The Foreign Service Journal, April 2012

66 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / A P R I L 2 0 1 2 B O O K S White House, National Security Coun- cil and Secretary of State Warren Christopher all sat passively by as the horrendous genocide in Rwanda un- folded in 1994. While these policymistakes, and oth- ers, were merely awkward for U.S. in- terests, they led indirectly to millions of deaths throughout the continent. They also left an enduring legacy of massive violence that continues today in places like Sudan, Somalia and the Congo. More than anywhere else in the world, personal efforts can accomplish much in Africa. Indeed, Foreign Serv- ice officers were conducting “transfor- mational diplomacy” there decades before it became part of our jargon. Yet Washington continues to respond to disasters on the continent after the fact, even though timely prevention would be much less costly for all concerned. The concluding chapter, by Jendayi Frazer, is the most upbeat, suffused with optimism about Africa’s prospects. But for the next 50 years to be charac- terized by the continent’s genuine transformation to good governance, economic prosperity and true develop- ment, as she predicts, there must be a shift in the continent’s place within overall U.S. foreign policy — from the margins to the core. Tibor P. Nagy Jr. was a Foreign Service officer from 1979 to 2003, serving as ambassador to Guinea and Ethiopia. An Africa hand, his other overseas postings include Lusaka, Victoria, Lome, Yaounde and Lagos. Since re- tiring from the Foreign Service, he has served as vice provost for international affairs at Texas Tech University in Lub- bock. He also lectures widely on Africa and global issues. The Value of Tradecraft 21st-Century Diplomacy: A Practitioner’s Guide Kishan S. Rana, Continuum, 2011, $27.07, paperback, 392 pages; $15.37, Kindle Edition R EVIEWED BY E DWARD M ARKS Though modern diplomacy emer- ged after the signing of the Treaties of OrderingBooks Through AFSA.org Here’s how it works: 1. Go to the AFSA Web site, www.afsa.org 2. Click on Publications & Resources tab 3. Select Marketplace 4. Click on desired subject listings — books by FS authors are noted 5. Shop away! Not only is this a thrifty, efficient way to do your holiday shopping, but AFSA receives a 5-percent commission from Amazon on every item (books, CDs, toys, etc.) ordered in this manner. Books selected from the AFSA Web site bookstore generate an even higher commission payment. And ordering through AFSA doesn’t cost you a cent. So bookmark the AFSA site, use the link and help your association — and yourself!