Seoul Man, Frank Ahrens
Seoul Man, Frank Ahrens
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

Seoul Man
A Memoir of Cars, Culture, Crisis, and Unexpected Hilarity inside a Korean Corporate Titan

Author: Frank Ahrens

Narrator: Frank Ahrens

Unabridged: 10 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/16/2016

Synopsis

Recounting his three years in Korea, the highest-ranking non-Korean executive at Hyundai sheds light on a business culture very few Western journalists ever experience in this revealing, moving, and hilarious memoir.When Frank Ahrens, a middle-aged bachelor and eighteen-year veteran at the Washington Post, fell in love with a diplomat, his life changed dramatically. Following his new bride to her first appointment in Seoul, South Korea, Frank traded the newsroom for a corporate suite, becoming director of global communications at Hyundai Motors. In a land whose population is ninety-seven percent Korean, he was one of fewer than ten non-Koreans in a company of 5,000 employees.For the next three years, Frank traveled to auto shows and press conferences around the world, pitching Hyundai to former colleagues while trying to navigate cultural differences at home and at work. While his appreciation for absurdity enabled him to laugh his way through many awkward encounters, his job began to take a toll on his marriage and family. Eventually, he became a vice president—the highest-ranking non-Korean in the history of Hyundai—but at an untenable price.Filled with unique insights and told in his engaging, humorous voice, Seoul Man sheds light on a culture few Westerners know, and is a delightfully funny and heartwarming adventure for anyone who has ever felt like a fish out of water—all of us.

About Frank Ahrens

Frank Ahrens was a reporter at the Washington Post for eighteen years before joining Hyundai Motor Company, where he eventually became a vice president. He lives in Washington, DC.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Lamia on June 29, 2021

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......more

Goodreads review by Christa on November 05, 2016

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 cult......more

Goodreads review by colagatji on April 26, 2019

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 wyobrazi......more

Goodreads review by Josh on August 20, 2016

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 r......more

Goodreads review by anna on June 24, 2018

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.......more

Quotes

“Lively, engaging, and deeply personal.” Brigid Schulte, New York Times bestselling author

“If you have ever worked in a baffling alien culture or endured a family separation because of your job, you will probably enjoy this book…An entertaining read.” Financial Times

“This important book undertakes three stories in one narrative about a local man’s brief sojourn in a bewildering new environment…With wit about his personal dilemmas and a keen reporter’s eye…Ahrens gives the reader an accessible primer.” Washington Times

“Not only a revealing personal odyssey, Seoul Man also looks into the history, culture, politics, and business of the remarkable success story of modern South Korea.” Shelf Awareness

“A nuanced look at a nation where an image of Western modernity is reflected and illuminated by an off-kilter mirror.” Publishers Weekly

“Engaging…A great read for business readers and for Americans-abroad memoir fans.” Booklist

“Amid the author’s personal journey reside priceless cultural and professional insights.” Kirkus Reviews

“Frank Ahrens shares his Seoul with listeners as he recounts his experiences as Hyundai’s global public relations director…and his earnest wonder is the fuel that drives listeners through it to the epilogue…One continually hears in his voice his amazement at where he found himself—geographically, professionally, and personally.” AudioFile

Awards

  • Amazon Best Book of the Month
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