Body Shapes Mind = Yoon Dae-hyun, Woongjin Knowledge House.
The author, a professor of psychiatry at Seoul National University Hospital, examines the connection between patients' mental states and blood test results. He notes that symptoms often perceived as psychological issues, such as depression, anxiety, and panic, can frequently stem from physical abnormalities like unstable blood sugar, hyperlipidemia, visceral fat, and inflammatory responses.
Psychological resilience and physical resilience are interconnected. Stress can exacerbate intestinal inflammation, which in turn can lead to lethargy and depression. The author advises consuming sufficient protein in the morning instead of sugar and recommends drinking water instead of coffee on anxious days. He also suggests shifting one's thinking to, "How can I do this differently next time?" to break free from rumination, which heightens cortisol and inflammatory responses.
Don't Take It Too Seriously = Hermann Hesse, translated by Bae Myung-ja, Pika.
This is the first posthumous collection of Hermann Hesse's unpublished works in South Korea, featuring prose, poetry, and essays that have not been introduced before. R.J. Hume, a longtime friend of Hesse, described him as "an old child and a boyish sage." The book contains writings filled with wit, humor, and satire, reminiscent of Hesse as recalled by Hume.
The section titled "Hesse as Seen by Others" includes anecdotes remembered by those around him. One scene illustrates his playful and free spirit when he retorts to his mother, who scolded him for throwing stones, saying, "But Mom, David was loved even after throwing stones!"
Essay Collection by Shin Kyung-rim - The Mountain Tells Me to Be a Wildflower = Edited by Do Jong-hwan, Changbi.
This posthumous essay collection is published to commemorate the second anniversary of poet Shin Kyung-rim's passing. The poet, who experienced the tumultuous events of modern Korean history, including liberation, the Korean War, the April 19 Revolution, military dictatorship, and the June Democratic Uprising, shares his thoughts on literature, life, and the times.
Editor Do Jong-hwan writes, "The path that Shin Kyung-rim walked in anguish is the path our literature has walked in anguish, forming the backbone of Korean literary history. This is a reflection on modern Korean poetry and an honest statement about what poetry should be."
The collection also recounts the journey from his debut work, "Reeds," through a decade of wandering to his later work, "Farmers' Dance." The poet reflects, "My poetry is always a journey of the soul seeking something new," as he revisits the process of self-renewal. He offers warm insights gained from nature and daily life, addressing various social issues such as education, the environment, and unification.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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