How Long to Read North Korea through the Looking Glass

How Long Does it Take to Read North Korea through the Looking Glass?

It takes the average reader 5 hours and 4 minutes to read North Korea through the Looking Glass by Kongdan Oh

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

Fifty-five years after its founding at the dawn of the cold war, North Korea remains a land of illusions. Isolated and anachronistic, the country and its culture seem to be dominated exclusively by the official ideology of Juche, which emphasizes national self-reliance, independence, and worship of the supreme leader, General Kim Jong Il. Yet this socialist utopian ideal is pursued with the calculations of international power politics. Kim has transformed North Korea into a militarized state, whose nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and continued threat to South Korea have raised alarm worldwide. This paradoxical combination of cultural isolation and military-first policy has left the North Korean people woefully deprived of the opportunity to advance socially and politically. The socialist economy, guided by political principles and bereft of international support, has collapsed. Thousands, perhaps millions, have died of starvation. Foreign trade has declined and the country's gross domestic product has recorded negative growth every year for a decade. Yet rather than initiate the sort of market reforms that were implemented by other communist governments, North Korean leaders have reverted to the economic policies of the 1950s: mass mobilization, concentration on heavy industry, and increased ideological indoctrination. Although members of the political elite in Pyongyang are acutely aware of their nation's domestic and foreign problems, they are plagued by fear and policy paralysis. North Korea Through the Looking Glass sheds new light on this remote and peculiar country. Drawing on more than ten years of research—including interviews with two dozen North Koreans who made the painful decision to defect from their homeland—Kongdan Oh and Ralph C. Hassig explore what the leadership and the masses believe about their current predicament. Through dual themes of persistence and illusion, they explore North Korea's stubborn adherence to policies that have failed to serve the welfare of the people and, consequently, threaten the future of the regime. Featuring twenty-nine rare and candid photos taken from within the closely guarded country, North Korea Through the Looking Glass illuminates the human society of a country too often mischaracterized for its drab uniformity—not a "state," but a community of twenty million individuals who have, through no fault of their own, fallen on exceedingly hard times.

How long is North Korea through the Looking Glass?

North Korea through the Looking Glass by Kongdan Oh is 302 pages long, and a total of 76,104 words.

This makes it 102% the length of the average book. It also has 93% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read North Korea through the Looking Glass Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 6 hours and 55 minutes to read North Korea through the Looking Glass aloud.

What Reading Level is North Korea through the Looking Glass?

North Korea through the Looking Glass is suitable for students ages 12 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy North Korea through the Looking Glass?

North Korea through the Looking Glass by Kongdan Oh is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

To buy North Korea through the Looking Glass by Kongdan Oh on Amazon click the button below.