title: Inside a U.S. Embassy: Diplomacy at Work, The Essential Guide to the Foreign Service
author:  Shawn Dorman 
description: <DIV>&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t have to be Secretary of State to enter the intriguing world of international diplomacy. What every American needs to know about the role of U.S. embassies is in this volume. Told from the unique vantage point of diplomatic practitioners, the stories recounted here shed light upon a profession little known to most Americans but deeply important to the safety, freedom, and prosperity of us all. These are the stories of the men and women who serve America&rsquo;s interest&mdash;often under difficult and dangerous conditions&mdash;from the great cities to the most remote corners of the globe.&rdquo;&mdash;Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Madeleine Albright 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;Anyone who has been connected to American diplomacy knows how often the question is asked, &lsquo;But what do you <U>do</U> in an embassy?&rsquo; Here is the answer: a heck of a lot. Our citizens and our friends around the world will learn from this lively book just how vital the Foreign Service is to our country&rsquo;s well-being and to the betterment of all peoples.&rdquo;&mdash;George Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State&#160;<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (George Shultz 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;<I>Inside a U.S. Embassy</I>&#160;sits at my desk and I recommend it to all interested in the Foreign Service.&rdquo;&mdash;Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth, Professorial Lecturer at George Washington University&rsquo;s Elliott School of International Affairs and Former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Karl F. Inderfurth 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m fascinated by the contents. I think that not only members of the Committee but all Americans will be deeply interested in this.&rdquo;&mdash;Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, Senate Foreign Relations Committee<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Richard Lugar 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m absolutely a fan of this book. What makes it so interested is that it&rsquo;s about individuals and what they do, and it&rsquo;s about how they support the United States in an active way.&rdquo;&mdash;Ambassador Marc Grossman, Career Ambassador and Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs<BR /><BR /> &#160;<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Marc Grossman 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;Every day in hundreds of places around the world, thousands of your fellow Americans are at work in direct support of you and your interests. From helping American in trouble, to formulating American foreign policy, to talking to foreign leaders about cooperation in hundreds of different areas from trade to technology to preventing nuclear war, these people make a difference. This book tells the fascinating inside story of how it all works.&rdquo;&mdash;Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, Boeing Company Senior Vice President for International Relations and Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Thomas R. Pickering 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;Readers will find an up-to-date, compelling, interesting, accurate, and highly readable depiction of the Foreign Service and its vital role in service to our nation. The profiles and the stories all show the rich diversity of our people, in terms of both their varied backgrounds and the wide range of services they perform.&rdquo;&mdash;Ambassador Ruth A. Davis, Distinguished Adviser for International Affairs at Howard University and former Director General of the Foreign Service<BR /> &#160;<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Ruth A. Davis 2017-03-06)<br /><br /><DIV>&ldquo;<I>Inside a U.S. Embassy</I> is required reading for the first week of my university seminar on practical diplomacy. My students are amazed at the variety and uniqueness of Foreign Service work described in the book&rsquo;s first-hand accounts. I wouldn&rsquo;t teach the course without it.&rdquo;&mdash;Ambassador Genta Hawkins Holmes, former Diplomat in Residence, University of California, Davis<BR /> &#160;</DIV> (Genta Hawkins Holmes 2017-03-06)
zlib_text: THEY BROUGHT it to me, of course. I'm the head of this outfit, since they have
  the idea I'm a diplomat, and so they brought it to me.
  
  It started in my office; I'm the Terran attaché to the Venusian Embassy in New
  York
  
  — the catch being that the Venusians don't know that a fellow named Mart
  Robinson is attached to them.
  
  My job, mostly, is simply to sit around and keep an eye on our blue-skinned
  brothers from space, and make sure they're only double-crossing us and not
  pulling a tripple cross. Which, knowing them, I consider altogether likely at
  any time.
  
  The Venusian Embassy is a tall, imposing building in midtown Manhattan. It
  looks just like every other office building in the midtown section. The only
  difference is that you can get inside any of the other office buildings
  without much trouble. No Earthman has entered the Venusian Embassy since the
  day the Treaty was signed, and the windows are pleasantly opaque.
  
  No Earthman except one, that is. His name was Hilary Bowie, and he w