book recommendation: Learn about Koreans!

My friends and I are all avid readers and frequently recommend and trade books with each other. One that I've heard a lot about is this book, 'The Koreans'. I'm a ways down on the waiting list for it, so when I saw it on sale at the bookstore while I was shopping in Itaewon yesterday, I went ahead and picked up my own copy. I just finished chapter 3 and so far it's really very fascinating. I recommend you all read it. It gives a lot of great insight in to the Korean people...the history of Korea--politically, geographically, philosophically--that all come in to play in shaping the people of Korea today. Their attitudes, ideals, mannerisms, etc.

So far I've only found two criticisms of the book...it was first published in 1998, and a revised edition came out in 2004. Of course a lot has changed in Korea since 1998. You'd be amazed at how much has changed since then actually. But still, it gives a lot of important information that I am willing to bet most of you have never heard before. The other problem is that it is written by an Englishman, so most cultural comparisons are drawn between Korea and the UK, which doesn't always line up exactly with American, but at least the UK is western so you get the general idea.

Check it out, and let me know what you think.

Here is the link to the book on Amazon