Scan barcode
marinaemoore's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It provides a nice, concise history of the Kim leaders and then dives a little more deeply into Kim Jong Un, comparing and contrasting his leadership with that of his father and grandfather.
I think this is a good book for anyone who is interested in North Korea. Most of the information in this book isn’t anything new or earth shattering, but it was a good read nonetheless.
If you’re only reading this book in hopes of new information or groundbreaking insight, this book probably isn’t for you.
I think this is a good book for anyone who is interested in North Korea. Most of the information in this book isn’t anything new or earth shattering, but it was a good read nonetheless.
If you’re only reading this book in hopes of new information or groundbreaking insight, this book probably isn’t for you.
syntaxx's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.0
I picked this book up solely for the chapter on “meeting Trump.” That was interesting and I agree with the author’s assessment that Trump overestimated his ability to “strike a deal” and that Kim takes advantage of this to advance good agenda/international image without having to make any concessions on nuclear dearment.
alexdelnorte's review against another edition
medium-paced
1.0
boring. this book is just a regurgitation of info on KJU and NK that's been heavily reported by mainstream media and independent journalists. nothing new. no intriguing insight.
recommendation: read something else.
recommendation: read something else.
syntaxx's review against another edition
informative
3.0
Picked this up solely for the chapter on meeting Trump. Interesting take on the topic and insightful look into the different approaches of the two leaders leading up their initial summit.
michellewords's review against another edition
4.0
Publication day!
Becoming Kim Jong Un drew me in with the title, cover, and description. I knew next to nothing about the North Korean leader besides what craziness I heard via various news outlets.
This book was almost exactly what I expected and wanted from a book with that kind of title. It's a book that begins with a cultural history lesson about North Korea from it's creation and I don't mean that in a boring way. It's a really interesting look into the country with such an intense history.
Then we learn about the leaders of North Korea and their personal histories up through Kim Jong Un.
In the final section there is an attempted analysis of Kim Jong Un as a person and character with his goals and expectations. Then it takes a sharp turn into U.S. politics and foreign policy regarding North Korea.
The first two sections were so interesting and the writing was very well done. At times the short little tid bits read like a collection of stories (very terrifying and uncomfortable, nightmarish stories). At time I laughed out loud-not because it was funny-but because with my U.S. history and upbringing it sounded absolutely as insane and unreal.
The final section brought the book down for me a lot. I picked up the book because of my interest in understanding and learning about Kim Jong Un. It became very preachy about the future of dealing with North Korea. I agree that is important, but I feel like that belongs in an afterword or something. I would have enjoyed a better summary of Kim Jong Un at the end instead of U.S. focus.
I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone with interest in foreign leaders and who they are.
Becoming Kim Jong Un drew me in with the title, cover, and description. I knew next to nothing about the North Korean leader besides what craziness I heard via various news outlets.
This book was almost exactly what I expected and wanted from a book with that kind of title. It's a book that begins with a cultural history lesson about North Korea from it's creation and I don't mean that in a boring way. It's a really interesting look into the country with such an intense history.
Then we learn about the leaders of North Korea and their personal histories up through Kim Jong Un.
In the final section there is an attempted analysis of Kim Jong Un as a person and character with his goals and expectations. Then it takes a sharp turn into U.S. politics and foreign policy regarding North Korea.
The first two sections were so interesting and the writing was very well done. At times the short little tid bits read like a collection of stories (very terrifying and uncomfortable, nightmarish stories). At time I laughed out loud-not because it was funny-but because with my U.S. history and upbringing it sounded absolutely as insane and unreal.
The final section brought the book down for me a lot. I picked up the book because of my interest in understanding and learning about Kim Jong Un. It became very preachy about the future of dealing with North Korea. I agree that is important, but I feel like that belongs in an afterword or something. I would have enjoyed a better summary of Kim Jong Un at the end instead of U.S. focus.
I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone with interest in foreign leaders and who they are.
hetauuu's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written and comprehensive account into the life of Kim Jong Un, who is one of the world's most reclusive men, yet known around the entire world. Becoming Kim Jong Un was the perfect introduction to his rise to power, and the book taught me a lot about the history of the two Koreas. This history was well-connected to current events, highlighting how Kim Jong Un's power was not created in a vacuum, but slowly built upon by his predecessors. Pak highlights how Kim Jong Un never had to fight for his power or build the nuclear arsenal North Korea possesses today. He simply inherited it, and the reason he hangs on to it to dear life is because it is what protects him and his position as the untouchable Supreme Leader.
For people who are well versed in North Korea and its issues, Becoming Kim Jong Un might not offer that much new information or be a particularly groundbreaking book. However, to me, as someone with very basic surface-level knowledge on North Korea and Kim Jong Un in particular, this was a very interesting, thoroughly researched and approachable introduction to the topics, with great, poignant writing to boot.
For people who are well versed in North Korea and its issues, Becoming Kim Jong Un might not offer that much new information or be a particularly groundbreaking book. However, to me, as someone with very basic surface-level knowledge on North Korea and Kim Jong Un in particular, this was a very interesting, thoroughly researched and approachable introduction to the topics, with great, poignant writing to boot.
nerfnerder's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting read, but it doesn’t really cover any new information about the Kim family. I enjoyed the final chapter in which the author discusses various approaches to approaching relations with North Korea.