Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for America

Rating:
Summary: Very informative
Review: "Inside a U.S. Embassy" is a great start in learning more about the Foreign Service, focusing on the individuals who serve the United States from abroad. It covers a diverse group of people and is quite easy to read. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 consists of profiles of Foreign Service employees in "each type of position in a typical U.S. embassy," including Ambassador, Political Officer, Consular Officer, Office Management Specialist, and Foreign Service National. The profiles included are of both men and women who have served in different parts of the world. However, like a previous reviewer, I wonder if they could have chosen to do a profile of a Junior Officer that is more consistent with what Junior Officers are expected to do. She didn't seem so "junior" to me! Part 2 consists of one-day hour-by-hour journals from embassy staff around the world. I liked the fact that they included the journal of a Foreign Service spouse, since families also play a large role in the Foreign Service. The most personal, and fascinating, part was Part 3, which has "tales from the field" from Foreign Service staff with experiences including the evacuation of an embassy (Pakistan), the assassination of an ambassador (Afghanistan), a coup (Guinea-Bissau), and organizing a Little League in the Ukraine. Also included in the book are a map of Department of State locations and a list of foreign affairs and Foreign Service resources.

Being curious about what the Public Diplomacy section does, I was a little confused about finding the term "Public Diplomacy" in only one place in the book (in the "Embassy Flow Chart") and instead finding a profile of a "Public Affairs Officer." While I'm assuming a Public Affairs Officer works in the Public Diplomacy section, what's the difference between a Public Affairs Officer and a Public Diplomacy Officer (a term used on the Department of State website). A minor gripe.

Also, I would have found a general introduction to the structure of an embassy (i.e. a description of the different sections - Consular, Economic, Political, Public Diplomacy, and Administrative) really useful. On the cover of the book, it says "How the Foreign Service Works for America." I'm quite satisfied with the profiles and comments from actual Foreign Service Officers and Foreign Service Specialists; however, I think that in order to get a better picture of what they do, we should be informed about the structure of the organization they work for and how they got their start.

Rating:
Summary: Very informative
Review: "Inside a U.S. Embassy" is a great start in learning more about the Foreign Service, focusing on the individuals who serve the United States from abroad. It covers a diverse group of people and is quite easy to read. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 consists of profiles of Foreign Service employees in "each type of position in a typical U.S. embassy," including Ambassador, Political Officer, Consular Officer, Office Management Specialist, and Foreign Service National. The profiles included are of both men and women who have served in different parts of the world. However, like a previous reviewer, I wonder if they could have chosen to do a profile of a Junior Officer that is more consistent with what Junior Officers are expected to do. She didn't seem so "junior" to me! Part 2 consists of one-day hour-by-hour journals from embassy staff around the world. I liked the fact that they included the journal of a Foreign Service spouse, since families also play a large role in the Foreign Service. The most personal, and fascinating, part was Part 3, which has "tales from the field" from Foreign Service staff with experiences including the evacuation of an embassy (Pakistan), the assassination of an ambassador (Afghanistan), a coup (Guinea-Bissau), and organizing a Little League in the Ukraine. Also included in the book are a map of Department of State locations and a list of foreign affairs and Foreign Service resources.

Being curious about what the Public Diplomacy section does, I was a little confused about finding the term "Public Diplomacy" in only one place in the book (in the "Embassy Flow Chart") and instead finding a profile of a "Public Affairs Officer." While I'm assuming a Public Affairs Officer works in the Public Diplomacy section, what's the difference between a Public Affairs Officer and a Public Diplomacy Officer (a term used on the Department of State website). A minor gripe.

Also, I would have found a general introduction to the structure of an embassy (i.e. a description of the different sections - Consular, Economic, Political, Public Diplomacy, and Administrative) really useful. On the cover of the book, it says "How the Foreign Service Works for America." I'm quite satisfied with the profiles and comments from actual Foreign Service Officers and Foreign Service Specialists; however, I think that in order to get a better picture of what they do, we should be informed about the structure of the organization they work for and how they got their start.

Rating:
Summary: Don't buy if you passed the written
Review: Great book, but be warned, if you passed the written exam the State Department will mail you this book for FREE. I bought this book and the same day it was delivered I recieved a free copy from the State Department. I am still waiting for my refund.

Rating:
Summary: Great Source of Information
Review: Inside a U.S. Embassy gives readers an excellent view of the inner workings of an U.S. Embassy. It gives backgrounds on many different employees of the embassyes and the work they have done. It also walks you through the average day of many people working at the embassyes throughout the world. I would recommend the book to anyone who would like to learn more on the topic. I feel it also gives a better look into foreign service life that Realities of the Foreign Service where the essays become repeatitive.

Rating:
Summary: Great Source of Information
Review: Inside a U.S. Embassy gives readers an excellent view of the inner workings of an U.S. Embassy. It gives backgrounds on many different employees of the embassyes and the work they have done. It also walks you through the average day of many people working at the embassyes throughout the world. I would recommend the book to anyone who would like to learn more on the topic. I feel it also gives a better look into foreign service life that Realities of the Foreign Service where the essays become repeatitive.

Rating:
Summary: An anthology of brief essays and personal testimonies
Review: Inside a U.S. Embassy: How the Foreign Service Works for America is an anthology of brief essays and personal testimonies penned by experienced professionals and published by the American Foreign Service Association itself, that reveal the role a U.S. embassay plays oversees and the demands placed upon its public servants and diplomats. Focusing on individual stories rather than cold facts or an excess of statistics, Inside a U.S. Embassy Includes profiles of the wide range of U.S. embassy responsibilities, from ambassador and mission director to refugee coordinators, consular officer, security officer and more. Brief true tales include typical days in the life of the foreign service as related in one-day journals from individuals worldwide, and amazing glimpses of the foreign service in action during moments of crisis. A fascinating revelation of the tireless men and women who labor to represent America abroad.


Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: This is one of my favorite books on the Foreign Service, and I would recommend this book to any prospective FSOs or to anyone remotely related to one. Part I provides various profiles of the different embassy jobs available. Not only does it include profiles of the standard career tracks (political, economic, etc.) but it also discusses other positions, such as environmental officers. Before I read this book, I had no idea that there even were environmental officers. There are many more people working in an embassy than is evident from initial research into the foreign service, and this section is particularly helpful in demonstrating the variety of jobs one can hold. It also gives a brief bio of each person it profiles, which was very helpful because you can see the varied backgrounds that FSOs have. There are also bios on USAID and other government officials that work abroad in there. Part II provides daily journals of people in various positions, which is helpful both to see what these officers really do and to see what kinds of hours they keep. This section (and Part III) also lets people get glimpses of life in other countries. Finally, Part III contains short essays that cover both the good points and the bad points of Foreign Service life. I agree with another reviewer in that the junior officer position was not typical (possibly because they profiled someone who had received a State Department fellowship), but I believe the rest of the profiles are. Overall, a very helpful book!

Rating:
Summary: Don't complain about a free gift!
Review: What a grouch! Adiegoriv is complaining about a free gift from the Department of State. If you are planning to take the Foreign Service Written Exam (usually given in April), you need this book BEFORE you take the test. It is true that the State Department is currently sending Inside a U.S. Embassy to Foreign Service Written Exam passers as a gesture to help them understand more about embassies and real Foreign Service work. My suggestion: if you get a free book because you passed this difficult exam, pat yourself on the back and give the extra copy to a friend or family member who might be interested in your exciting future career in international affairs.