly resonate with the modern experience of Korea—in some ways, this book demonstrates that the more Korea changes, the more it remains the same. Neff and Cheong also include a variety of interesting black and white photos, which amplify the articles. 434 pages, W25,000 (paperback)

The Cleanest Race
B. R. Meyers
North Korea may be the most widely misunderstood nation in the world. Brian Myers takes a valiant stab at reducing that misunderstanding in The Cleanest Race. Arguing that North Korea is not communist and does not believe its official ideology (juche, or “self-reliance”), Myers contends that the way to understand North Korea is as a country built on myths of racial purity and history.
Basing much of his argument on North Korean propaganda, Myers comes to unusual conclusions—Kim Jong Il is consciously presented as maternal—and explanatory conclusions—an ideology based on internal purity and the “dirtiness” of foreigners means that North Korea cannot give up its fight with the US. It is not always easy to judge Myer’s claims. But even if some are wrong, Myers does a great service by creating a different lens through which we can look at North Korea. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in North Korea and its relations with South Korea, the United States, and the world. 200 pages, W25,450 (hardcover)

Who Ate Up All the Shinga?
Park Wan-suh; translated by Yu Young-nan and Stephen Epstein
Who Ate Up All The Shinga? is an autobiographical novel by South Korean literary treasure, Park Wan-suh. A loose re-telling of Park’s early childhood, it is also an amusing mother-daughter story and the tale of the author’s development in the harsh environment of post-WWII Korea. Park’s mother is a classic literary character—two-faced, something of a conniver, but resolutely committed to her family’s success. Park veers between love for, disappointment with, and sometimes sheer incredulity at her mother’s antics. In the hands of a lesser author this book could have veered towards Oprah-land or descended into the maudlin. Park, thankfully, is a master of telling family tales (many of her short stories are equally brilliant), and this is a novel with broad appeal. 264 pages, W35,280 (hardcover)

A Reliable Wife
Robert Goolrick
In the early 20th century, Ralph Truitt, a successful businessman, waits at a train platform hoping to meet the “reliable wife” for whom he has advertised. What Truitt gets is something more complicated. His first shock is that the “simple, honest woman” he expected is in fact quite attractive. More surprises await, and not least for the reader, as author Robert Goolrick leads us through the tangled plot. Goolrick writes in a spare but affecting way–each word is chosen for meaning. Goolrick’s characters are also wonderfully drawn–they are complex and nuanced, each hiding a history waiting to be revealed. Three characters contend, and as the book winds down they are inevitably forced back towards each other and to a surprising but unavoidable endgame. The film rights to A Reliable Wife have already been purchased by Columbia, so we can also look forward to seeing this work in the cinema soon. 320 pages, W19,190

Pirate Latitudes
Michael Crichton
When Michael Crichton died he left two works behind, one of which is Pirate Latitudes. The adventure begins in 1665 in “a miserable, over-crowded, cutthroat-infested town” in Jamaica. Once the first few pages of expository setup are past, the plot begins to spin. Charles Hunter, the scandalous but sexy hero, assembles a Mission Impossible-like team of pirates and leads them on a seek-and-destroy mission. Crichton is sometimes overly dramatic: the island to which the pirates journey is Matanceros, or “slaughter” in Spanish, the villain chokes his victims to death with their own testicles, and a transvestite pirate is also a flasher. Crichton also peppers his text with history and technical explanations, but these go down quite easily. If you’re looking for a literary booty-call, you’ll want to read this before everyone is talking about the movie, which Steven Spielberg has already signed on to produce. 312 pages, W28,550

What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures
Malcolm Gladwell
Rejoice, all you Big Thinkers! Malcolm Gladwell (Blink, Outliers) is back with What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures. The book contains three sections. The first discusses major obsessives and minor geniuses; the second, flawed ways of thinking, and the third, human predictive powers. Gladwell explores odd questions that, once asked, may cause readers to ask themselves, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Gladwell wonders, for instance, why there are so many mustards, but only one kind of ketchup. He follows unusual theories and unknown histories by taking a notion, personalizing it by example, explaining how conventional wisdom fails to explain the example, and then pursuing the idea to its conclusion. Sometimes Gladwell seems a bit adrift by the time he reaches his conclusions, but the process is always entertaining. Potential buyers should be aware that none of the content here is new: these articles have all previously been published in The New Yorker.
410 pages, W28,550

One drawback of living or traveling in Korea is the difficulty of finding books in English. Good bookstores are rare, and if you only know one or two, you are unlikely to find the range of books you would like. Many of us also enjoy browsing in used bookstores. Luckily, there ARE good English bookstores in Korea; you just have to know where and how to find them.

Bookstores come in three flavors. First there are the chains, relatively easy to find through web searches. Second are mid-sized stores catering primarily to English readers; these are a bit harder to find, but many expats know where they are. More difficult to find, but fun when you do, are the small used bookstores that dot traditional markets in Korean cities. These, you find at the expense of shoe leather.

Let’s take a look at these by category.

MAJOR CHAINS

Seoul

Books from the bestseller lists, books that have been or are about to be turned into major motion pictures, and classic literature are all available at any large chain including Kyobo, Youngpoong, or Bandi and Luni’s.  Look for sections called English, Foreign, or even 諼措檣 (“waegugin,” foreigner).  In Seoul there is a cluster of chains in the Jongno-gu area. Kyobo Book Centre, Korea’s largest bookstore, stocks about 2,300,000 books and on weekends draws over 120,000 customers. For a truly surreal/jam-packed experience, visit Kyobo or Youngpoong the day before Christmas or any other gift-giving occasion. If you frequent chains, get a membership card, which offers various benefits.

Other Cities

Daejeon boasts a Kyobo downtown and a Gyeryeong Books in Eunhaeng-dong. Gwangju has pretty slim pickings; there is only a Youngpoong and the Chungjang Bookstore.  Chungjang, described using the classic Korean direction-giving technique as “right by the Starbucks,” has some classics, bestsellers from a couple months ago, and books about Korea and the Korean language.  Busan has two Youngpoongs and one Kyobo, Daegu has two Youngpoongs and two Kyobos. Ulsan, Masan, Pohang and Gumi each have one Youngpoong. For more specific directions consult the Youngpoong and Kyobo websites.

MID-SIZED STORES

The Foreign Bookstore, Itaewon, Seoul

Independent bookstores dedicated to the English reader are rarer.  There are two excellent stores in Itaewon, What the Book and the Itaewon Foreign Bookstore. What the Book is in Itaewon but is happy to ship books to wherever you may be in Korea. It has a solid selection of new books, a range of used books, and a stellar magazine section. You can browse What the Book online, using its excellent website and search function. The Itaewon Foreign Bookstore is an old-fashioned used bookstore. It features row upon row of books on shelves, which slide to reveal more shelves behind. In both stores, used books are expensive. If you are going to buy something currently in print, it makes more sense to purchase it new.

North of the chain bookstores, across from Gyeongbokgung Palace, is Seoul Selection, a smallish store focused on Korea and Korean culture. It sells new and used books, DVDs, and music CDs as well as hosting literary events. Seoul Selection, also the publisher of Seoul Magazine, has wireless internet, seats and tables, and a computer for customer use. As lagniappe, the clerks give away a packet of postcards with book sales. Seoul Selection has an excellent website with a great search function.

In Daegu, the newly opened Buy the Book is a café that also sells used books. Buy the Book features international lunch, a clean spacious eating/reading space, and two walls covered in bookshelves of used books. Daegu Books is an online purveyor of used books, which has only been in business a short while, but has managed to build a stock of nearly 500 books.

Many smaller bookstores have selections of English books. If you walk in university neighborhoods you can find these. Start with large, reputable universities, universities known for art or literature, and then work your way to smaller, less well-known ones. Hongik University, in Seoul, for instance, is surrounded by a sprinkling of bookstores selling English books.

SMALLER SHOPS

For bibliophiles, part of the fun of buying a book is finding it. For this, you need to be a bit intrepid. Many medium and larger sized public markets have a row of bookshops with books tied together in stacks by colored ribbons. Most books are Korean, but English books can be found, and if you like the thrill of the chase, this is where to find it. In Seoul, to the right across the Cheonggyecheon Stream from Dongdaemun Gate, is a row of little bookstores. They may look a bit out of place amidst the fashion outlets, but many of them have books in English, and the Waegook Bookstore is completely dedicated to English books. In the Jung-Ang market in Daejeon, within easy walking distance of Daejeon’s KTX station, there are street-side bookstores with vast rooms full of books stored in the buildings behind them.

These semi-traditional markets are in every major city in Korea and worth an afternoon’s walk, as they often reveal unexpected treasures. And when you manage to find a small store with English books? Make friends with the owner, because if you are a repeat customer, they will start squirreling books away for you.

So get out there and get reading!

Top 10 Bookstore in Korea

1. What the Book Seoul – New books, used books, a brilliant ordering system and helpful staff that speak English well. Its website is in English and extremely easy to use. Itaewon St. (line 6, ex. 3), behind the Itaewon Fire Station and up the hill on the left. whatthebook.com
2. The Foreign Bookstore Seoul –Small, cramped, but stuffed with books, this is the place to go to find an array of used titles spanning science fiction, humor, and psychology. It also carries used magazines and some tapes. Noksapyeong St. (line 6, ex. 2), across the street
3. Seoul Selection Seoul – If your focus is on Korean literature or literature about Korea, this is your bookstore. B1 Korean Publishers Association B/D 105-2, Sagan-dong, Chongro-gu, Seoul. seoulselection.com, 02-734-9565
4. Kyobo Books – So many stores and so many books (and so little time)! kyobobook.co.kr, 10magazine.asia/2037/kyobo-bookstore-locations (The Kyobo website is entirely in Korean, but the 10 team has added a handy resource to its website to help you find the one nearest you. Don’t forget that you can buy 10 Magazine at any Kyobo.)
5. Youngpoong –Youngpoong has stores scattered throughout Korea and offers a more relaxed vibe than Kyobo.  ypbooks.co.kr (The store locator is at the bottom of the main page. It’s in Korean but is easy to navigate.)
6-7. Daegu Books and Buy the Book Daegu – These shops offer a new idea to book-shopping in Korea. Daegu Books will ship to anywhere in Korea for a small fee, and has rock-bottom prices on used books. Buy the Book has space, food and an artsy attitude to share.
Daegu Books: daegubooks.com
Buy the Book: 18-11 4th floor, Samdeok 1 ga-dong, Jung-gu.
buythebookcafe@yahoo.com, 010-8522-1833 on weekdays, 0708-632-1833 on weekends
8. Waegook Bookstore Seoul – Lots of used books, and other bookstores on both sides.
Stall 27 in Dongdaemun Market

9. Chungjang Bookstore Gwangju – Not the biggest or the best, but if you live in Jeolla, you don’t have a lot of options. Chungjang Seolim 35 Geumnamno 2 ga, Dong-gu (Near the Starbucks!) 062-227-1932
10. Yeongchang Bookstore Daejeon –  A bit tricky to find at the east side of Jungang Market. But it stands for ALL the small bookstores waiting for you to find them! 042-226-1096

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

Muriel Barbery

Sometimes you want to sit down at a café with a Gauloise, a cup of espresso and a book. You open the book and your plans change – you pour your coffee on the book, stub the cigarette out in the sodden mess and order a whiskey, possibly two. The Elegance of the Hedgehog is that kind of book. Alternately precious and pretentious, it features a solipsistic hotel concierge and a precocious (annoying) composite of Holden Caulfield and Harold from Harold and Maude, placed in the body of a 12 year-old girl. These characters share a loathing of their social superiors, at the same time carefully cultivating their own sense of superiority. Written by French philosopher-novelist Muriel Barbery, this book has the lightness and airy wit often characteristic of philosophy and the deep thoughts and bon mots one associates with popular novels. You might need a third whiskey. 325 pages, W18,000

Living Dangerously in Korea

Donald N. Clark

Here is a book to keep you happily in your café, drinking coffee and smoking that cigarette. Clark has turned an unknown and potentially dry slice of history into an intriguing account of the experiences of the handful of Westerners (primarily Protestant missionaries) who lived in Korea in the first 50 years of the 20th century. While this book is of interest to students of Korean history, it is to Clark’s credit that a reader with no knowledge of Korea or its history will also find it entertaining. Clark weaves personal histories with an abundance of historical documents that illuminate those dramatic times, essentially the period of Japanese colonization of Korea. These missionaries were the sole Western “eyes and ears” in Korea during this era (with the exception of World War II when Japan expelled them), and their stories, played out against the broader historical background, make compelling reading. 455 pages, W30,000

Just After Sunset: Stories

Stephen King

What can you say about Stephen King? The Energizer Bunny of literature, he just keeps on going and going. Just After Sunset is his first collection of short stories in six years, and it delivers just what you expect but with the advantage of brevity, for which King is seldom noted in his novels. The stories range from gross-outs (imagine a porta-potty as a birth canal) through pulp, to nearly philosophical ruminations. A devoted reader of King might have seen many of these stories—at least one dates back 30 years and many others have been published in magazines—but the convenience of having them in one volume, and the quality of the stories, makes this book a good purchase for a fan of the horror genre or of general fiction. In addition, the book includes King’s brief descriptions of the inspiration for each story, insights that fans might find interesting. 367 pages, W28,560

So you wanna go to Kyobo Books to pick up your copy of 10 Magazine?

First of all, unless you’re a Korean language whiz, don’t even bother with the website. It’s hard enough to navigate even when you can read the language.

Take a look at the list below of all the Kyobos that carry 10 Magazine (16, count ‘em!) Unfortunately for you readers out there in Ulsan, Gwangju, Jeju, and Daejeon, there aren’t any Kyobos to go to. Fortunately, the Korean postal service is here for you, and a simple subscription will satisfy your 10 Magazine needs all year round (get started by mailing us at subscribe@10magazine.asia).

Seoul

Gangnam
Sinnonhyeon St. (line 7, ex. 6) 1544-1900

Gwanghwamun
Please note that the Gwanghwamun Kyobo will be closed for renovation through the end of September.
Gwanghwamun St. (line 5, ex. 4) 02-397-0641
This is the biggest and baddest Kyobo, so bring it on if you think you can handle the sheer power of the pages.

2010.1.27 | 지도 크게 보기 © NHN Corp.

Jamsil
Jamsil St. (line 2 and 8, ex. 7) 02-2140-8800

Mokdong
Omogkyo St. (line 5, ex. 2), 02-2062-8801

Yeongdeungpo
2nd floor of the Times Square Multiplex near Yeongdeungpo St. (line 1, ex. 3). 02-2678-3501

Gyeonggi Province

Anyang
Anyang St. (line 1, ex. 1), 031-466-3501

Bucheon
Bucheon St. (line 1, ex. 5), 032-663-3501

Bundang (Seongnam)
Seohyeon St. (Bundang line, ex. 3), 031-776-8000

Incheon
Arts Center St. (Incheon line 1, ex. 6), 032-455-1000

Seongnam
Taepyeong St. (Bundang line, ex. 3), 031-752-1323

Chungcheong Province

Cheonan
Cheonan Bus Terminal, 041-558-3501

Gyeongsang Province

Busan
Beomnaegol St. (line 1, ex. 8 ) 051-806-3501

Centum City (Busan)
Centum City St. (line 2, ex. 4), 051-731-3601

Changwon
Near the Lotte Department next to City Hall. 055-284-3501

Daegu
Jungangno St. (line 1, ex. 2) 053-425-3501

Jeonju
Downtown between Megabox and Primus Theaters. 063-288-3700

*Stumped? Here’s a list of English-friendly establishments that carry 10 Magazine.

January 1st. The annual bout of lying we call “resolutions.” Resolutions to get fit, earn more and become better. By February we’re sucking down beers in paper bags and hollering at random strangers. Still, for one glorious month we pretend change is possible. 10 Magazine presents: self-help books!

Money

We want to be as rich as Croesus although only 10% of us know who Croesus was. Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness promises to show us the way out of our single-wide trailers. Sadly, Ramsey favors common sense and work: “work hard, pay what you owe and stay out of debt.” If we could do that we wouldn’t have debt! Ramsey provides tracking tools, but the book’s strength is as a motivator. Ramsey talks truth about the work it takes to eliminate debt.

Family Life

Blending Families: A Guide for Parents, Stepparents, and Everyone Building a Successful New Family by Elaine Shimberg is not a revolutionary approach to cocktails. Many families in second marriages face challenges – emotional, financial, disciplinary, and personal. This book offers solutions and real-life tales of families who have survived the adjustment.  I think I saw this on “The Brady Bunch,” but don’t remember due to my…

Alcoholism

It’s difficult to discuss alcoholism with the kind of hangover I’m sporting. Twelve-step programs are the traditional approach to drying out, but Dr. Roy Eskapa’s The Cure for Alcoholism: Drink Your Way Sober Without Willpower, Abstinence or Discomfort promises to “cure” alcoholism without the need to stop drinking.  The program includes pharmaceutical drugs, and time will tell if it works. For now? I’ll cure my drinking problem with another drink.

Diet

Inside every fat person is a skinny one waiting to escape, along with maybe even another skinny person and possibly two fighting bulldogs. That’s why we look like we do. Amazon’s favorite diet book is The Beck Diet Solution: Train Your Brain to Think Like a Thin Person. Author Dr. Judith Beck, an authority in Cognitive Therapy, has created a six-week plan to help people stick with diets and keep weight off.

Emotional Healing

Gloria Arenson’s Five Simple Steps to Emotional Healing: The Last Self-Help Book You Will Ever Need can’t achieve its claims, or no self-help book publisher would publish it. The author practices Meridian Therapy, allowing people to decrease their levels of stress by tapping on eight spots on their bodies to alleviate anxiety, trauma, compulsive behaviors and other difficulties. At least one of those tappable spots leads us to…

Getting Ahead of Yourself

Coping With Premature Ejaculation: How to Overcome PE, Please Your Partner and Have Great Sex. I don’t have a joke, just the desire to turn out the lights and weep myself to sleep. Two of America’s best sex therapists (Michael Metz and Barry McCarthy) offer men and partners the most effective solutions available to overcome erectile dysfunction. I began reading this book but quickly stopped, so that I could research…

Procrastination

Next month.

Happy New Year’s to all 10 Magazine readers!

I hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring ting tingling too!

It’s either a concussion or a hangover.

With December here, it’s time to focus on Boxing Day (or Christmas, perhaps), and that means many of us will be looking for gifts to give to people we barely know.

Here are some suggestions from the bookstore:

Got a Basketball Jones, or a friend who has it? There is no better present than Bill Simmons’ The Book of Basketball.  Simmons, ESPN’s “Sports Guy,” was born with “Spalding” printed on his forehead. This book covers everything basketball: who was better, Russell or Chamberlain; which team is the best of all time; what is wrong with the NBA Hall of Fame; and even what the box-score from the movie Teen Wolf must have looked like. It’s a solid selection for any sports fan.

Do you know a nerd (this is not a first line stolen from Dr. Seuss!)? If you do, Guinness World Records 2010 might be an appropriate gift. The highest, the fastest, the longest and shortest, it’s all here. A great present for people who hang around bars betting for drinks or the Jeopardy set in Hollywood.

Need to let someone know you think they are smart? Any book by Malcolm Gladwell is a safe bet. His three books are The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, and Outliers: The Story of Success, all of which were number one New York Times bestsellers.

If there is a child from ages eight to twelve on your list, Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3: The Last Straw is the answer. The book opens at New Year’s with Greg, the narrator, noting, “It’s not easy for me to think of ways to improve myself, because I’m already pretty much one of the best people I know.” A combination of diary entries and drawings, this is a book aimed at children, but entertaining enough for adults.

Conspiracy theorists will adjust their aluminum-lined hats and retreat to their mother’s basement with a bucket of Cheetos™ and a 40 oz Pepsi™, if you give them either The Bilderberg Conspiracy by Paul Jeffers or the semi-eponymously named The David Icke Guide to the Global Conspiracy: And How to End It.  Be afraid. Be very afraid!

If you’re in Korea, you know someone who loves Korean fiction. Korean modern fiction has moved far beyond stories of war and betrayal. Give a copy of Young-ha Kim’s I Have the Right to Destroy Myself, an existentialist meditation on life, death, and the meaning of art in the interim.

You know some young punk who believes reading is stupid but graffiti and skateboarding rule? Fool him with the graphic novel V FOR VENDETTA. Sure, the future sucks, but anarchists can topple the oppressive and totalitarian government of the United Kingdom! It’s up to you to help a misguided youth read.

Books, they aren’t just for burning anymore.

NOTE: Each and every one of these precious tomes can be found at Amazon or ordered from What the Book in Itaewon.

whatthebook.com, 02-797-2342