Person
Yeonmi Park books: every book Yeonmi Park wrote and recommended
Across 7 podcasts. Every show Yeonmi Park appears on, in one place — not just one.
Books by Yeonmi Park
Yeonmi Park’s most recommended books
- Animal Farm by George Orwell
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Don't Burn This Book by Dave Rubin
- On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- The Law by Frédéric Bastiat
- Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
- Dear Reader by Michael Malice
- Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
- The Dictator's Handbook by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita
Yeonmi Park is an American conservative activist and author. Born in North Korea, she defected from the country and was described by The Washington Post as one of the most famous North Korean defectors in the world. During her appearances on podcasts, Park has discussed several books that reflect on totalitarianism, propaganda, and freedom. On the Lex Fridman Podcast, she recommended Michael Malice's book Dear Reader. Speaking on The Rubin Report, Yeonmi Park told Dave Rubin that she was inspired by his book Don't Burn This Book. While appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience, Park compared the oppressive situation and linguistic control in North Korea to George Orwell's 1984 and noted how the premise of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games mirrors her experiences. She also mentioned reading Orwell's Animal Farm in South Korea, stating it helped her understand the oppressive nature of her upbringing and the psychology of totalitarianism. Additionally, on The Shawn Ryan Show, she mentioned reading John Stuart Mill's On Liberty when discussing what she enjoyed reading after coming to the United States.
Books recommended by Yeonmi Park
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Animal Farm
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a classic allegorical novella that uses a farmyard setting to satirize the corruption of socialist ideals and the rise of totalitarianism following the Russian Revolution.
Discussed“like the one point that changed me as a child was Georgia W Animal Farm”
Where to get it
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1984
George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984 presents a chilling vision of a totalitarian society characterized by perpetual surveillance, historical denial, and severe psychological manipulation.
Discussed“it is George 1984 they create double speak”
Where to get it
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Don't Burn This Book
Don't Burn This Book by Dave Rubin is a political and cultural work that argues for the importance of independent thought and classical liberalism in a polarized society.
Discussed“I'm like, I was learning that from reading your book, the first of book, "Don't Burn This Book", right? Like what it means to be a classic liberal.”
Where to get it
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On Liberty
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill is a classic 1959 political essay that serves as one of history's most robust defenses of individual freedom, free expression, and intellectual liberty.
Discussed“I like to read John Stewart like mirrors like on Liberty and basti as the law”
Where to get it
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The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a young adult dystopian novel set in a post-apocalyptic nation where children are forced to compete in a televised death match.
Discussed“It's a Hunger Games it's like when I was reading this book Hunger Games I literally like oh my God this person copied North Korea”
Where to get it
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The Law
The Law by Frédéric Bastiat is a classic political pamphlet that examines individual rights, the proper function of government, and the dangers of legal plunder.
Discussed“I like to read John Stewart like mirrors like on Liberty and basti as the law”
Where to get it
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Fooled by Randomness
Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a popular exploration of the massive role that chance, luck, and probability play in human success, finance, and everyday life.
Discussed“so that's the thing uh i was reading this book food by randomness right yeah”
Where to get it
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Dear Reader
Dear Reader by Michael Malice is an insightful, dark exploration of North Korea through the lens of its propaganda and the personality cult surrounding Kim Jong Il.
Recommended“what do you think of michael what do you think of his book on north korea called dear reader that people should definitely check out”
Where to get it
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Siddhartha
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse is a philosophical novel that follows a young man's spiritual journey of self-discovery in ancient India.
Discussed“i remember the the the siddhartha the novel is a fictional novel”
Where to get it
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The Dictator's Handbook
The Dictator's Handbook: Why Bad Behavior is Almost Always Good Politics by Bruce Bueno de Mesquita and Alastair Smith is a political science text that explains how authoritarian leaders maintain power by satisfying a small coalition of essential supporters rather than the general public.
Discussed“And I see the same pattern and tactics, and there is something called "The Dictator's Handbook", right? And I feel like that's what America's doing right now.”
Where to get it
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The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins depicting a totalitarian society where an opulent capital city exploits impoverished outlying districts for resources and entertainment.
Discussed“it's like when I was reading this book Hunger Games I literally like oh my God this person copied North Korea”
Where to get it
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Why Nations Fail
Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A.
Discussed“like i don't know if you read that book why nation affairs the system”
Where to get it
Appearances
Other mentions (5: passing, ad reads, own books)
“because not knowing is actually to oppression and I wrote about this in my new book”
“so the tragic thing about north korea is not only just banning shakespeare like we don't even know what romeo and juliet is right our movies is never about love stories”
“somehow that's the thing like we tell ourselves stories in order to live and that's how i came within my title of the book in order to live i had to tell myself a lot of stories to overcome a lot of things i think i was part of it”
“and that led me to write a book and penguin randomized was in new york so they brought me to write a book in new york”
“so it's called in order to live yeah that book ended when i began colombia right before”