Why Psychology Books?

Ancient Futures: Lessons from Ladakh for a Globalizing World is written by HelenaNorberg-Hodge, a Swedish linguist and environmental activist. Ancient Futureshas been a steady seller in South Korea over the years, to the extent that Korea hasrecently seen the publication of Ancient Futures for Children.The book raises important questions about the whole notion of progress andhuman peace and happiness by examining the development of Ladakh, the westernHimalayan land known as “Little Tibet.” The epigraph to the chapter titled “Doctorsand Shamans” states: “Illness is caused by a lack of understanding.” Norberg-Hodgeobserves that in traditional Ladakhi society there are very few signs of neurosis.In the modern city, however, there are many cases of people seeking medical help,simply because they are not understood.A lack of understanding, fierce competition, and sudden societal changes canthrow people into confusion. People simply cannot improve their lives at the samerate of IT development. Despite technological advances and social change, it remainsdifficult for people to constantly adapt to the new world, and people’s sense ofbewilderment and alienation will only grow as the world becomes more modernized.If past literatures have brought comfort and opportunities for reflection, nowin the third millennium, psychology books offer understanding and healing. Theyare geared towards every age group from young to old, covering a diverse range ofsubjects from cultural and educational psychology to behavioral economics.30-Year-Olds Ask Psychology sheds light on the deprivation of the generation affectedby the 1997 IMF crisis. Psychology of the Men in Their 40s not only helps middle-agemen overcome a midlife crisis, but also outlines the way to success. Other culturalpsychology books, such as Charming People Are Different by 1% and Frame, areimmensely popular as well.As the number of young, self-absorbed people who are inexperienced withcreating meaningful relationships increases, we are also seeing a rise in the popularityof psychology books on relationships and dating. Like this, fields of psychology areceaselessly expanding to include books on every subject, such as child psychologyand developmental psychology.In this issue, we’ve tried to address the boom in psychology books that issweeping across not only Korea, but also the rest of the modern world. To thosewho are plagued by a lack of compassion and understanding, it is our hope thatpsychology books may bring greater help and more comfort than an antidepressantpill. 

By Han Mihwa (editorial board member)