I was fortunate to have worked at the UN for a decade and served briefly as part of Secretary-General Ban's office. What is fascinating about this book is learning more about his family and formative years, and how those experiences shaped his ideals career path and lifelong dedication to diplomacy and service. He profoundly understands the mission and potential of this institution, along with the global challenges it faces. My only complaint is that this book is at times repetitive, and bounces around a bit- but overall a really great reflection!

One of the most commanding voices of our time! Resolved offers readers the rare opportunity to feel the full existential angst of deciding humanity’s fate beneath the tenuous sword of Damocles. How can one man shoulder this remarkably solemn task?

How does one measure up to the escalating crises of warming temperatures, ongoing depletion of natural resources, rising sea levels and the choking of our oceans with plastic? How do you talk dictators down from their throbbing, masturbatory burn for power? OR, in the case of natural disasters like cyclone Nargis and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, how do you: respect state-sovereignty, navigate kleptocratic corruption, tend to the needy, and simultaneously protect relief workers, only to be thanklessly accused of importing cholera in a crescendo of opportunism through a class-action lawsuit?

How do you keep pressure on the DPRK and Iran from developing their nuclear capability, when an insane, egomaniacal, American populist (ahem, no names) can spastically walk back decades of negotiation overnight? How do you ask an autocrat to democratically legitimize his authority as he threatens to recall his troops - foreboding doom upon a costly peacekeeping mission mere miles away? How do you not interfere in a deadly civil war where a sly despot is gassing his people, while the veto-holding members of the Security Counsel are deadlocked over the fine-print of R2P (justified intervention)?

How do you defend the lofty ideals of the Universal Charter when certain member-states have no legal status for women, sexually- and ethno-diverse minorities? How does one reduce the hypocritical carbon footprint of a leviathan like the UN? How can you aid a poor nation for epidemic preparedness, when it is inevitably received as some western plot to export Polio, Ebola, and now, COVID-19?

There is always room to criticize, arguably, the most influential man on earth - the UN Secretary-General. Ban Ki-Moon doesn’t shy away from this heightened sense of conscience, either. But where the hell would we be if these thoughtful and steady men took a day off? I’ve frequently wondered, “Why can’t the voting American public ever get an executive like Hammarskjöld, Boutros-Gali, Annan, or Ban!”

These diplomats are far from perfect. But who else is going to advocate for the common interest of man?

5 stars. I salute you, sir. Fucking brilliant!

This would be the hardest job in the world, to try and keep the world at peace. Ban Ki-Moon is a remarkable and compassionate man. Passionate about humanity and has an unequivocal need to bring peace to this chaotic place we call home. His writing and words are real and raw. This book opened my eyes to the devastation humanity has brought to all creation. To this one man and all of the UN people on the ground, thank you for being and making the difference we all need to know about. Your strength and belief does not go unnoticed.

It is truly disappointing when a faceless bureaucrat like Ban Ki-Moon, who did a lot of good work and probably has a lot of stories to tell, writes his story about two terms at the helm of the UN, and the result is....deadly dull. Even his personal story -- growing up in impoverished Korea, making his way into diplomacy, getting to the UN -- is realted in a lifeless dull way. Then most of the book is a reciting of progress achieved in various areas under his watch, even more dull. He may have made a good diplomat, but he has a lot to learn as a storyteller.

It's a given that the author is an amazingly accomplished man. We all owe him a great debt of gratitude for his efforts. However, as far as this book goes, I just could not maintain interest in it. It was a bit too dry for my taste. I tried, several times, to get through it. I'm sure that this is a reflection of my own opinions and experiences, and not on the authors. Therefore, so as not to penalize him, I will not be posting my review on any of my regular review sites. I wish the best luck to the author.