The Koreans: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea

by Michael Breen

Book Overview

The rise of South Korea is one of the most unexpected and inspirational developments of the latter part of our century. A few decades ago, the Koreans were an impoverished, agricultural people. In one... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312242115
• ISBN13: 9780312242114
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Telling it like it is

In a few brief words: Mr. Breen "gets it." I bought three books about Korean culture before I came to live here. This was the last of the three, because, frankly, I was a little put off by the pompous title. But right from the start I could see that he knew his stuff. And now, it's easily my favorite of the three. What makes this book different is its courage. Other books on Korea are too apologetic for some of the less savory aspects of Korean culture. For example, in the other books I read there was far too much "Yes, Koreans do X and X, but you have to understand that it's just differences in culture." Mr. Breen's observations, on the other hand, eschew all of these niceties and cut through to the whys and hows. It's not that he has a negative view of the culture, far from it. It's simply that he tells it like it is. It's also a funny read (for example, the observation that when Koreans have no one to talk to they have a tendency to fall asleep). If there's one criticism, it's that the book is a little to Seoul-centric. There are other places beyond the capital city that are not very well represented. There were times when I was reading when I said "that's not how it is in Busan." Aside from that, it's a keen look into Korean culture. It doesn't necessarily paint a rosy picture, but "The Koreans" is honest and it's a fun read. You will definitely learn a lot about Korea reading this book.

Excellent Account of Korea

I have lived in Korea for three years, and never read anything so vivid and insightful into the Korean society, history and culture. The author explains each point with countless examples to prove his point, in such articulate detail I can't imagine any book which explains Korea better. Michael Breen talks about Korea and the foreigner's love / hate relationship with the country, and how Korea tends regardless to captivate and interest foreigners, which I could directly relate to. In addition he explains the history in a fascinating and colorful chronicle, and gives a vivid description of what exactly has shaped the Korean mind and their attitudes towards outsiders. If someone was interested in Korea, this is the first book I would recommend.

A must for anyone interetsed in Korea

I purchase this book a week before I left Seoul, in June of 1999, after 5 years living and working, for and with the Korean people. As I read the first chapter on the long flight back to my home in Ireland, I immediately knew this book was going to be everything I had hoped it would be and wished I had access to such a book 5 years earlier before I arrived in Seoul. Mr. Breen, like many other authors starts by giving a brief outline of Korea's troubled history and how this history has effected the Korean people. What separates this book from many other books on Korea is Breen's emphasis ,as the title suggests, on how Koreans behave and why they act that way. Breen explains many aspects of modern Korea(really South Korea) culture, which took me 5 years to understand and appreciate. He discusses areas which most foreigners who visit Korea for a short period of time will probably never notice or if they do not fully ubderstand. An example of such an area is the structure of a Korean office and the importance of desk position, chair size etc. etc. Finally, the book is very well written and an easy read. Breen manages to describe Korea and "The Koreans" in a clear and un-pedantic style accessible to everybody. I would recommend this book to anybody who is planning a trip to Korea for either business or pleasure. For any business traveller, I also recommend Mark Cliffords excellent history of Korean industry "The Troubled Tiger".

Tremendous book!

Mr. Breen's book is filled with insights about the Korean people. I recommend this book without any reservation to anyone interested in Korea and the Koreans, and I think that the two groups who will particularly appreciate this wonderful book are foreigners living in Korea, and expatriate Koreans living abroad. As a Korean who has spent quite a number of years abroad(England and Japan), I have always been weary of the many, many aspects of the Korean psyche and character which must seem strange to foreigners, but never quite been able to put a finger on it. This book not only achieves just that in flying colours with a mixture of vivid anecdotes and scrupulous research, but it also sheds some bright light on WHY we Koreans do what we do - be it "good" or "bad" in the eyes of foreigners. I should note that another gem about this book is that the author has sprinkled it with an abundant portion of English humour("English" here in the sense of "English weather"), and while reading some pages, I was rolling on the floor laughing with stitches. Highly, highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Korea.

Insightful

Michael Breen does an outstanding job at both understanding and observing the Koreans. As a Korean myself, it was very interesting to read the perspectives of a foreigner. He also points out some of our cultural and social aspects that , as Koreans, we never think about. Breen overall shows a large repertoire of Korean knowledge, and I would recommend this book to anyone trying to get an insight on Koreans or Korean culture.