Людина з Сеула

by Frank Ahrens

Запаморочливі блискучі хмарочоси, магазини з різними різнощами, нескінченний потік автомобілів, люди, мов з глянцевих журналів… Важко уявити, що лише якихось півстоліття тому Південна Корея була однією з найбідніших країн світу без промисловості та майже без електрики, де навіть рис і каналізація вважалися розкішшю. Сьогодні ж це держава майбутнього. Про корейське економічне диво чули всі, та що насправді ми знаємо про Країну ранкової свіжості? Побачити її зсередини, зрозуміти, завдяки чому вона досягла приголомшливих результатів, а також зазирнути за лаштунки величезної транснаціональної корпорації пропонує у своїй книжці Френк Аренс — журналіст провідної американської газети Washington Post, який докорінно змінив своє життя і світогляд затятого холостяка, одружившись із дипломаткою та обійнявши ключову посаду в корейському автобудівельному гіганті Hyundai.

Книжка Френка Аренса «Людина з Сеула» була названа кращою книжкою 2016 року за версією New York Post.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Business, Biography, Asia, Collections, Autobiography

418 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 2016

Reviews

[Christa Van · Rating 2 out of 5]

Frank Ahrens was a happy journalist bachelor when love struck. In the span of a few months, he got married, changed jobs and moved across the world to Seoul, Korea. That is a LOT of change. This memoir talks a lot about his new job in the P.R. department of Hyundai motors and the differences in culture between Korea and the United States. Frank had always been a journalist so P.R., the auto industry and corporate life were new to him as was Korea. Some of the insights into the Korean rise to a formidable economic power are excellent. Stories about the auto industry and Hyundai's goals to move up to a more respected position in the industry were also interesting. Korea is a country that has undergone a lot of change in a generation. Frank's personal stories of his life in Korea and the shelter given to the normal ex-pat struggles by living on a U. S. military base are insightful. At some point, however, this book seems to veer off into the personal story about how fatherhood makes you grow up (even at 49) and begins to focus on the importance of Christian belief in the author's life. That is all fine but is not mentioned in any of the marketing of this book. I think the book suffered from a lack of focus or maybe I'm just not amazed to hear that having a child changes your life when I thought I was reading about cars and culture.

[Lamia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tytuł książki daje trochę mylne wrażenie o jej treści. Lepszy by był: Dzieje Franka Ahrensa pracującego dla Hyundaia w Korei Płd.

Ostatnie ok. 100 stron przewertowałam, bo nie opowiadały zupełnie o Koreańczykach w pułapce doskonałości, a o Ahrensie i jego rodzinie w pułapce łapania wielu srok za ogon.

[colagatji · Rating 2 out of 5]

Człowiekowi, który wpadł na pomysł wydania tej książki pod takim specyficznym i bardzo mylącym tytułem należy się złota gwiazda złola roku. Bo nie jest to książka o koreańczykach per se, a pamiętnik najbielszego, najamerkaniejszego, bucowatego, stereotypowego amerykanina jakiego można sobie wyobrazić, jego 3 latach życia w Seoulu i pracy w Hyundaiu na co wskazuje oryginalny tytuł: "Seoul Man: A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity Inside a Korean Corporate Titan".

Mamy tu 3 główne wątki wokół których snuje się cała opowieść.

1 to praca w koreańskiej korporacji i życie w konfucjańskim społeczeństwie, opowiedziane z punktu widzenia człowieka, który dostał angaż w jednej z największych koreańskich firm nie wiedząc zupełnie nic ani o histori korei ani obyczajach itp itd. aka typowy amerykanin na koreańskiej ziemi i gafa za gafą wynikające z całkowitej niemożliwości autora przystosowania się do reguł jakie rządzą w koreańskich firmach. Wszystko było by nawet śmiechowe gdyby nie ten upór w ignorowaniu zasad oraz typowo amerykańskie przekonanie, że jego sposób myślenia wypracowany jeszcze w stanach jest tym najlepszym, najskuteczniejszym, jedynym odpowiednim do wszystkiego i to wszyscy inni powinni się do niego dostosowa nawet po 2 latach od podjęcia zatrudnienia.

2 to wątek rodziny jego "najpiękniejszej, najzdolniejszej, najmilszej, zjawiskowej" żony wtakany co pewnien czas żeby przypomnieć wszystkim jaka ona cudowana. W załączeniu dochodzi jeszcze kwestia wiary autora i tego jak usilnie stara się ją propagować pomiędzy kolejnymi akapitami. Na koniec raczy nas jeszcze "cudem poczęcia" czyli narodzinami "córeczki" i jak bardzo "tatuś" ją kocha i jakim jest ona dla niego cudem...... (jezus maria miałam ochotę wyłupac sobie oczy ostrym szpikulcem przez ostatnie 40 stron jego pierdolenia o tym jak ważna jest dla niego żoneczka i córusia i czemu ma wszystko inne (w tym firmę, która wiecznie szła mu na rękę i ciężko pracujących kolegów, których sytuacje rodzinne były jeszcze bardziej skomplikowane) ma w dupie.

na szczęście sytuacje ratuje (przed całkowitym moim załamaniem) 3, najciekawszy wątek czyli historia ostatniego dziesięciolecia mozolnego sukcesu hyundaia w branży motoryzacyjnej, którą można porównać wprost do histori brzydkiego kaczątka. Było to tak dobrze i fascynująco napisane, że aż mam ochotę kupic sobie nowego Hyundaia chociaż nie posiadam prawa jazdy.

Niestety wszystkie wątki są tak ściśle ze sobą powiązane, że nie da się pomiędzy nimi przeskakiwać , co z początku tylko irytuje, lecz już pod koniec wkurwia na poważnie i skłania do myślenia czy warto było poświęcić tyle cennego czasu lekturze.

[Josh C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, this is a pop-business book, and as such it's quite good. I learned plenty about the automotive industry, its PR environment, and Korean corporate culture, as well as the adjustment a journalist had to make moving into PR, but it's all lightweight stuff as the genre demands.

The rest is where it fell down for me. There could have been more incisive general Korean cultural observations -- I'd be shocked if Ahrens doesn't have them -- but neither the business book framing nor Ahrens's obvious continuing loyalty to Hyundai seemed to allow him to go deeper. Living on-base at Yongsan as his wife's post permitted also was a major shortcut around some of the usual challenges of expat adjustment, as he readily admits, and it affects his insight. The book is also much heavier on Ahrens's mid-life personal maturation and new understanding of his faith than its PR suggests. If you're looking for that sort of thing, you'll enjoy it, and full credit to him as a person, but I had hoped for more Korea.

[Agnieszka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pierwsza połowa książki? 3, a nawet 4 gwiazdki. Ciekawe anegdoty, spora garść rzetelnych, merytorycznych uwag.
Ostatnie 100 stron? Memoir nadętego bufona wartościującego obcą sobie kulturę. Autor z upodobaniem rozwodził się na temat swojej wiary- momentami poświęcając bogu i swoim modlitwom kilka stron tekstu. W książce zatytułowanej "Koreańczycy. W pułapce doskonałości".

To i wiele więcej tego typu "smaczków" sprawiły, że z zimną satysfakcją daję temu "dziełu" jedną gwiazdkę. Trochę pokory. nie pozjadałeś wszystkich rozumów, bucu.

[anna b · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable expat view of life in South Korea and in the corporate world of Hyundai. Learned a little about history, N/S Korea relations, politics, culture and quirks.

[Tenma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 200+ pages of “Seoul Man” by Frank Ahrens are very informative. They provide wealth of information about the business culture in Korea (especially at Hyundai’s headquarter, where Frank worked for three years). The last 100 or so pages are about fatherhood and the author’s family affairs, which I thought were irrelevant. Overall, a big chunk of this book is about the impact of living overseas on ones marriage and family life. Some, like me, will find this distracting, while other, especially those interested in parenthood, will find it appealing.

It would make it easier to review this book by comparing it to another from the same genre. Recently I finished reading “Dispatches from the peninsula” By Chris Tharp. Both “Dispatches” and “Seoul Man” are memoirs by “older” American expats about their work and life experiences in Korea. “Dispatches” is a typical memoir or Travelogue by an expat English teacher where you will find plenty of references about students and their parents. The major differences between the two authors is that Chris lived among Koreans, had a Korean girlfriend, and enjoyed Korean food. He truly loved his experience and provided valuable insights about his travels throughout Korea. Frank, on the other hand, worked at a major corporation where he primarily interacted with adults. He had an American wife, lived on the American base in Seoul, disliked Korean food, and for most part, did not seem to comprehend and/or appreciate Korean culture. His book is primarily about his work experience since he did not seem to bother discovering what Korea had to offer. To him, almost anything that Koreans did that was different from how it is done in the west is awkward or nonsensical (at least that’s what his writing conveyed to me). I am not sure why the book was titled "Seoul Man". There is barely any discussion of Seoul. The author spent most of his time between work and home. A more fitting title would have been "Hyundai's Man in Seoul". Besides, i did not find anything unexpectedly hilarious in this book. It was mostly presented in a serious scholastic tone.

A casual tourist or a young reader who is contemplating a teaching gig in Asia will probably enjoy “Dispatches” more. An older or a serious reader who is contemplating a move to Asia to pursue a professional, non-teaching job, will find Frank’s book invaluable as it provides insights into the mind of professionals and the work culture in corporate Korea. Car enthusiasts will also enjoy “Seoul Man” where they will find numerous references to Hyundai’s history and cars. This book changed my opinion about Korean cars. Although I may disagree with Frank's worldviews, it is apparent that he is a talented PR man.

Best quote: "The birth of my child not only marked the beginning of her life but, in a real and meaningful way, the beginning of the end of mine"

[Anatl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly readable account of an American journalist who followed his wife to a government posting in Seoul South Korea while working for Hyundai's PR department. As he and his wife were living in the American military compound his immersion in Korean culture was limited to his work life. I was fascinated by the inside look at the auto industry and the history of the company. However, I was constantly frustrated with the author's cultural naivete and his lack of cultural orientation. Most of the information on Korea in the book can also be gleaned from a short immersion in Korean films or TV.

[Aleksandra Jankowska · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 ☆ ciekawa perspektywa, ale widać, że autor to Amerykanin, bo ujawnia momentami swoje poczucie wyższości. albo może raczej wyższości Stanów Zjednoczonych nad Koreą Południową

[zeynep]

A readable book that is about a man's midlife upheaval and career change; a clueless American's encounter with a culture foreign to him; Hyundai's (and maybe South Korea's) story of modernization. Or, not quite modernization: rather, we industrialized, we modernized, but what's next? Readable, though nothing groundbreaking.

I recently read Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present by Peter Hessler, which was my first foray into the particular genre of "American man with journalism background writes about his experiences in East Asia"; it's quite different from Ahrens' book, yet I can't help but compare them. Ahrens doesn't know much Korean and only interacts with a narrow slice of Korean society, while Hessler studies Mandarin, travels across China, and focuses on the lives and dreams of the people he meets, and not so much his own self. So, two very separate books, but I had to mention Oracle Bones here because having it so fresh in my mind made Seoul Man fall flat in comparison.

Ahrens goes to Korea (in 2010) because his wife is in the US Foreign Service. He leverages his background with the Washington Post to get a 2-year PR executive position at Hyundai Motor Group. He lives in the US army Yongsan garrison, which in those days was located in the middle of Seoul - Ahrens has an amusing description of it:

The base feels like a leafy, quiet small town with a couple of stoplight crossroads and traffic moving along at 25 mph. A small town that is surrounded by a twelve foot concrete wall topped with razor wire. If your head isn't yet fully wrapped around the oddity that is Yongsan, try this: Think of New York's Central Park as a Korean military base full of Koreans.

(Wikipedia tells me that in 2018, the garrison moved out of the city center.)

I mention that because, if you're interested in this book as a travelogue of sorts, Ahrens seems to go back and forth between this mini-replica-USA and the Hyundai office building, and to not anywhere else in Seoul. Apparently, not even to Korean grocery stores: at one point, his wife goes to work in Jakarta and so Ahrens loses the authorization to enter the garrison. He moves to an apartment in nearby Itaewon, but not before buying a year's supply of American brand toilet paper and other such necessities from the garrison's own market. (I don't like to read memoirs just to judge the author's personality, but I must admit I judged him on this point).

That being said, the Hyundai office is enough of a culture shock for Ahrens. He describes the WaPo newsroom as being more egalitarian than your average American office...but the average American office compared to Korea? Two different worlds. The Koreans quietly work long hours and pay utmost respect to their superiors, and then binge drink soju during required business dinners with coworkers (the drinking, too, is required). Ahrens cites some statistic about Koreans drinking twice as much as Russians, famous alcoholics. The hierarchies are strict and the rules unspoken, and there are many foreigner faux pas moments. I found them mostly revealing and entertaining, although depending on one's proximity to Korean culture, they might be irritating.

Ahrens attributes a lot to Confucianism, Confucianism, Confucianism, which I can't really refute, although I have seen more nuanced Korean-culture-writers bemoan the "c-word" for being such an easy explanation, that ultimately doesn't prove satisfying. Ahrens mentions that Korea has "the highest rate [of elderly poverty] in the industrialized world" (50%), something a little surprising perhaps in such a Confucian society. You must bow to your bosses but filial piety is falling by the wayside? Ultimately, though, I am not docking points for lack of sociological depth. Cultural critique isn't necessarily his main agenda.

This book is also about cars. Ahrens, true to his PR job, writes about Hyundai and its vision for its product line in a glowing (not unctuous) manner. If I was at all interested in automobile history or industrial design, I would have probably gotten a lot more out of these sections. Even so, it was fun to read about the successes his team had during that period (2011-2013). A quote I bookmarked:

Before a region-specific car was launched, Hyundai designers, engineers, and product teams spent months in the target market, learning not only the customer preferences there but absorbing the culture and ethos of the place. In the years before Hyundai launched its Eon subcompact in India, for instance, Hyundai designers spent weeks traversing the country, touring ancient architecture, making sketches of temples, examining the curve of lotus flowers, talking to Indians, looking for universally understood design elements in the culture that might be referenced[...] as well as features that Indians wanted[...]. Eon, for instance, had a higher ceiling than its segment rivals. Why? Sikh turbans. Hyundai did the same for new cars built specifically for and in the Russian, Chinese, and Brazilian markets.
[...] My car in Korea, [...] had a glossy black surface on its center console, a finish known in the industry as "piano black." The same car sold in the U.S. [...] has a matte finish. The first [ones] shipped to the U.S. also had the piano black finish, but too many customers complained that they showed smudgy fingerprints. So the [...] product team switched to the matte finish for U.S. cars [...]. Your first question may be "Don't Koreans care about fingerprint smudges?" The answer, I think, is that Korean drivers simply don't have smudgy finers. Koreans rarely eat in their cars, and Americans have made a culture of the practice. [...]
[B]uilding a successful car for a particular market is like writing a dissertation on its culture and sociology.

Aaand this book is also about Ahrens' personal growth, as a husband, father, Christian, etc. This is the stuff that interested me the least, so I can't even comment on it much, to be quite honest...and so we come to the end of this long review.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book because our younger daughter is currently in her sixth year of teaching English in Korea. It was so interesting the hear, from another ex-pat's perspective, many of the same parts of the Korean culture that our daughter has told us about. As she is dating a "salayrman", it was also very informative to hear about the Korean business culture. As a person who enjoys cars, I found the aspect of learning about Hyundai fascinating. I liked how the author interwove what it's like to live and work in another country with how it affected his family life. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in Korea, Hyundai or prioritizing family life.

[D · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story about Korean culture and Hyundai, and that's what I thought the book was about, but then he started talking too much about himself and his family, which was not what I expected to read. I also dislike that he talked about Asian politics in an overly simplistic manner and how he was going to lift Indonesians out of poverty by giving them a job. The author means well, but he should have avoided discussing sensitive and irrelevant matters if they are not the book's focus.

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version and while it was entertaining enough, as several others have said, there was no "unexpected hilarity." There was, however, quite a bit of unexpected religious reference, and a whole lot of cringey "middle-aged white guy from the US goes abroad and can't believe how different things are!!" commentary. Feeling like he had to stock up on two years' worth of supplies (including toilet paper??) before losing access to US military base shopping felt somewhere between pathetic and performative. And don't even get me started on the Jindo they adopted with zero research into the breed first!

I did enjoy the behind-the-scenes glimpse at the auto industry and Hyundai's history. I thought those parts were well-told and, to the author's credit, he did frequently acknowledge his own cultural shortcomings and professional knowledge gaps when it came to his work.

What I most found unexpected and disappointing was that, after detailed regaling of his wife's talents for and enjoyment of working with the foreign service; explaining how she was making a real difference with her work in Jakarta and truly "living her dream" of doing meaningful work overseas, she quits less than four years in to move back and become a stay-at-home-mom in suburban DC? How depressing. While I guess it had to have been just as much her decision as his, her career had been a genuine lifetime pursuit while his work in PR had mostly been a dalliance from the start. When they both cut short their contracts to go to DC for his new job, she would have had less than a year left at her Jakarta posting. Why couldn't he have either delayed the start of his new position or worked remotely for those months rather than putting her in the position of having to abandon her post in order to be with her husband? As someone who is neither religious nor a parent, I guess those are things I'm not meant to understand.

Anyway, 3 stars for the Hyundai storyline and a few kernels of Korean history and workplace culture, an eyeroll to the rest.

[Madhu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Belonging to the same group of limited group of foreigners still working at the same firm as Frank, I must say that there are both positives as well as stark negatives of this book.
First of all, it's a personal memoir and not a crash course on either Korean culture or the working culture of the firm he worked at. With highly limited involvement in the day to day workings of the company, which is not clearly expressed in the book, his experiences reflect a narrow or more biased approach of the true reality. Though, most of his observations are true and factual in nature.
Secondly, his remarks in Korea in general were partially blinded by his remarkable isolation from the country and the culture itself. Living in the US base while attending the military ration store hardly counts as a meaningful experience of a new country. His limited interaction with the country hides some of the deeper and more interesting facts for which Korea is very well known for.
And last but not the least, half of the book is about his relationship with his wife and kids. Though set up in Korea, the memoir blatantly shifts focus towards personal issues, marginally affected by the location, but starkly separated from the main focus of the book.

Overall it's a good read with ample detailed examples describing the workings of such a dynamic and largely unknown country to the outside world as Korea.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always a touch hesitant to plaster on that fifth star with the "amazing" label - it seems as though only a VERY limited number of listens ought to make it to that level. But to say I "really liked it" would be almost as wrong.

The "Seoul Man" title seems intended to catch the eye, as the story is really Ahrens' memoir, which I suspect he may someday wish to extend with a similar story of some later years. Seoul holds the story together, but it is not limited to only that. One will learn a fair amount about Korean business/professional culture, and while it will certainly not be exhaustive, one could do far worse in making it required reading for a preparatory feature of a stint there. It is very personal to Ahrens, which is probably why I've become partial to memoirs, and certainly the whole car thing - even though it is about the cars' builders more so than the cars - makes for interesting comparisons between American and Korean culture.

[Vince · Rating 2 out of 5]

The topic is a very important one as Korea has become a very important country in the world economically and politically. Unfortunately, in my opinion the book is very superficial and really doesn't give a lot of insight I believe in helping someone understand Korean culture and society. A lot of the material in the book seems to focus on the authors personal life and family and seems to have a little to do with the title of the book. I have lived many years in Korea and speak the Korean language. I was very glad to see a book come out like this about Korea, but the content does not do the subject justice.

[SyringaVulgariska · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nie wiem czy to książka popularnonaukowa czy smętna biografia Amerykanina, którego samouwielbienie i przekonanie o własnej wyższości sprowadza się do boga, etnocentryzmu, rujnowania kariery żonie i faktu, że nie mogąc znaleźć żony w swoim przedziale wiekowym wybrał młodszą. Mniej więcej tyle w niej było o Korei.

[Olena Sovyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дуже класна книга, чудовий переклад, прекрасний стиль, відмінне поєднання гумору, особистої розповіді, a також розповіді про культуру та історію Південної Кореї

[Stefano Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Ahrens’ Seoul Man is the story of an American newspaperman’s three year stint in public relations at Hyundai Motor corporation in Seoul, South Korea. It’s also a story about change: a forty-something bachelor’s plunge into married life, when his bride suddenly falls from the sky. She "fell out of the sky", Ahrens writes, “but missed my lap." The changes continue, as Ahrens transitions from his job at the newspaper to a new post halfway around the world. From the start, Ahrens finds himself out of his element in Korea, pressured by his corporate buddies into participating in their ritual drinking and karaoke, or noraebang, culture. Ahrens remains an "America bomb" (the nickname given to him by his wife) for much of the book, stepping on toes at the office while gradually learning some of the differences between American and Korean cultures. Most nights he retreats to his bubble on a U.S. military base in Yongsan.

The real meat of the story comes from his time at Hyundai. Even for those uninterested in car trends like myself, Ahrens paints a compelling picture of Hyundai’s rise from the ashes of the Korean War to become a “modern premium” car brand. He provides insights into the company’s strategy, as well as insights into his personal fears and insecurities as he watches the strategy unfold. A sizeable chunk of the book is dedicated to general Korean history, but I found myself glossing over those parts to get back to the Hyundai story and the story of Ahrens’ personal relationships. By the end, his wife becomes the one consistent thread, and the Korean characters are ultimately secondary. Ahrens includes an interesting profile of the vice president and heir to the Hyundai empire, but otherwise few Korean characters in the book stick out. Perhaps this is no fault of Ahrens’, because—and he makes this point in the book—sticking out in Korea is taboo. I imagine it's also difficult to develop deep relationships in three years while speaking through an interpreter much of the time. I wonder how the book might have been different had he lived with Koreans during his time at the company. Although Seoul Man’s tension wanes in places and its tone ventures at times into preachy and sentimental territory, overall it's a good read. Worth checking out.

[Breaking_Bad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zacznę od tego, że polski tytuł wprowadza w błąd. Książka nie jest o Koreańczykach, a przynajmniej nie głównie o nich. O czym więc jest?
Po pierwsze, są to wspomnienia autora z trzyletniego pobytu i pracy w Seulu, ale na pierwszym planie są jego refleksje dotyczące kryzysu wieku średniego, jego świeżo poślubionej małżonki, wspólnego życia na emigracji, a później także rozłąki, następnie o narodzeniu córki i podjęciu decyzji o rezygnacji z prestiżowej posady na rzecz większego poświęcenia się rodzinie.
Po drugie, to opowieść o Hyundaiu, w którym autor dostał pracę dyrektora ds. PR, a później nawet funkcję wiceprezesa. Dotyczy to lat 2011-2013 i strategii firmy zmierzającej do zmiany wizerunku i zaistnienia w klasie premium. Dużo tu refleksji odnośnie pracy w koreańskim czebolu.
Po trzecie dopiero to książka o Koreańczykach i Korei. Oczywiście autor dzieli się swoimi doświadczeniami w zderzeniu z zupełnie inną kulturą. Pisze trochę o historii, a także skomplikowanych stosunkach z Koreą Północną, a także z Japonią i Chinami. Nie jest to jednak zasadnicza część książki jak mógłby sugerować tytuł.
Po czwarte, ta książka mówi też sporo o Amerykanach. Przez pierwsze dwa lata Frank Ahrens mieszkał z żoną (pracującą w ambasadzie) na terenie amerykańskiej bazy, gdzie mieli Stany Zjednoczone w pigułce (supermarkety, kina, restauracje). Po dwóch latach, gdy jego żona musiała zmienić placówkę i przenieść się do Indonezji, został zmuszony wyprowadzić się z bazy. Zanim to zrobił, nakupił w tamtejszym supermarkecie zapasów na dwa lata (nawet papier toaletowy). To niesamowite, bo przecież w Korei niczego nie brakuje. On jednak musiał mieć dokładnie to, do czego był przyzwyczajony w Stanach. Wielokrotnie też narzekał na słabą znajomość języka angielskiego przez Koreańczyków, ale sam przez trzy lata nie nauczył się koreańskiego.
Podsumowując: lektura ciekawa, ale tytuł zapowiadał trochę co innego.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

As others have noted, there is zero hilarity. I thought it would be interesting to read about corporate Korean culture from an American point of view but it was incredibly self-centered and annoying.

Reading this reminded me of times where I was cornered into politely listening to someone bloviate on their very narrow-minded, self-aggrandizing interpretation of their experiences in a situation they seem too lazy to understand. And they want you to just accept and validate their opinions.

He didn’t “live” in Korea as he lived on a US military base and prided himself on how he kept his American routines, often describing his resentment at having to leave his American cocoon to go work (and his descriptions of his work exploits just underscore his refusal to understand and respect company culture).

The author acknowledges this laziness but everything he describes is couched in his midlife crisis, pride in his independent American spirit and/or Christianity (which I would not have expected to be so prominent given the book’s description). I wanted to learn about Korea, not him! His perspective seemed very skewed to me and I questioned it as a result.

If you are really interested in the ins and outs of the automotive industry, you may like it. He details the minutiae of Hyundai’s operations in a very dry manner, getting stultifyingly boring and too personal (about him) and/or general (about the automotive industry at large) as the pages wear on (not about Korea). Not every thing described even pertained to Korea, just the business in general or his personal hunches on what would happen in the future.

This book can claim the distinction of being only the second book in my lifetime of reading that I considered not finishing. I struggled to finish this book. If you want to learn about Korea, I would suggest reading Korean novels, biographies and histories. As another reviewer noted, watching Korean films and dramas would give a better sense of Korea.

[Naama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. I just did. I liked all the talk about Hyundai and its efforts to become a brand, not just an automaker (though it planted distracting thoughts of luxury and creature comforts in my head just as I had finally started to accept the idea of replacing our sedan with a smaller, more practical hybrid). I liked learning about corporate Korea - chaebols and the life of ‘salarymen’ – as well as the more recent attempts to introduce more individualism, entrepreneurship and diversity to the Korean economy. I liked hearing about Korean culture, even if the descriptions just skimmed the very surface of what could’ve possibly been written had the writer formed relationships that went beyond professional (though his failure to do so seems to somewhat reflect on Korean culture). I liked the less-than-fairytale elements of the book and the description of very significant struggles in work-life balance for modern families.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I related to this book in a lot of ways: being a former journalist who did a career change to work at an automotive company, being in a long-distance marriage in different countries separated by conflicting careers, being transfixed by living abroad. What killed me though (SPOILER) is that in the end, his wife had to give up her entire career as a foreign diplomat to be at stay-at-home mom in northern Virginia. And before you get mad at me for hating on SAHMs (love them, have no problem with people pursuing that as their calling)—the issue is that she basically hates being a SAHM and says it’s boring and totally lacking intellectual stimulation—not surprising when you consider she seems to be a language savant who spent her whole life aiming for the foreign service. Just hugely sad and likely a loss for our country. And her husband is probably just, like, doing PR for Kohl’s or something. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Olesia Shpak · Rating 4 out of 5]

От ви, скажімо, знали, що жителі Південної Кореї - нація №1 по споживанню алкоголю? Що вони одержимі пластичними операціями? Що замість борщу в них - квашена капуста «кімчі», а замість самогонки - рисова горілка «соджу»?

Що в сусідньому КНДР - марихуана легальна і не класифікується як наркотик? Що там надворі не 2018-ий, а 107-ий? Що там є 28 утверджених Кім Чен Іном зачісок і тільки їх можна юзати? Що за носіння джинсів - в'язниця, а читання Біблії - страта?

Ось і я не знала. Аж поки мені не розповів то все Френк Аренс, екс-чувак з «Washington Post», якого занесло в Сеул просто на посаду керівника PR-відділу в «Hyundai». Пропоную зацінити, щоб проникнути за куліси того таємного азійського світу, дивитись на все із роззявленим від подиву ротом і навіть, лише частково, але в нього таки закохатись :)

[Kasia (Kącik z książką) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Polski tytuł nie do końca oddaje charakter publikacji, oryginalny sprawia się pod tym względem znacznie lepiej: Seoul Man: A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity Inside a Korean Corporate Titan. Natomiast polski podtytuł W pułapce doskonałości wydaje się nie do końca pasować i może też wprowadzać potencjalnego czytelnika w pewien błąd. Niemniej, książka zdecydowanie warta jest uwagi. Pokazuje świat z naszego punktu widzenia egzotyczny i nieznany. Miłośnicy literatury fakty na pewno nie będą rozczarowani!

http://www.kacikzksiazka.pl/2018/03/k...

[starduest · Rating 3 out of 5]

The initial parts about Seoul and adjusting to live there were interesting. The descriptions of Hyundai and its evolution as a company and brand were also interesting at first until it got boring after hearing about yet another car launch whilst the part about living in a different culture became less prominent in the book. The portions about Jakarta were too brief, superficial and simplistic and I can't help but be annoyed that his career took precedence over his wife's when I'm quite certain that he can find PR work anywhere in the world whereas she only has one route and one employer in her diplomat ambitions.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much more interesting and engaging than I expected. It touched on the behind the scenes perspective of working at Hyundai during a pivotal time, the expat life in Korea and Jakarta, introduced me to a lot of Korean history and culture I should already know, but appreciated differently from the perspective of a fish-out-of-water American, and even layered in the surprising layer of faith and how that played a role through it all. Surprisingly one of my favorite reads of the year.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

#韓國，原來如此！：前美國記者的第一手社會與職場觀察
#這本是我最近看的第三本跟韓國有關的書, 算是另一種韓國文化三部曲吧.

作者Frank本來是華盛頓郵報的作者, 因緣際會從美國來到了韓國現代汽車工作. 這本書主要是他在韓國這幾年的公司的經歷和韓國文化的觀察.

韓國由於歷史上一直處於被侵略的腳色, 造成其不服輸的民族性. 表現在生活上的就是五彩繽紛, 光鮮亮麗的都市. 民眾熱愛整形, 不是因為缺陷, 而是因為不想輸給別人. 也造造成父母對學生的學業非常要求,補習風氣盛行, 政府甚至規定補習不能超過晚上十點, 為此還有業者規避法規提供補習外補習.

韓國跟台灣一樣大學生非常的多, 但實際受到青睞的只有三家S,k,y大學. 考上這三家大學畢業等於就職保證, 而且起薪統計比一般大學高了12%.

同時, 由於深受儒家思想影響, 社會的階級非常強烈. 但是卻又非常強調"情". 會把認識的人當大哥或是大姊拉近距離, 對待不認識的人卻異常的冷漠.

這本書也介紹了韓國國內企業的文化, 特別是階級明確, 如不能繞過上司和別部門打交道, 和歐美的對事不對人很不一樣. 另外也有大概描述了現代汽車的崛起背景, 對車子有興趣的也可以看看.

看完的感覺是有台灣的既視感. 台灣在某種程度上雖然經濟成就不若韓國,但是社會較具有人情, 學生競爭的程度感覺也沒像韓國那麼恐怖. 韓國感覺為了不輸人做出成績, 選擇了一個比較極端的路線. 至於好壞, 就見仁見智了.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps it would have been better titled Seoul/Soul Man. Yes, much of the story is about working in Seoul and gave insights into Korea which I was glad to read.
However, it is more a story of a man and changes in his life including career change, marriage and first child. The book addresses the very real challenges of two careers and a family. It shares how building a life requires change and compromises for what becomes most important.
Also "soul" would touch on his acknowledging the importance of his faith, how it was affected by circumstances and how it influenced decisions.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, cohesive story of moving to Seoul. Lots of interesting details about culture differences and business in Korea. The author is a 49 yr old white guy who doesn’t like Korean food, so slightly unrelatable and sometimes obtuse in the telling. I read a couple reviews before reading this and yes there are a few chapters scattered in the last 20% of the book where the author indulges in talking about family struggle. I skimmed those. Overall a good read. Wish I’d read this before visiting Seoul.