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on June 13, 2017
A very interesting insight into everyday life of Koreans. Shows dramatic economic changes taking place in this communist paradise. Worth reading!
on May 21, 2015
Freaking brilliant. Don't ask, just read.
on November 21, 2016
A real eye opener of a book. An extremely interesting read.
on December 19, 2015
Very well balanced. Read the review in the Economist and was not disappointed. This book explained many things about North Korea for me.
on April 15, 2017
Good stuff but I would enjoy more details on North Koreans working in the economy and their encounters with foreign culture.
on July 13, 2015
Informative and well-balanced. Helps the casual DPRK-interested reader gain a clearer picture of the North Korea enigma that the conventional media fails to provide.
on May 9, 2015
This book provides an excellent update on a changing NK, especially changes as a result of post - famine economic restructuring and the information age.
on May 23, 2016
I found this to be an excellent source of information on many topics having to do with North Korea in today's world. The country is undergoing change because it has to if it is to survive. As a result of the famine in the mid-1990s, many people, especially women, found that the only way they could survive and earn a little money for a small amount of food for their family was to make a few rice cakes or cookies, biscuits, with what they had and then sell it in a little "market" with the food laid out on a cloth on the ground, which was illegal, but it made enough to buy more food for the family for that night's dinner.
Many things are still illegal in the DPRK that people tend to ignore and can easily hide, such as CDs, DVDs and flash drives. North Koreans are very fond of South Korean music, movies and TV shows, and also Western movies. These all have to be watched in secret, but their is a growing market for these goods that people smuggle in from China and South Korea.
The book explains the manner of dress that men and women are attracted to and also the conflict with the older generation of North Koreans who are much more conservative than today's young people. It is a very informative look about the DPRK that doesn't specifically concentrate on a person's defection or time in a prison camp, although it does discuss the latter a bit. The country is slowly changing because that is the only way that it can survive in today's world, and even though owning even a small business is illegal, the government now tends to look the other way and government workers as well as police and military are always willing to take bribes to allow the person to continue to do business. The old feudal state is gone and farmers are allowed to keep 30% of their crops, and the food rationing system has gone by the wayside, too. North Korea has a lot of catching up to do in their economy, government and the way they see the West, but it won't happen over night.
The authors have given a more positive outlook for the future of the DPRK and but it still has a long way to go. The book is easy to read and packed with good information.
Many things are still illegal in the DPRK that people tend to ignore and can easily hide, such as CDs, DVDs and flash drives. North Koreans are very fond of South Korean music, movies and TV shows, and also Western movies. These all have to be watched in secret, but their is a growing market for these goods that people smuggle in from China and South Korea.
The book explains the manner of dress that men and women are attracted to and also the conflict with the older generation of North Koreans who are much more conservative than today's young people. It is a very informative look about the DPRK that doesn't specifically concentrate on a person's defection or time in a prison camp, although it does discuss the latter a bit. The country is slowly changing because that is the only way that it can survive in today's world, and even though owning even a small business is illegal, the government now tends to look the other way and government workers as well as police and military are always willing to take bribes to allow the person to continue to do business. The old feudal state is gone and farmers are allowed to keep 30% of their crops, and the food rationing system has gone by the wayside, too. North Korea has a lot of catching up to do in their economy, government and the way they see the West, but it won't happen over night.
The authors have given a more positive outlook for the future of the DPRK and but it still has a long way to go. The book is easy to read and packed with good information.
on December 8, 2015
Very interesting insight into North Korea. Gives me a better understanding of the current situation between China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan and the US. We get such little credible information on North Korea and what life is like. Fascinating.
