New Arrivals - Books & DVDs

New Arrivals at the American Center Korea

The U.S. Embassy / American Center Korea (ACK) offers a monthly list of newly acquired titles, listed below. The titles are arranged by Dewey Decimal Classification (DCC). To see a bibliographic record, please click on titles. Those interested in reading these titles may visit us for details. You can also search our holdings with our online catalog

[New Arrivals] - November, 2012

English Teaching

Teaching Pronunciation: A Course Book and Reference Guide

[Cambridge University Press, 2010] This new edition of Teaching Pronunciation - undoubtedly the gold standard for pronunciation methodology texts - has been revised to reflect recent research into the sound system of North American English, as well as new practices in pronunciation pedagogy. Audio CDs with additional examples are now packaged with the book.
Writing Better English for ESL Learners

[McGraw-Hill, 2009] Taking a developmental approach to improving writing skills, Writing Better English helps you increase your levels of proficiency in both grammar and vocabulary. Before tackling sentence structures, the book helps you reinforce those grammar elements you may have trouble with, like verb tenses and pronouns. You'll then expand your written communication abilities through comprehensive explanations, skill-building exercises, and practical writing activities.

U.S. Politics, Education, and Social Processes

A History of Diplomacy

[Reaktion Books, 2010] In A History of Diplomacy, historian Jeremy Black investigates how a form of courtly negotiation and information-gathering in the early modern period developed through increasing globalization into a world-shaping force in twenty-first-century politics. The monarchic systems of the sixteenth century gave way to the colonial development of European nations—which in turn were shaken by the revolutions of the eighteenth century—the rise and progression of multiple global interests led to the establishment of the modern-day international embassy system. In this detailed and engaging study of the ever-changing role of international relations, the aims, achievements, and failures of foreign diplomacy are presented along with their complete historical and cultural background.
13 Bankers: The Wall Street Takeover and the Next Financial Meltdown

[Pantheon Books, 2010] In spite of its key role in creating the ruinous financial crisis of 2008, the American banking industry has grown bigger, more profitable, and more resistant to regulation than ever. Anchored by six megabanks whose assets amount to more than 60 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, this oligarchy proved it could first hold the global economy hostage and then use its political muscle to fight off meaningful reform. 13 Bankers brilliantly charts the rise to power of the financial sector and forcefully argues that we must break up the big banks if we want to avoid future financial catastrophes.

International Relations and Security

North Korea: Beyond Charismatic Politics

[Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2012] This timely, pathbreaking study of North Korea’s political history and culture sheds invaluable light on the country’s unique leadership continuity and succession. Leading scholars Heonik Kwon and Byung-Ho Chung begin by tracing Kim Il Sung’s rise to power during the Cold War. They show how his successor, his eldest son, Kim Jong Il, sponsored the production of revolutionary art to unleash a public political culture that would consolidate Kim’s charismatic power and his own hereditary authority.
The New Dynamics Of Multilateralism: Diplomacy, International Organizations, and Global Governance

[Westview Press 2011] This timely new book focuses on the various dynamics of contemporary multilateralism as it relates to global issues, global governance, and global institutions. Invited authorities, including academics, business people, and members of international groups, contribute original essays on how multilateralism as an institution has been affected by globalization, the rise of civil society and global business, emerging economic and political conditions, and new threats to peace and security in the world.
The New Arab Revolt: What Happened, What It Means, And What Comes Next

[Foreign Affairs, 2011] The New Arab Revolt: What Happened, What It Means, and What Comes Next sets the intellectual stage for understanding the revolutions in the Middle East. The volume includes seminal pieces from Foreign Affairs, ForeignAffairs.com, and CFR.org. In addition, major public statements by Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Hosni Mubarak, Muammar al-Qaddafi, and others are joined by Egyptian opposition writings and relevant primary source documents.