Fascinating, insightful and highly informative, one of the best books I've read about the UN, it throws a welcome light on the inner workings of an institution that is too often derided by people who don't understand it. James Traub, by contrast, really understands it, he's seen it up close for years and knows how to explain it - and of course, his personal knowledge of Kofi Annan and his team is invaluable. He is a master at untangling the threads that are inevitably numerous in a complex institutional structure such as the UN and making it all clear to his reader, apportioning the blame in an equitable manner.
Kofi Annan comes out like the very human and highly idealistic person that he really is, virtues and shortcomings shown alike with compassion and understanding. In fact, the title is extremely apt: "The Best Intentions", they are the ones that guide UN staff in their work, and sure enough, in spite of all their efforts, the end result is often not the way intended, political pressures from member countries, especially from the US, derail them. The life of a UN Secretary General is strewn with frustrations...This is a book that will clarify for you many episodes that fell into deep, public controversy, in particular the Food for Oil Programme for Syria. For anyone interested in understanding what really happened, it's a must read.
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