The book in the trend of this new history of the Cold War emphasizes North Korea's diplomatic agency during the Cold War, its anti-colonialism, size, and similarities to most other newly independent Third World nations, rather than presenting it as a fearsome socialist power like the two superpowers. North Korea's concept of Juche also provided a noteworthy model for the Third World. It shows how North Korea used its military, economic, cultural, and ideological resources to support anti-imperialist movements and regimes in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It also examines how North Korea’s Third World diplomacy shaped its domestic politics and international relations, as well as the perceptions of both North Koreans and Third World publics and how North Korea was transformed from a model developmental state to a reckless terrorist nation in the Third World However, the book seems somewhat too North Korea-centric, exaggerating North Korea's role at times (such as in the section on Indonesia). The author's discussion of reactions from the Third World also feels rather thin. As someone unfamiliar with Cold War history, I found the book eye-opening, but my friend tell me that current researches on the Third World during the Cold War generally stress the agency of these nations.