{"product_id":"the-impossible-state-north-korea-past-and-future-isbn-9780061998508","title":"The Impossible State: North Korea, Past and Future","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A meaty, fast-paced portrait of North Korean society, economy, politics and foreign policy.” -Foreign Affairs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe definitive account of North Korea, its veiled past and uncertain future, from the former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eThe Impossible State\u003c\/em\u003e, seasoned international-policy expert and lauded scholar Victor Cha pulls back the curtain on this controversial and isolated country, providing the best look yet at North Korea's history, the rise of the Kim family dynasty, and the obsessive personality cult that empowers them. He illuminates the repressive regime's complex economy and culture, its appalling record of human-rights abuses, and its belligerent relationship with the United States, and analyzes the regime's major security issues—from the seemingly endless war with its southern neighbor to its frightening nuclear ambitions—all in light of the destabilizing effects of Kim Jong-il's recent death.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow this enigmatic nation-state—one that regularly violates its own citizens' inalienable rights and has suffered famine, global economic sanctions, a collapsed economy, and near total isolation from the rest of the world—has continued to survive has long been a question that preoccupies the West. Cha reveals a land of contradictions, one facing a pivotal and disquieting transition of power from tyrannical father to inexperienced son, and delves into the ideology that leads an oppressed, starving populace to cling so fiercely to its failed leadership.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith rare personal anecdotes from the author's time in Pyongyang and his tenure as an adviser in the White House, this engagingly written, authoritative, and highly accessible history offers much-needed answers to the most pressing questions about North Korea and ultimately warns of a regime that might be closer to its end than many might think—a political collapse for which America and its allies may be woefully unprepared.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e | \u003cp\u003eThe definitive account of North Korea, its veiled past and uncertain future, from the former Director for Asian Affairs at the National Security Council\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThough it is much discussed and often maligned, precious little is known or understood about North Korea, the world's most controversial and isolated country. In \u003cem\u003eThe Impossible State\u003c\/em\u003e, seasoned international-policy expert and lauded scholar Victor Cha pulls back the curtain, providing the best look yet at North Korea's history, the rise of the Kim family dynasty, and the obsessive personality cult that empowers them. He illuminates the repressive regime's complex economy and culture, its appalling record of human-rights abuses, and its belligerent relationship with the United States, and analyzes the regime's major security issues—from the seemingly endless war with its southern neighbor to its frightening nuclear ambitions—all in light of the destabilizing effects of Kim Jong-il's recent death. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow this enigmatic nation-state—one that regularly violates its own citizens' inalienable rights and has suffered famine, global economic sanctions, a collapsed economy, and near total isolation from the rest of the world—has continued to survive has long been a question that preoccupies the West. Cha reveals a land of contradictions, one facing a pivotal and disquieting transition of power from tyrannical father to inexperienced son, and delves into the ideology that leads an oppressed, starving populace to cling so fiercely to its failed leadership. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith rare personal anecdotes from the author's time in Pyongyang and his tenure as an adviser in the White House, this engagingly written, authoritative, and highly accessible history offers much-needed answers to the most pressing questions about North Korea and ultimately warns of a regime that might be closer to its end than many might think—a political collapse for which America and its allies may be woefully unprepared. \u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Cha demonstrates an intimate familiarity with the regime’s contradictions. . . . The thesis is clear: the world’s most closed-off state needs to open up to survive, but breaking its hermetic seal may well precipitate its demise.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New Yorker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“An up-close, insightful portrait. . . . \u003cem\u003eThe Impossible State\u003c\/em\u003e is a clearheaded, bold examination of North Korea and its future.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Engrossing. . . . Perhaps the best recent one-volume account of North Korea’s history, economics and foreign relations.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Economist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A meaty, fast-paced portrait of North Korean society, economy, politics, and foreign policy by an expert who has studied the regime as a scholar and interacted with its officials.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eForeign Affairs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ecco","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888656773349,"sku":"NP9780061998508","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061998508.jpg?v=1730229551","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-impossible-state-north-korea-past-and-future-isbn-9780061998508","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}