Customer Reviews

NTC's Dictionary of Korea's Business and Cultural Code Words

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I checked this book out from the library and thought it was so good I had to buy it, as I have with De Mente's other three "code words" and "... have a word for it" books.

This book has 231 entries, each one a (usually) one or two page essay on a cultural topic or keyword or idiom covering some aspect of Korean culture. Examples include paternalism, Confucianism, Korean business practices, and history. He does a very good job of picking a key topic and explaining its historical significance and how it relates to Korean culture.

No, the book isn't perfect. Consider it a "first approximation", i.e. if you know nothing about Korean culture this book is a good place to start but don't expect to use it to research your doctoral dissertation on Korean culture. My Korean girlfriend disagrees with his description of a few things but overall the book made her laugh because of its accuracy and examples.

No, the book isn't for "bigots" (c.f. other person's comments). It always amazes me that many of the same people who complain that Americans don't understand other cultures whip out "bigot" and "racist" when a person tries. Every discussion of culture, by its very nature, is an approximation based on group behavior and stereotypes. You have to start somewhere.

The book is well written, entertaining, and educational. If you know nothing about Korea this is the place to start. The book assumes no prior knowledge of anything Korean. De Mente has 50 years of experience in Asia and it shows. Excellent book!

"Perverted Biggot's Guide for the Narrow-Minded" would have been a more apt title for this book. Inaccuracies abound, not just in the cultural "insights", but also the pronunciation for dozens of words are incorrectly romanized. Even one star is too high a rating.

There is a wealth of useful information here. This book has helped me to better understand the Korean culture. The explanations seem complete. I knew about many of the ideas before reading them here. The book accurately describes the ideas I am familiar with and gives me confidence that those I am not familiar with are also accurate.