North Korea Confidential

**Named one of the best books of 2015 by The Economist** North Korea is one of the most controlled and isolated societies on earth, but what is it actually like to live there? How do you make money in a failed economy? How do you have fun under a violent, repressive dictatorship, and how does the secretive and infamous prison camp system work? Read this book to find out. North Korea Confidential explains how the devastating famine of the 1990s became a catalyst for a network of black markets which have created a new generation of North Korean capitalists. From skinny jeans, to home-made booze, where there’s a market for it, today's North Koreans can probably buy it. In seven fascinating chapters the authors explore modern North Korea today for the ordinary "man and woman on the street." They interview experts and tap a broad variety of sources to bring a startling new insider's view of North Korean society—from members of Pyongyang's ruling families to defectors from different periods and regions, to diplomats and NGOs, to cross-border traders from neighboring China. The resulting stories reveal the horror as well as the innovation and humor which abound in this fascinating country.