The Great Successor attempts to paint a picture of the life of the current leader of North Korea. However, very little is publicly known about him. North Korea publishes propaganda for the cult of personality. However, the purpose is to deify, rather than humanize, and is not a reliable source. Expatriate Koreans that knew him are reluctant to talk for fear of reprisals. This is a dictator that had his own brother killed in broad daylight on foreign soil. What we are left with is bits and pieces from official encounters (such as Dennis Rodman's basketball visits). We know he is overweight, attended school in Switzerland and likes basketball (especially the Chicago Bulls.) He also appears to be a shrewd leader, willing to eliminate anyone that stands in his way. (Beyond that, we don't know many details of his life. This book pieces together bits and pieces from former schoolmates (who often confused him with relatives), as will as people that worked with him (a Japanese sushi chef) and people that had left North Korea. Due in part to the scarcity of source material, the book reads more as a set of research notes than a comprehensive narrative. North Korean likes to showcase the "good parts" for visitors, making it hard to get a good picture of the country. However, it is also allowing more market activity and growth today, with Kim putting the focus on economic growth, now that he has demonstrated that the country is a nuclear power. What does the future hold for one of the most closed countries on earth and its third generation leader? We don't know.
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