Off the Shelf

The Koreans
By Michael Breen
(Orion Business Books; 287 pages)

A former Korea correspondent for the Guardian and the London Times, Michael Breen has spent 15 years living among--and trying to figure out--Koreans. He's still not entirely sure what makes them tick, but as his engaging book shows, the effort to find out makes for a fascinating journey. And an ambitious one. He aims to bridge the gap between Koreans and the world, and among Koreans themselves. "They ascribe to collective values and yet are probably the most individualistic of all east Asians," he writes. His observations on how business is transacted--Koreans, he says, are more impressed by foreigners' tough negotiating skills than with bowing expertise--may be useful to business travelers. First-time visitors may prefer the 1998 Insight Guide to Korea, which Breen co-edited, for a more general overview of the country. But for a compassionate yet critical perspective on its people, this is the book.

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