“I’m delighted to be able to introduce my book to fellow plant parents across the anglophone world. In 2025, we need the wisdom of each and every individual in our communities, now more than ever. During this time, I hope that the stories of plants – their concentrated wisdom unfolding according to the laws of … [Read More]
Booklist: Religion and ideas
When We Look at Each Other [forthcoming]
An ode to the realities of aging, this is an honest but tender look at the challenges of caring for a relative with dementia, of how our role within the family unit evolves, and a celebration of spending precious time with those we love. Written in warm and reflective prose, it explores the author’s relationship … [Read More]
Unruly Rites: Christianity, Ritual Politics, and the Making of Religious Difference in Modern Korea, 1884-1945 [forthcoming]
When Western missionaries first introduced Protestant Christianity to Korea in 1884, Korean converts adopted beliefs and practices that defied prevailing Confucian norms, including distinct faith-based rituals. By the turn of the twentieth century, during the final years of the Chosŏn dynasty, competing cultural and religious viewpoints started to roil Korean society with frenzied—even life-and-death—controversies over … [Read More]
So What If I Love My Single Life [forthcoming]
So What If I Love My Single Life by YouTuber Seen Aromi, who has captivated 400,000 readers, covers everything you need to live alone successfully. If you want to live a fulfilling day all by yourself, this book is a must-read. When you say you want to live alone, you often hear nagging from people … [Read More]
Korean Buddhism: Selected Readings from Primary Texts
This book presents the first comprehensive introduction to Korean Buddhism through twenty-five key primary texts spanning the seventh to twenty-first centuries. All have been expertly translated by leading scholars in the field. The volume introduction provides an overview of major themes that illuminates the diverse sources that follow. The texts, each prefaced by a brief … [Read More]
The Psychology of Luck: Korean Secrets for Attracting Wealth and Success
Praised as a book that ‘brings you luck the moment you open it’, this book contains lessons on how to understand – and use – the psychology of luck. Why are successful people so obsessed with luck? Because they want to draw things of value to them. The average person will experience at least a … [Read More]
Korean Messiah: Kim Il Sung and the Christian Roots of North Korea’s Personality Cult
A landmark history of North Korea, told through the rise of the Kim dynasty and its surprising ties to American Christianity—a spectacular, penetrating account of a world like no other North Korea. The Hermit Kingdom. For nearly eight decades, it has marched defiantly to its own beat, shaking off its Soviet and Chinese sponsors to … [Read More]
A Theory of Happiness: Lessons from a 100 year old Korean Philosopher
What does real happiness look like? How can we find true purpose, meaning and connection in our finite time on Earth? 105-year-old Professor Kim reveals key aspects of ancient Korean philosophy and shares stories from over a century of living to help us live better. Showing us how to lean into the world with more … [Read More]
Martyr of Blood, Martyr of Sweat: The Letters of Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon and Venerable Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop
Korea is remarkable as the only country on earth where the Catholic faith emerged even before the arrival of missionaries. Forming an improvised community of believers, the first Korean Catholics desperately desired priests to say the Mass and administer the sacraments. Saint Andrew Kim Dae-geon (1821-1846) and Venerable Father Thomas Choe Yang-eop (1821-1861) were the … [Read More]
The First Protestant Martyr in Korea from Wales: The Life and Ministry of Robert Jermain Thomas
The First Protestant Martyr in Korea from Wales: The Life and Ministry of Robert Jermain Thomas explores the life and legacy of Robert Jermain Thomas, a Welsh missionary who played a pivotal role in the early Korean church. Despite facing historical misunderstandings and political distortions — especially during Japanese colonial rule and Cold War tensions … [Read More]
The Invention of a Language of Emptiness: The “Chojang chungga-ŭi,” the Earliest Korean Exposition of Buddhism
This volume is the first annotated translation in any language of the “Chojang chungga-ŭi” (The Meaning of the “Middle” and the “Provisional” in the “First Stanza”), a little-known text that yielded considerable influence on early East Asian Buddhism. It corresponds to the first chapter of the Taesŭng saron hyŏnŭi ki (Notes on the Four Treatises[, belonging to … [Read More]
It’s Okay Not to Get Along with Everyone
RSVPing yes to an event even though you don’t want to go; feeling drained responding to text messages; networking with colleagues that you can’t stand. You need to hear that it’s okay not to get along with everyone. We live in an era of constant communication and obligation – messages, calls, meet-ups, events – and … [Read More]
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books
From the internationally bestselling author of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop comes a warm and reflective collection of essays about reading, language and life. Why do we read? What is it that we hope to take away from the intimate, personal experience of reading for pleasure? Rarely do we ask these profound, expansive questions of ourselves and … [Read More]
Korean New Religions
Korea has an unusually diverse religious culture. In the north, Juche, which has taken on religious overtones, monopolizes articulations of beliefs and values as well as ritual practice. In the south, no single religion dominates, with over half saying that they have no specific religious affiliation. The remainder report being Protestant, Buddhist, and Catholic. Smaller … [Read More]
The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing
A charming ode to the lost art of connecting through the handwritten letter, from the owner of the beloved Seoul stationery shop Geulwoll Juhee Moon once doubted whether handwritten letters had a place in our ultra-fast-paced world, but the runaway success of her stationery shop Geulwoll, established in 2019, quickly became known as a tranquil … [Read More]
The Self-Esteem Class: Simple Lessons for a Lifetime of Contentment
The Self-Esteem Class teaches us about the influence of self-esteem on our lives and provides practical guidance for building the strongest image of yourself. This book will help anyone who would like to attain higher self-esteem but doesn’t know how to overcome the obstacles they face, as well as help recover the self-esteem of people who … [Read More]