A central theme of the book is the threat to civilization posed by nuclear weapons.

[3] Dr. Benjamin B. Ferencz was a chief prosecutor in the Nuremberg war crimes trials.

[4] Ken Keyes, Jr. was the author of The Hundredth Monkey, which awakened millions to our planetary predicament.

[4] The authors start by highlighting some of the serious global problems facing humanity.

They then proceed to show that a system of effective international law has been a developing trend historically, beginning with Franciscus de Victoria in 1526 through the establishment of a federalist government in the wake of the American Revolution and continuing to the present day.