TL;DR

Reads like a series of blog posts by a professor hiding behind “science”, with shallow insights.

Details

By “shallow insights” I mean: statements anyone could write. I expected either a clear, reader-friendly explanation of the author’s own research, or sharp synthesis across existing studies. It was neither. Honestly, you could draft something similar with ChatGPT.

The book leans on “science” without showing much of the work. It’s not really a science book anyway; it’s a list of tips. Short and easy to skim, yes, but it could’ve been shorter if the non-scientific and non-insightful parts were trimmed. You can skim and finish it in 1–2 hours.

There are hardly any concrete cases. Authority comes mostly from the names of universities behind cited papers—which, personally, I don’t care about.

Worth the money? (~15,000 KRW) Not really. My money… If there’s a similar book out there, I wouldn’t pick it up.

Quotes

Some examples I didn’t resonate with (there are more):

Keep your back straight at all times. People will see you differently, you’ll feel positive energy, and you’ll be less exposed to crimes while traveling abroad. p.37

→ Ah, it even reduces crime abroad.

When people know they can overcome obstacles toward a goal, they feel energized; when they know they can’t, they feel drained. p.76

→ When people are hungry and eat food, they feel full!

Everyone has a desire for recognition. Praise makes people grow. No one hates praise. p.103

→ Everyone has a desire to survive. No one likes being hungry!

(On soccer player Kazuyoshi Miura) His attitude surely energizes himself and people around him. p.107

→ Sounds like the author is a big fan.

Using the right brain leads to positive thinking and health benefits. p.113

→ So left-handers are all positive and healthy?

Women are known to secrete less serotonin than men. Perhaps that’s why they do more same-sex skinship; maybe they instinctively know they need more serotonin. p.174

→ Something I’d expect to hear at a late-night drinking table.