I, Steve

Edited by George Beahm; Sam and Parkers: 252 pp., 14,000 won

Steve Jobs is gone, but his legacy including his well-known and oft quoted remarks will last long after his 56 years of life.

George Beahm, an American non-fiction author, compiled scores of Jobs’ insights, including the famous Stanford commencement address for a book titled “I, Steve.”

“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition,” says the late IT guru.

A 1997 interview with The New York Times magazine explains how Jobs met his wife Lauren and provides his legions of fans with a glimpse of the hidden character of the computer genius.

“If this is my last night on Earth, would I rather spend it at a business meeting or with this woman? I ran across the parking lot, asked if she’d have dinner with me. She said yes, we walked into town, and we’ve been together ever since.”

The book is worth reading if you are someone who wants to know more deeply about Jobs ― not only about his career, but also his private life and internal world.

― Kim Jae-won

Insight on Beautiful Values

Park Won-soon; Wisdom House: 319 pp., 13,000 won

The unified opposition candidate, Park Won-soon, for Oct. 26’s Seoul mayoral by-election compiled 25 values in this book that he thinks are the most important to make our society a better place.

Some values, including justice, imagination, and humbleness described by the author, are too simple, as he said “even a five-year-old child is aware of them.” Park then throws the question: “How much effort do we put to make those values exist and be applied in our life?”

He writes about cases based on his experience as a human rights lawyer, how he and other civil activists achieved their ideals, and at the same time, brought benefits to ordinary people.

The book tries to be practical by listing a number of ways through which the people can fulfill such goals. This is especially to inspire the “880,000-won Generation,” a popular coinage that refers to low-paid, non-regular workers who earn about 880,000 won (net pay) a month, a new lost generation in Korea.

- Yi Whan-woo

Toward Tomorrow on Trains

Kwon Da-hyun; Terra: 400 pp., 16,500 won

A small country with an intricate train system, Korea is ideal for traveling on trains.

"Toward Tomorrow on Trains" is a timely guide for those planning a short autumn getaway to the countryside and provinces.

One of the best features about the book is that it comes with a separate map showing all parts of the country connected by train lines. Looking at the map, an ardent traveler may get an urge to eventually experience all the 16 major train lines, including the Seoul-Busan Gyeongbu Line, to travel across the country.

The book is divided into five parts. The first is a very useful introduction, particularly for those under 25, for acquiring cheaper train passes and other tips for budget traveling on trains.

It also introduces cheap and pleasant accommodations near train stations nationwide.

The book also contains the author’s suggestions for the compacts routes to experience the nature, history, arts, food, leisure activities of major tourist sites in two or three days.

The author uses great pictures and maps throughout the book for an effective visual guide.

- Do Je-hae

Steve J & Yoni P's Design Studio

Steve J and Yoni P; Bookhouse: 260 pp., 13,800 won

Two of the hottest designers in Korea, Steve J & Yoni P have published a book covering their career in design from the beginning of ambitious dreams to current collections sweeping London and Seoul.

The designers are easily recognizable with their unique appearance _ a mustache and long hair for Steve and yellow hair and thick eyeliner for Yoni. They are also known for their funky fashion style.

The book tells the story of studying in London, making their way to Topshop and presenting their collection in London Fashion Week.

Full of interesting illustrations, photos and portfolios of the two designers, the book offers hints on where they draw their inspiration from and how they conceptualize their philosophy. Pages are of photos from the runway and backstage from F/W 2007, S/S 2008, S/S 2009 and S/S 2010 collections that were also chosen by the pair of artist to best represent their image.

_ Kwon Mee-yoo