The Confucian Way of Contemplation by Rodney L. Taylor gives context to the Neo-Confucian philosophy that shaped Andong's intellectual tradition and the work of Yi Hwang. It is academic in tone but readable enough for travellers who want to understand why this city thinks of itself as Korea's spiritual capital.
Korea: The Impossible Country by Daniel Tudor is a broad introduction to Korean society that covers the Confucian roots of Korean culture with clarity and sympathy. The sections on hierarchy, lineage, and the relationship between education and social status make more sense after visiting Andong and Hahoe than they did before.
The Story of a Nobody by Yi Kwangsu, one of Korea's first modern novels (1917), features the kind of provincial Korean town and educated young man that Andong produces in abundance. The novel's portrait of a man caught between traditional Confucian expectations and modern ambitions is still recognisable in conversations you'll have here.