Special edition commemorating the 20th anniversary of publication & first e-book release
The bible of humanities books loved by readers around the world

“If you feel like you are living a meaningless life,
“Pay attention to immersion!”

The humanities bible, "The Joy of Immersion," beloved by readers around the world, has been republished with a completely revised cover design and modern Korean spelling to celebrate its 20th anniversary in Korea.
And, along with the special edition being republished this time, an e-book will also be released to meet readers.
Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, a world-renowned authority on psychology and education, has published his masterpiece, "The Joy of Flow," first published in 1997. As of 2021, the rights have been licensed and published in 18 countries worldwide, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Russia, Japan, Taiwan, and Indonesia.
Korea was first introduced in 2001, and has remained a bestseller in the humanities and liberal arts, receiving constant love from readers for 20 years.
This book, which emphasizes that life changes the moment you immerse yourself in what you are doing, received rave reviews from prominent professors, including, “This is an invaluable guide for anyone who wants to learn more in life and make their lives more valuable,” and “He explores how we can elevate the work we do, the games we play, and our entire lives.” It also garnered attention from the education community and the media, being named one of “10 must-reads for college students selected by university professors” and “Top 5 books for college students selected by the Jeonkyohak Newspaper.”
Moreover, domestic readers have also added their voices to the depth of this book through heartfelt reviews such as, “A book I want to pass on to my child,” “A book that touched my heart,” and “A book that helped me find meaning in life,” and have been with the book for 20 years.

“The author does not give sweet instructions to love life.
I don't even repeat empty slogans about affirming myself.
Instead, it tells us to immerse ourselves in what we are doing now.
“No matter how trivial the task may be, we must be able to immerse ourselves in it to change our lives,” he emphasizes. _ Translator’s Note

To improve the quality of our lives, we must first carefully observe what we do every day and capture what emotions we feel in what activities, where, at what time, and around what people.
While it's a common tendency for people to feel happy during mealtimes or to easily reach a state of flow while actively enjoying leisure activities, we may find something surprising here.
Maybe we actually prefer being alone.
Perhaps we unexpectedly prefer working. Perhaps we find greater enjoyment in reading than watching TV, or vice versa.
In this way, life is not something that has rules set by someone telling you how to live it.
The important thing is to find a lifestyle that suits you.

---p.64

While some people who have achieved success and made a name for themselves detest their jobs, there are also many office workers, plumbers, carpenters, and production workers who love their work and describe it as beautiful.
It is not external conditions that determine how valuable work makes a person's life.
The problem lies in how we do our work and what experiences we derive from the difficulties we encounter in the process of working.

---pp.81,82

To make the most of your free time, you need to be as creative and energetic as you are when you work.
Active leisure that matures people does not come automatically.
People of old found meaning in leisure time in experimenting and developing their skills.
Before science and art began to specialize, scientific research, poetry writing, painting, and music composition were often done as leisure activities.
(……) Nowadays, only experts are interested in such topics, and amateurs who rashly venture into such topics are often criticized for interfering with the experts’ domain.
But amateurs who do something simply because they like it not only make their own lives interesting and enjoyable, but also make everyone's lives worthwhile.

---pp.97,98

Everyone is complaining that there is not enough time.
However, the feeling of not having enough time is often actually due to a lack of self-management.
How many of the things we do are truly essential? If we carefully sorted through the routine tasks that distract us and prioritized them, would we be crying out for time like we do now? Those who simply watch time slip away will naturally always lack time.
Therefore, we need the wisdom to manage our time well.
Not to amass wealth and enjoy stability in the distant future, but to enjoy life in the present moment.

---p.166

It is not only writers who can elevate the 'trash' of the self into profound insights into the human condition.
We all have a desire to be loved, and we have the ability to use that desire constructively without being controlled by it.
Once we realize the true nature of the darkness within us, we should no longer fear it.
We need to learn to laugh at the arrogance of the darkness that comes from our own fantasies, rather than taking it too seriously.
We must not indulge that greedy desire unless it meets our desired conditions.
Only then can we achieve anything of value.

---p.175