The Foreign Service Journal, November 2004

ond ‘Big Bang’” is how the author refers to the transition now under- way from a world of competing ide- ologies and nation-states to a world that accommodates diversity and lives in peace and harmony. The author draws on both his experience as a senior diplomat and his upbring- ing as the son of the late anthropolo- gist Carleton Coon, who studied prehistoric and mod- ern societies in the Middle East, Patagonia and India. With a masterful economy of expression, he provides an overview of the evolution of human society and a vision of the future in this highly readable study. During Carl Coon’s 35-year career in the Foreign Service he lived and worked in many lands and cultures in both the East and the West. He was ambassador to Nepal from 1981 to 1984. He is the author of Culture Wars and the Global Village (2000) and a brief memoir, From the Heartland (see p. 39). TRAVEL Travels for Daggers: Adventures in Collecting Eiler R. Cook, Historic Edged Weaponry, 2004, $50.00, hardcover, 300 pages with 288 illustrations. Here is a handsome, leather-bound coffee-table book. More than 500 knives and other edged weapons are pictured and described in the course of a globe-spanning trip by this retired FSO, whose duties as a diplomatic courier and a political officer from 1947 to 1980 carried him to diplomatic posts all over the world. The narrative is laced with the author’s personal adventures and experiences as he visits post- World War II Europe, Scandinavia and Lapland, Cold War-era Berlin and Moscow, Istanbul and Cairo, Zululand, the Khyber Pass, Moroland and the Orient, Peru and Argentina. Eiler R. Cook lectures on edged weaponry in the U.S. and abroad, and is a staff correspondent for Knife World . Food and Drink in Argentina Dereck Foster and Richard Tripp, Aroma y Sabores, 2003, $8.95, paperback, 128 pages. Like the United States, Argentina is a country of immigrants producing unique culinary and linguistic results. This book, which one reviewer describes as “essential for helping you to discover the treasures of Argentina,” is an introduction to Argentina’s regional cuisines and a guide to its restaurants, menus, and even where to shop. The book was designed to meet the needs and interests of tourists and new residents. Dereck Foster was born in Buenos Aires and has lived there most of his life. As a journalist specializing in gastronomy and travel, he has visited 36 countries on five continents. He is food and wine editor for the Buenos Aires Herald, and lectures widely. Richard Tripp, who has had a lifelong interest in food and cook- ing, traveled extensively as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy. Following retirement in 1988 he accompa- nied his Foreign Service wife to posts in Brussels, Madrid and Buenos Aires. Living in Panama Sandra T. Snyder, Panama Relocation Services, 2002, $19.95, paperback, 218 pages. Panama is a mecca for expatriates, whether for business or pleasure, for short-term visits or retire- ment living. This very readable little book contains everything the newcomer needs to know about the country and its culture, presented in a simple, direct fashion and with oodles of useful lists and resources (including those online) to deal with almost any type of question or challenge — from getting a driver’s license to opening a bank account, paying utility bills and tips on children’s parties. Sandra Snyder, currently acting community liaison officer at Embassy Panama, is an expat herself. She and her husband settled in Panama 10 years ago, after living and traveling for a decade in Central and South America. Snyder has long been an information resource for newcomers to Panama, initially on an informal basis but later as a relocation specialist with Panama Relocation Services, publishers of this vol- ume. Washington, D.C., From A to Z: The Traveler’s Look- Up Source for the Nation’s Capital Don Hausrath and Paul Wasserman, Capital Books, Inc., 2003, paperback, $20.00, 412 pages. Written particularly with newly-returned Foreign Service officers in mind, this book offers comprehen- F O C U S 24 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 4