Scholars of history, literature, music, business, art, and language team up to introduce North Korea and South Korea to general readers, especially young readers, and provide a reference for people planning to travel to Asia or to help teachers incorporate the countries into their curriculum. They examine the geography from prehistory time to the present, contemporary government and politics, the economy, and contemporary issues such as the younger generation and the information age. Sections on society and culture also consider such dimensions as social classes and ethnicity, women and marriage, etiquette, literature, food, and leisure and sport. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)