ally considered a shameful existence is what sets this
book apart from others in its genre.
This book is not geared only to alcoholics. In addition
to explaining the steps, traditions and history of AA,
Adams dedicates an entire chapter to the group’s lingo,
which potential new members, friends and family could
find especially helpful.
A.J. Adams, a former FSO, is a professional writer
with more than a year in Alcoholics Anonymous. He
writes under a pen name in deference to the traditional
AA respect for privacy.
The Efficacy of Pre-Departure
Cultural Orientation in
Acculturation
Carla Nadeau, VDM Verlag
Dr. Muller, 2008, $63, paperback, 84 pages.
Each year the U.S. resettles
thousands of refugees in its cities
and towns. The stress of rapid and
extreme cultural shifts is often daunting for refugees,
and managers of the refugee programs seek ways to prepare them for more rapid and successful acculturation.
This study explores the effect of pre-departure cultural
orientations for U.S.-bound refugees on their subsequent employment success.
The author analyzed a sample of more than 15,000
refugees from Sudan, Somalia and Liberia to test sociologist John Berry’s theory that ethnicity has no bearing
on refugees’ experience of acculturation stress and success and to explore his recommendation that orientation
interventions should be made prior to the refugees’ departure. The findings, presented in the form of clear information and statistics via a multitude of charts, tables
and graphs, are the basis for practical proposals for pol-icymakers.
Carla Nadeau, an FSO currently posted in Dakar,
specializes in international displacement as a manager
for the Department of State’s refugee programs in the
United States, Europe and Africa. She studied displaced populations, political science and women’s studies at The Catholic University of America, Howard
University and the University of Connecticut.
The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan
Ronald E. Neumann, Potomac Books, 2009, $27.50,
hardcover, 256 pages.
“Read this book and learn the lessons therein, or fail
in Afghanistan,” says Richard Armitage, former Deputy
Secretary of State and former assistant secretary of Defense, about
The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan, a volume in the
ADST-DACOR Diplomats and
Diplomacy Series.
Ronald E. Neumann served as
ambassador to Afghanistan from
2005 to 2007. In this book, he recounts with candor and rich detail how “the other war”
unfolded during that critical period, shedding light on
many heretofore unexamined details of operations, tensions and policy decisions.
Straightforward in describing failures as well as suc-cesses, the book is must-reading, as much for students of
international affairs who want to understand the reality
of diplomatic policymaking and implementation in the
field as for those who want to understand our nation’s
complex engagement in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Neumann’s insightful account is informed by 38 years of diplomatic experience, mostly in
the greater Middle East. Prior to his appointment as
chief of mission in Kabul, Amb. Neumann served in
Baghdad from February 2004 with the Coalition Provisional Authority and then as the embassy’s principal interlocutor with the Multinational Command. A retired
member of the Senior Foreign Service, he served previously as a deputy assistant secretary and as ambassador
to Bahrain (2001-2004) and to Algeria (1994-1997).
Amb. Neumann is president of the American Academy
of Diplomacy and lives in Arlington, Va.
Bangladesh and Pakistan:
Flirting with Failure in South Asia
William B. Milam, Hurst & Co.
and Columbia University Press,
2009, $35, hardcover,
256 pages.
Bangladesh and Pakistan: Flirting with Failure in South Asia, the
35th volume in the ADST-DACOR
Diplomats and Diplomacy Series, makes an especially
timely contribution to the current debate on how best to
safeguard the stability of South Asia. The book traces
the political, military, social and economic trajectories of
post-1971 Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is written by a
former ambassador to both countries with years of experience and profound empathy for both nations, who
has closely monitored their evolution.
Ambassador William B. Milam takes a hard look at
