Conversations With Ban Ki-Moon: What The United Nations Is Really Like: The View From The Top

by Tom Plate

Only eight people have been privileged to hold the job of Secretary General since the United Nations’ founding in 1945. And only one of them has ever told the inside story of the UN while still holding that special office. That man is Ban Ki-moon, the veteran diplomat and former star foreign minister of South Korea now in his second term as SG. Because he understands that the UN is in crisis and because he fears the reasons for this are not widely understood he believes it is time to unveil the truth about the organization and explain why its failure would be a catastrophe. The result, via unprecedented conversations with American journalist Tom Plate, is a deeply revealing book about the kinds of issues and challenges whose resolutions (or lack thereof) will in fact determine the future of the world

242 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2012

Reviews

[Thi Nguyên (Thảo Điền) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Về cá nhân của Tổng thư ký Ban Ki-Moon, thì mình khá thích và đánh giá cao bác khi ở cương vị này. Là Tổng thư ký Liên Hợp Quốc thứ hai đến từ châu Á, thực sự những gì bác làm được cho thế giới, đáng để mình phải ghi nhận.

Tuy nhiên, cuốn sách này chỉ là tổng hợp những buổi phỏng vấn của anh nhà báo Mỹ. Anh không hiểu quá nhiều về văn hóa châu Á nói chung lẫn văn hóa Hàn Quốc nói riêng, nên có khá nhiều áp đặt từ phía Mỹ.
Ngoài ra, những buổi phỏng vấn ngay khi bác Ban Ki-Moon còn tại vị, nên dĩ nhiên bác cũng không thể chia sẻ hết tất cả mọi thứ, mà chỉ có thể chắt lọc những thứ không quá nhạy cảm, đặc biệt ở vị thế trung lập của bác.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly enjoyable and easy read. Tom Plate brings out a nuanced depiction of Ban Ki Moon's personality, intentions and aspirations in a playful style, retaining the form of interviews with its meaningful pauses and ambient environments which reveal more than merely Ban's verbal responses. Tom Plate also has a knack for varying the pressure of his questions and discreetly cueing the reader to certain perspectives and considerations about the issue at hand.

[klerrr0r.404 | ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐️

If you're interested in understanding how the United Nations (UN) works from the pov of the United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) and an Asian one at that (this is very important because let's face it, an Asian "boss" at an organization that is a Western creation?! that's meant to make a few eyebrows raise), then you must read this book! Prior to reading this book, I was not really familiar with the UN's organizational structure, how authority and decision-making power as well as veto power is distributed (apparently, it's limited only among the P-5 and that explains a lot), and even the roles (including daily routines) and responsibilities of a UNSG. However, this book enlightened me regarding all those that I was confused with, and it did so in a lighthearted (entertaining, humorous to some degree, and not-so-serious) manner. I definitely learned a lot not just on how UN works but also from the conversations between Ban Ki-Moon and Tom Plate (and Yoo Soon-Taek) regarding their perspectives on a wide array of global issues. Additionally, I would just like to comment that Tom Plate's background as a journalist really helped with making such a supposedly complex material/topic or information (UN) digestible for the readers who have no prior background or no in-depth understanding about it. This was such an easy yet informative read!

[Duc Duck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book to understand how UN works

[Harmonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cuốn sách cho ta thấy được một phần con người và suy nghĩ của vị Tổng thư ký Liên hợp quốc. Ông là con người tận tụy, có thể nhận xét là hơi yếu thế vì mặt truyền thông. Ông có vẻ là ngươig điềm đạm, nghiêm túc trong công việc nhưng tuyệt đối không cho phép vượt qua những nguyên tắc của bản thân. Ông cũng là người đấu tranh mạnh mẽ cho bình đẳng giới và bảo vệ quyền lợi cho nữ giới bằng những thay đổi tích cực từ chính cơ quan ông đứng đầu. Vì là phỏng vấn cá nhân nên mang một số quan điểm cá nhân không hẳn nhận được sự đồng thuận về một số vấn đề chính trị.

[An Shun · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very factual reporting. I'm not sure whether the awkward phrasing of the UNSGs' answers achieved its intent of allowing readers to grasp the intended meaning. Notwithstanding, the book is neutral enough and leaves the reader to draw conclusions about the strategies that Ban Ki-Moon takes as UNSG.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish Tom Plate had addressed his writing style in the very beginning of the book and not at the end. Learned about Ban Ki-Moon , the structure of the UN and high level summary of some of the current political situations in the world.

[Lara Nguyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

một thể loại mới mà mình đọc. Thú vị hay ho và đôi lúc là ngạt nhiên đến bất ngờ.
Sẽ dành time để rewiew chi tiết sau nhưng đọc xong có một ngài Ban Ki Moon nhắn nhủ tới người trẻ mà mình nhớ như in: "Lúc nào đầu cũng phải ngẩng cao trên những đám mây nhưng đôi chân phải luôn luôn đặt ở mặt đất"

[JME · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not care for Tom Plate's writing style in the book, but four stars because it gives a rare insight into the mind and the office of the UNSG.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is hard for me : (

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

The conversation was fairly superficial, and needed to be less about the interviewer and more about Ban Ki-Moon.

[Yeewei Cheo · Rating 3 out of 5]

written in 2012, now: 2016 I wonder how is UN now. ironically the author sings high praises for clinton, uses trump as example for the selfish and inept and look who is the president of usa

[Nicholas Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I liked the way the book shows us some insights into the life of Ban and his role as SG of UN in an easy manner