NORTH KOREA

North Korea certainly wouldn't come first on a general list of dream destinations. Nevertheless, the country exudes an eerie fascination. It's a mystery, an anonymous country isolated from the rest of the world. With two friends, German photojournalist Julia Leeb made a journey to better understand the country and its people. The result is a spectacular illustrated volume that offers a riveting look at its architecture, culture, and society. Readers get to immerse themselves in an unknown world. We witness celebrations for the 100th birthday of the country's founder, Kim Il Sung, and follow thousands of North Koreans as they participate in an Arirang (Korean folk song) synchronized dance spectacle. But even the "quieter" impressions evoke emotion in the viewer: an excited bride, a mother with child-everyday scenes that are somehow quite different. These multi-layered images linger in the memory long afterwards, even when you have already put the book aside.