Prologue | Now, let's start chopping!

Chapter 1.
Words from an adult who will become a shoulder to support me in my life
Adults' words break down prejudice and open up the world.

An honest person cannot be touched by the devil, Kim Hyung-seok
That's how evil gets hurt, Park Joo-young
Life is not a life without strength, Pascal Bruckner
Become a dignified being, Kim Ki-seok
Song Seung-hwan, casting a fishing rod into the flowing water
Sincerity is the courtesy of my life, Milanonna
A person who disappeared after causing trouble, Shingu
I want to be a gentle man, Kim Hoon
Ask for advice, not feedback, by Adam Grant.
You are a gift, Lee Hye-young
To avoid major losses, Lee Soon-jae
Beyond Talent, Akira Minagawa
Eternity of a Moment, Jin Eun-sook
Holding hands and overcoming limits, Choi Jae-cheon
To those going through hardship, Paul Bloom
Kim Hyun-ah, who said it collapsed
Is this what peace is like? Hwang Gyu-baek
Becoming stronger, Lee Min-jin
Day by Day Factorization, Ryu Seung-ryong
Are you still running? Bernd Heinrich
Seize the moment, Kim Hye-ja
Everything is pretty when you kneel down, Na Tae-joo
The Life of a Joker, by Yoon Yeo-jeong
Overcoming Every Day, Jeong Kyeong-hwa
Believe that good people win, Lee Eo-ryeong
That could be it, Yang Hee-eun

Chapter 2.
The words of wisdom seen from a high perspective
Break the frozen sea and head for higher ground.

Conflict survivor, Amanda Ripley
For better or worse, generations, Neil Howe
How to Stay Bankrupt, by Morgan Housel
If you can dream of a different life, Han Byung-chul
It's Okay to Regret, Daniel Pink
Is Your Memory Theater a Tragedy or a Comedy? Lisa Genova
Elegant Reservation, Juan Enriquez
Progressive Hero, Joan Lippmann
Joy is innumerable, Charles Handy
Life isn't a commute, Ha-Joon Chang
The Benefit of Others, Malcolm Gladwell
Meet the Letters, Kang Sang-jung
How long will you remain a pessimist? Jens Weidner
The Difference Between Character and Personality, Adam Grant
Reject Efficiency, Jeremy Rifkin
To those who are lost in their dreams or reality, Lee Seong-bok
The Drunkenness of Success, Ryan Holiday
Surviving with Compassion, Susan Cain
Broken by adversity, growing by Paul Bloom
Night's Joy, Lee Eo-ryeong
Even in the midst of ethical upheaval, Juan Enriquez
The Joy of Serendipitous Witnessing, Doris Mertin
Should I quit or continue? Annie Duke
Humans are the self-consciousness of the universe, Kang Geum-sil
The Language of Pain, by Kim Seung-seop
Are you trustworthy? David DeSteno

Chapter 3.
Awakening Words That Lead to Excellence in Professionalism
To all the professionals who are holding their heads in front of their desks today,

We are each other's guests, Song Gil-young
Just keep going, Nick Maguillet
Place the ball wherever you want, Choi Kyung-ju
We are the future cancer patients, Azra Raja
Mix it up, Jang Young-gyu
Regaining Focus, Gloria Mark
Creation is organization, Jeong Gu-ho
The Cost of Hatred, by Ichiro Kishimi
The Art of Not Giving a F*ck, by Mark Manson
The Taste of Giving Up, Jang Ki-ha
Lower Others' Expectations, Hajime Ota
Is Life a Mere Mechanism or a Single Shot? by Lee Jun-ik
Persevering spirit, Park Jung-min
To solve the problem, Gary Ford
The Power of Self-Questioning, Ok Joo-hyun
Pass it consistently, Lee Young-pyo
It doesn't end with just one, Simon Sinek
A fun handicap, Tomohiro Sawada
Don't be so dramatic and humiliating, Oh Eun-young.
It's okay, experience, try to win
Alberto Savoia, whether he's a good guy or not
There is no perfection, only letting go, Baek Hyun-jin
Space's Value of Existence, Yoo Hyun-jun
You decide, Jo Soo-yong
As time passes by in vain, a miracle occurs
The Value of Happiness, Richard Easterlin
When the ball comes, hit it, Lee Seung-yeop

Chapter 4.
Words of rest that lead to a flowing life
All life flows without effort.

It's so small, Kim Ki-seok
Hurdle's Cocktail, Fleur Pellerin
Slowly and happily, Lee Geun-hoo
In a world without stigma, Na Jong-ho
It's nothing special, Na Tae-joo
Endure it as a joke, Song Eun-i
Critical Skills, Minoru Kamata
Lonely People, Norina Hurts
The Bill of Habits, Mark Hyman
Affection Wins, Kelly Harding
We must believe in spring, Choi Mae-hwan
Wise Adeungbadeng, Park Kal-lin
Even the side kicks are rhythmic, Lia Kim
Easy Heaven, Richard Easterlin
A Step Toward Excellence, Doris Mertin
Humans are beings of hope, Lee Eo-ryeong
Just like your appearance, Nora No
Life is a Gamble and a Blessing at the Same Time, by Jeong Kyeong-hwa
Stronger in Broken Places, Ryan Holiday
Worry and laugh, worry and laugh, Shinsuke Yoshitake
The Wave of Pain, Christian Luc
Do something, Mark Manson
Live the life you want, Nick Magiuly
Friendship Pie, named Trout Tar
Just by living and dying, Kim Jin-myeong
Because the sun is bright and life is precious, Milanonna
Even if I avoid bad luck, Tsutomu Nishinaka
The world is getting better, Jens Weidner

Chapter 5.
The words of happiness that will finally arrive
Happiness is ultimately in this moment

Every day is a song, Yang Hee-eun
The presence of my presence, a miracle, Kim Ki-seok
The philosopher of his own life, Han Byung-chul
The Spinning Utopia, Alessandro Mendini
In the cave we, Christian Clos
Moving Forward with Grief, Susan Cain
Life goes on even when memories fade, Lisa Genova
I love you, Pascal Brückner
The Taste of Adults, Lim Ji-ho
How beautiful humans are, Kim Hoon
Innocent Brain, Kim Wan-sun
Don't go all-in, Kang Sang-jung
Happiness is moderation, Bae Cheol-hyeon
I'm as happy as dog poop rolling on the street, Shingu
Happiness is a mirage, Lee Geun-hoo
Just accept it, like the weather, Noeun
The more you know, the kinder you become, Kim Jin-myeong
Lee Young-pyo, a bench of polar opposites
Raising your heels and basking in the sun, Kamata Minoru
Patience and Scarcity, Morgan Housel
Even in her shit-stained clothes, Joan Lippmann
The Best Pain, Paul Bloom
Gangster spirit, Nora No
Your Return Time, Annie Duke
You deserve to eat, Kim Ha-jong
Anyway, a spring dream, Song Seung-hwan
Simple Adult Skills, Ji Chun-hee
Hyeja's Days, Kim Hyeja

“True growth is in everything in the world,
“It is about rediscovering brilliance.”

To you who needs a mentor in life
A 'readable transcription book' that will give you the right answers

Sometimes, even after a long day, I can't remember what I did to pass the time.
What was the happiness of today, what did you invest your time for… … .
These worries ultimately lead to doubts about what I want.
At times like that, I feel like grabbing someone and asking them if I'm living well and how I should live.
"Desperation is an Axe" contains the stories of life mentors who can answer that question.
The interviewees for "Kim Ji-soo's Interstellar" have one thing in common.
They are 'philosophers of their own lives' who have each built their own narrative and lived lives worthy of respect from everyone.
Philosophers, actors, composers, financiers… … Wise men from various fields share their own truths about life, discovered through reflection and exploration, sometimes with humorous jokes, and sometimes with sharp rebukes.
By transcribing a single book, you can meet 100 intellectuals from across fields, ages, and nationalities, and experience the same benefits as reading 100 books.
They will be willing to lend us a shoulder to lean on whenever we face life's challenges, and they will give us milestones in life one by one.


“If you stop at a good sentence and write,
“That language soon becomes the direction of life.”

Read and set your mind straight,
A daily ritual that will ultimately change your life

Franz Kafka once said, "A book is an axe that shatters frozen sensibilities," but author Kim Ji-su says that now, "copying," not books, plays the role of an axe.
That's because we encounter countless words and writings every day. No matter how deeply resonant a quote you see on social media, a line from an online article, or a line from a book you crack open on your way home from work, if you don't hold onto it, it simply drifts away.
That is why, in today's world where efficiency and speed are paramount, 'copying', which is the most analog and at the same time inefficient, is so popular.
Only through the practical act of transcription can we capture the language we need and make it our own.
So the author says that once you find a piece of writing that suits you, you have to do the 'language axe-cutting' to hold on to it.
If you stop and write down a good sentence, the philosophy it contains will soon become your language, your roots, and even show you the direction you should take in life going forward.


“The world breaks everyone, but it is broken like that
From that point on, we become even stronger.”

A stronger life in the broken gap
A self-growth guide to help you grow

『Transcription is an Axe』 contains a selection of sentences that are sharp like a knife, like poetry, and sometimes like bread and salt from among 4 million characters of interview text uploaded between 2015 and 2025.
The words spoken by a total of 100 intellectuals are divided into five chapters: Words of Adults, Words of Intelligence, Words of Awakening, Words of Rest, and Words of Happiness.
It features a wide range of words from familiar and friendly adults, both domestically and internationally, to leading scholars from around the world and Korea, artists who share their vibrant language, and young intellectuals and professionals who prepare us for the coming era.
Each manuscript includes a QR code that allows you to read the full interview, allowing you to delve deeper into the intellectuals' philosophies. Author Kim Ji-soo shares behind-the-scenes stories of the interviews, allowing you to feel as if you were having a conversation with them.


The book is presented in a pure white cover with minimal text, allowing readers to calm their minds and enjoy the ritual of writing.
Additionally, the wood grain was designed to be pressed so that one can feel the act of ‘slicing language.’
Additionally, the book is bound in a four-page format that opens 180 degrees, making it suitable for writing, and is made with a sturdy hardcover binding so that it can be kept for a long time and the words of intellectuals can be engraved whenever necessary in life.
You can keep it by your side and open it up whenever you want, and get life's milestones from 100 intellectuals.