Customer Reviews

Insiders Guide to the Un

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed "An Insider's Guide to the UN," which is a must-read for anyone trying to assess the role of the United Nations in today's world. This highly readable 2004 Yale University publication has quickly established itself as the definitive book for anyone wishing to understand the UN as well as US-UN relations. Longtime UN correspondent Linda Fasulo (NPR,NBC) has distilled insights gleaned from her years of covering the UN in this lively and concise volume, which is brimming with candid reflections by leading US and UN diplomats and officials on the key issues facing the international community. The book thus combines a comprehensive overview of the UN's basic role with a savvy analysis of pivotal issues on the UN's current agenda. The result is a wonderful book that is an ideal introduction for students and general readers while also offering much that would be of interest to experts as well. In short, this is a very user-friendly guide to the UN, peppered with keen insights,fascinating photos, charts and useful appendices.

Fasulo's book is clear and complete, making a terribly complex topic like the United Nations very accessible to a lay reader like me.

The book boasts a wealth of information, including everything from clear descriptions of the UN's various bodies, to revealing accounts of the UN's impact in international history, to the actual days and times you can visit the New York headquarters on a tour.

Unlike the previous reviewer, who seems to know everything about international affairs, I found An Insider's Guide eye-opening and, more importantly, a very enjoyable read!

A very good book. Fasulo's guide boasts all the important details about the UN, but it is also refreshingly lively. Sometimes the author is opinionated, but she is clear when she is speaking from personal experience. It's also appropriate for the high school reader: I recommend this to all my model UN students.

Fasulo's book is a great source of information for those who need an introduction to the United Nations' structure and main bodies. However, do not expect an unbiased account from the author, since it appears that the book was partially funded by the United Nations. Regardless, as a journalist who has been covering the UN for so long, Fasulo definitely has a clear agenda: to portray the UN as a valid and necessary institution. Any criticism is likely to be directed toward trivial aspects of the organization, such as the building it occupies or the miniscule offices reserved for journalists. Nothing that suggests a need for substantial structural reform within the UN. Fasulo goes out of her way to praise Kofi Annan and his Swedish wife. The author's devotion to the secretary general gets to be a little bit much and after a while one starts to wonder if it is a bigger office she is really after.

This is a great intro to the UN as well as a superb resource for those already acquainted with the organization. The writing style is clear, concise, and witty, and even the most complex functionings of the UN are laid out in an easy-to-understand way. (By the way, the 2nd edition of the book is even better, so I recommend checking that out.)

I have found this book quite helpful, and even pretty interesting. Not only are topics covered that explain the "principle organs" (Security Council, General Assembly, etc.), but different issues are covered, such as the International Criminal Court and why the US does not ratify the document that created this body.

My one critique is the organization of the chapters. Since this organization is huge, with many branches and over 52,000 employees, it is difficulty to conceptualize the organization (though I frequently turned to the organizational chart on pp. 6-7) and why some of the bodies located "under" the principle organs are located there. Some chapters are after their coordinating organ, but others seem placed at random. Given the huge nature of the UN, perhaps the author had a difficult time finding a truly logical chapter system.

Overall, I have a much better understanding of the UN, what they do, how they work, how they are funded, than I had before!

"An Insider's Guide to the UN" is an excellent, basic overview of the UN and the many agencies within. Should be required for anyone aspiring to or expressing interest in today's international world.

An excellent introduction to Navigating the United Nations. Not soo much an inside view.

This would be a fine book for high school and college students - and me. Very basic explanation of the UN and how it works. Fasulo also explains some of the supposed controversies that exist with regards to the UN: paying of dues, reform, human rights, etc. Also pointed out in the book is the expansive reach of the UN. Many people recognize the General Assembly and the Security Council, but the UN is so much more. Not very riveting to read, but helpful.

Hopefully the US can better appreciate the importance of the UN in the future, and I hope the UN can make many of the needed reforms that, if made, could allow the organization to have a much more positive impact on the world. But then, when there is no sovereign control over its members, and it operates on such a low budget, it's tough to see it become the leader many expect it to be. For its amazingly low budget, however, the UN sure does take on a lot with many fine successes.

I found this book provides sophisticated insights into the inner workings of the U.N. in a very concise and easy-to-read manner. I strongly recommend it to those who are seriously interested in understanding the United Nations today.