■ The Dignity of Thought (by Thurid Munthe, published by 21st Century Books)
As conflicts over politics and religion, generations and gender deepen, people grow convinced that their own views are the product of reasoned judgment while their opponents' stem from prejudice and ignorance. Before deciding which ideas are right or wrong, the author asks a prior question: why did we come to think the way we do? The book traces how human thoughts and beliefs take shape, drawing on climatology, geography, psychology, history, evolutionary genetics and cultural anthropology. Rather than showing how to erase differences, it shows how to live alongside them. 28,000 won.
■ Everyday Utopia (by Kristen R. Ghodsee, published by Saram-in)
The author, a prominent American ethnographer, closely examines the pioneering communities and social movements that have appeared over more than 2,000 years of human history, from antiquity onward, and the mark they left on their times. Against the view that utopias are unrealistic, she argues that utopianism has been a persistent current running through history in many different forms. The book is especially notable for exploring how such ideas might be applied or adapted today across housing, family, child-rearing, education and the economy. 26,000 won.
■ Baekbeom Ilji (by Kim Ku, published by Dolbegae)
Baekbeom Ilji, published in 1947, is a classic of our era. Dolbegae released an annotated edition in 1997, the 50th anniversary of the memoir's publication, and a definitive edition in 2016, marking the 140th anniversary of Kim Ku's birth. This revised and expanded edition rewrites the early modern Korean prose of the definitive edition into more accessible contemporary language, within limits that preserve the flavor of the original, and trims the annotations that introduced the source text. It also includes more than 80 photographs and maps that heighten the sense of place, and reorganizes the chapter divisions and titles. 19,000 won.
■ Yeonin geurigo Siring (The Lover and Siring, by Lee Cheol-hoon, published by Purple)
There is a man called "Big Head," mocked for an unusually large head and unremarkable looks. As a child he was a slight, insignificant figure whom others ridiculed as an idiot. But as a series of events — stocks, romance, the mystery of his birth — shakes his consciousness, that sealed awareness slowly begins to awaken. Written by a former accountant, this fantasy novel portrays a philosophy of life and freedom in the age of artificial intelligence. It argues that other perspectives are needed to view modern society and the value of life more broadly and flexibly. 30,000 won.
