When I was in Business School we had to complete a project that focused on the role that technology plays in shaping our culture, specifically business culture. I don't recall exactly what our subject was, but I remember making an allusion to my younger brother and his generation, Generation Y I think.
I believe I wrote something like, "My brother will be more comfortable using email than conventional mail, and following generations may have no concept that thank you letters or other types of personal correspondences were ever sent via the conventional post." I think the point of the passages were to highlight the changing perspective.
It was perspective that I was thinking of when I read this book review by Blaine Harden in the WSJ (here). The book, Escape From Camp 14, details the life of Shin Dong-hyuk in a forced labor camp in North Korea. Regular readers already know of my fascination with North Korea, and this quick look into that culture only served to feed that fascination.
Unlike The Orphan Master's Son (here), Mr. Shin was born and spent most of his young life in a prison camp. His perspective was so off that when he first heard about money and luxury of any type it was difficult to comprehend. His escape, even as it is described in this little review and excerpt, is compelling. Sadly, the excerpt also shows a less than compelling writing style that might just lead me to avoid the book.
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