What is life really like for the more than 24 million citizens of Asia's so-called hermit state — the Democratic People's Republic of Korea?

North Korea Confidential, by Daniel Tudor, James Pearson224 pages.Tuttle, Nonfiction.

The occasional reports from defectors do appear but, in general, mainstream media has little to say beyond second-guessing the dynasty of Kim Jong Un or trying to predict its demise. This, of course, is by design: It's in the regime's interest to limit the flow of information both in and out of North Korea.