Includes bibliographical references and index.

An overview -- UN founding documents -- The Secretary General and the Secretariat -- The American ambassadors -- The Security Council -- Peace operations -- The General Assembly -- Coordinating to fight international terrorism -- The UN village -- Rights versus sovereignty: the US and the International Criminal Court -- The call for reform -- UN finances -- A tour of UN headquarters -- The coup against Boutros-Ghali -- UN advocates, donors, and friends -- Keeping tabs on how nations vote -- Making a career at the UN -- ECOSOC -- Agencies, programs, and commissions -- Rule of law and human rights -- Social and economic development -- Protecting the biosphere and its inhabitants -- UN to the rescue -- Nuclear, biological, and chemical threats -- Guiding globalization: how the UN helps make things work -- International crime and drug trafficking.