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The Soul of Korean Architecture
In this book, the reader is taken on a journey through centuries of tradition, innovation, and cultural significance. From the ancient hanok houses to the modern skyscrapers that now dot the skyline, the impact of Korean architecture on society and culture is undeniable. Drawing on influences from Confucianism, Buddhism, and Chinese architecture, this book delves deep into the roots of Korean design principles and techniques.
With a keen eye on the future, the discussion extends to the preservation and restoration efforts of Korean architectural treasures, as well as the evolving trends and innovations shaping the landscape of modern Korean architecture. Through the expertly crafted narrative, readers are invited to explore the rich cultural and symbolic meanings embedded in every architectural detail, from the use of color and materials to the intricate motifs and decorations that adorn Korean structures.
As we reflect on the profound significance of Korean architecture, this book serves as a vital resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of this timeless art form. A must-read for architecture enthusiasts, cultural scholars, and anyone interested in the transformative power of design.
With a keen eye on the future, the discussion extends to the preservation and restoration efforts of Korean architectural treasures, as well as the evolving trends and innovations shaping the landscape of modern Korean architecture. Through the expertly crafted narrative, readers are invited to explore the rich cultural and symbolic meanings embedded in every architectural detail, from the use of color and materials to the intricate motifs and decorations that adorn Korean structures.
As we reflect on the profound significance of Korean architecture, this book serves as a vital resource for those seeking a deeper understanding of the past, present, and future of this timeless art form. A must-read for architecture enthusiasts, cultural scholars, and anyone interested in the transformative power of design.
172 pages, Hardcover
Published March 28, 2024
2 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Maher Asaad Baker
73 books53 followersMaher Asaad Baker ( in Arabic: ماهر أسعد بكر ).
Syrian Author, Journalist, and Musician, he was born in Damascus in 1977.
He grew up with a dream of being one of the most well-known artists in the world, and he has been working hard to achieve it ever since.
He started his career in 1997 when he was only 20 years old. He had a passion for technology and media, and he taught himself how to develop applications and websites. He also explored various types of media-creating paths, such as music production, graphic design, video editing, animation, and filmmaking. He was not satisfied with just being a consumer of media; he wanted to be a creator of media.
Music was one of his main outlets of expression. He loved music for its ability to connect people across cultures, languages, and backgrounds. He loved music for its ability to evoke emotions, feelings, and moods. He loved music for its ability to inspire, motivate, and uplift. He made music that mixed emotions so that everyone could relate to it. He made music that was diverse and eclectic, incorporating elements of hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, jazz, classical, and more. He made music that was original and authentic, reflecting his own personality and experiences. He made music that was self-produced, self-mixed, self-mastered, self-engineered, self-written, and self-performed. He was a one-man band.
Reading was another source of inspiration for him. He was always surrounded by books as a child, thanks to his father’s extensive library. He read books from different genres, topics, and perspectives. He read books for knowledge, for wisdom, for entertainment, for enlightenment. Reading stimulated his imagination and curiosity. Reading also developed his writing skills.
He did not start writing professionally until later in his life, as he was busy with other projects and pursuits. But when he did start writing, he proved himself to be a talented and prolific writer. He wrote articles for various newspapers and magazines on topics such as politics, culture, society, art, technology, and more. He wrote books that were informative and insightful. He wrote books that were creative and captivating. He wrote books that were best-selling and award-winning.
He is most known for his book “How I wrote a million Wikipedia articles”, where he shares his experience of being one of the most prolific contributors to the online encyclopedia. He reveals his methods, techniques, strategies, and secrets of writing high-quality articles on any subject in record time. He also discusses the benefits and challenges of being a Wikipedia editor in the age of information overload.
He is also known for his novel “Becoming the man”, where he tells the story of a young man who goes through a series of transformations in his life. The novel explores themes such as identity, masculinity, self-discovery, love, loss, and redemption. The novel is based on his own personal journey of becoming who he is today.
Maher Asaad Baker is an example of someone who has followed his dream with passion, dedication, and excellence. He is someone who has used his talents, skills, and creativity to make a positive impact on the world. He is someone who has overcome adversity, hardship, and tragedy to achieve success, happiness, and fulfillment. He is someone who has lived a beautiful life and made his beautiful dream come true.
Syrian Author, Journalist, and Musician, he was born in Damascus in 1977.
He grew up with a dream of being one of the most well-known artists in the world, and he has been working hard to achieve it ever since.
He started his career in 1997 when he was only 20 years old. He had a passion for technology and media, and he taught himself how to develop applications and websites. He also explored various types of media-creating paths, such as music production, graphic design, video editing, animation, and filmmaking. He was not satisfied with just being a consumer of media; he wanted to be a creator of media.
Music was one of his main outlets of expression. He loved music for its ability to connect people across cultures, languages, and backgrounds. He loved music for its ability to evoke emotions, feelings, and moods. He loved music for its ability to inspire, motivate, and uplift. He made music that mixed emotions so that everyone could relate to it. He made music that was diverse and eclectic, incorporating elements of hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock, jazz, classical, and more. He made music that was original and authentic, reflecting his own personality and experiences. He made music that was self-produced, self-mixed, self-mastered, self-engineered, self-written, and self-performed. He was a one-man band.
Reading was another source of inspiration for him. He was always surrounded by books as a child, thanks to his father’s extensive library. He read books from different genres, topics, and perspectives. He read books for knowledge, for wisdom, for entertainment, for enlightenment. Reading stimulated his imagination and curiosity. Reading also developed his writing skills.
He did not start writing professionally until later in his life, as he was busy with other projects and pursuits. But when he did start writing, he proved himself to be a talented and prolific writer. He wrote articles for various newspapers and magazines on topics such as politics, culture, society, art, technology, and more. He wrote books that were informative and insightful. He wrote books that were creative and captivating. He wrote books that were best-selling and award-winning.
He is most known for his book “How I wrote a million Wikipedia articles”, where he shares his experience of being one of the most prolific contributors to the online encyclopedia. He reveals his methods, techniques, strategies, and secrets of writing high-quality articles on any subject in record time. He also discusses the benefits and challenges of being a Wikipedia editor in the age of information overload.
He is also known for his novel “Becoming the man”, where he tells the story of a young man who goes through a series of transformations in his life. The novel explores themes such as identity, masculinity, self-discovery, love, loss, and redemption. The novel is based on his own personal journey of becoming who he is today.
Maher Asaad Baker is an example of someone who has followed his dream with passion, dedication, and excellence. He is someone who has used his talents, skills, and creativity to make a positive impact on the world. He is someone who has overcome adversity, hardship, and tragedy to achieve success, happiness, and fulfillment. He is someone who has lived a beautiful life and made his beautiful dream come true.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 24, 2025
Before reading the book I didn't check the Goodreads reviews, all of which are fake 5 star reviews, written from fake accounts (the fact that the majority, if not all, of those "reviewers" have exactly the same books they are reading and read and zero friends, speaks volumes). "The Soul of Korean Architecture", written by Maher Asaad Baker, Fuad Al-Qrize and Asem Al-Wasli, none of whom has background in architecture, is so badly written it should never be published.
Already after a few pages I got the impression the book was written by AI. It's a slim book, yet the lack of substance and superficiality are shocking. The level of information is lower than a wikipedia entry on Korean architecture offers, and the style is as dry and generic as information captions at a random museum exhibition. Through the whole book I think only three names of Korean architects are mentioned, and as I googled them, one proved to be impossible to find. I could also not find a couple of architectural projects mentioned in the book on the internet. Did the "authors" invent them? There is no bibliography whatsoever, no footnotes, no photos, no quotes of any architect or a person who would have any idea about Korean culture or/and architecture. The book contains only superficial, very repetitive paragraphs describing architectural style in general, never going into details, never giving much historical (beyond the bare minimum), socio-political or economic context.
If the authors genuinely exist and spent time writing this book - which I doubt (however the internet shows they wrote other books, Al -Wasli on architecture of Scotland and Portugal and Asaad Baker on anything from AI in education to Egyptian cinema, meditation, Japanese folklore, Viking legends and a study of Brazilian music, seriously!) - I honestly do not think they have ever been to South Korea or have read much about the country. I am absolutely convinced this book was written by AI.
Already after a few pages I got the impression the book was written by AI. It's a slim book, yet the lack of substance and superficiality are shocking. The level of information is lower than a wikipedia entry on Korean architecture offers, and the style is as dry and generic as information captions at a random museum exhibition. Through the whole book I think only three names of Korean architects are mentioned, and as I googled them, one proved to be impossible to find. I could also not find a couple of architectural projects mentioned in the book on the internet. Did the "authors" invent them? There is no bibliography whatsoever, no footnotes, no photos, no quotes of any architect or a person who would have any idea about Korean culture or/and architecture. The book contains only superficial, very repetitive paragraphs describing architectural style in general, never going into details, never giving much historical (beyond the bare minimum), socio-political or economic context.
If the authors genuinely exist and spent time writing this book - which I doubt (however the internet shows they wrote other books, Al -Wasli on architecture of Scotland and Portugal and Asaad Baker on anything from AI in education to Egyptian cinema, meditation, Japanese folklore, Viking legends and a study of Brazilian music, seriously!) - I honestly do not think they have ever been to South Korea or have read much about the country. I am absolutely convinced this book was written by AI.
January 1, 2026
Bardzo fajne, ale bardzo mi brakowało jakiś zdjęć bo nie wiem jak to wygląda
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews