Susan Oak holds an M.A. from New York University and an Ed.M. from Harvard University. She is currently working on her Ph.D. degree in Second Language Acquisition. She began her long association with Korea in 1987. She is currently teaching English at Ewha Woman's University in Seoul. Virginia Martin holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Indiana University. She began her long association with Korea in 1979. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the English Department at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio where she coordinates the English as a Second Language Program and teaches in the MA TESL Program.

This book was designed for anyone who interacts with Americans or Koreans and wishes to know more about the differences and similarities between American and Korean culture and society. It has been written in a simple and direct style, with emphasis on the more practical aspects of human social interactions and customs. This book not only describes what Americans and Koreans generally do, it also describes why they behave as they do. In this respect, the book could also be subtitled "Understanding Two Distinct Cultures."