When you go to a bookstore or library, you will be at a crossroads where you can choose something good to read from a large range of books. It's difficult to know which book will impress you, provide the information you need, or arouse your interest until you read it. At this point, you should make a decision considering various criteria. You can get information about books from their titles, authors, and publishers. Also, you can be attracted by the pictures on the covers, thickness, size, and so on. Let's find out some ways to choose a good book by asking some Sookmyungians.
1. <Trust My Instinct!>
(Cho Jaein, Chinese Language & Literature '21)
My way of choosing a book is very simple. There are two major steps. The first step is, "Is this book related to a field that I'm interested in?" When I go to a bookstore or library, books which are related to China catch my eye first because my major is Chinese language and literature. The second one is to look at a book cover and see how pretty it is. It seems a little ridiculous, but I have bought a book simply because I liked the pretty cover. I selected the book Chinese History on the Table by those standards. On the cover of the book, the scenery of China is depicted on the rice bowl. It was interesting that the scenery looks like food when I look at it from a distance. Therefore, the book I chose based on these standards was satisfying for its explanation of Chinese historical figures or events related to Chinese food. I feel very rewarded when choosing a book and reading it through this process because I rarely enjoy reading books. However, I am trying to read more various genres of books so as not to be biased toward one field.
2. <View from My Insight>
(Lee Suyeon, Computer Science '21)
I have some criteria for choosing a good book. The first is to look at the publisher considering publishers can serve as a primary filter. In particular, foreign classic novels are greatly influenced by translation. However, I consider how famous the publishers are more than the translations because the copyright has expired and anyone can publish them. The second is to choose another work by an author who I have already enjoyed reading. This is because the author's own perspective, emotions, and pattern of organization are likely to be similar with other books. These criteria will be close to my taste in books. Finally, I read recommended books. Refer to the popular books from your age group or according to your situation. Also, I can get a recommendation from acquaintances who know my taste. However, before you reflect on these three ways, make sure you check if you want to read the book. No matter how good a book is, it's useless if you don't open it.
