The Foreign Service Journal, November 2006

Publishing, 1989), Swords into Market Shares (Joseph Henry Press, 2000), A Faceless Enemy: The Origins of Modern Terrorism (Perseus Books, 2002) and Scien- tists, Engineers and Two-Track Diplomacy (National Academies Press, 2004). Weasel Words: The Dictionary of American Doublespeak Paul Wasserman and Don Hausrath, Capital Books, 2005, $20.00, paperback, 220 pages. From “abdominal protec- tor” to “zippies,” this little dic- tionary is a delightful take on modern American culture — in the authors’ words, “a read- er’s and listener’s companion to our 21st century.” With a sharp political eye and ample wit, Wasserman and Hausrath zero in on the misnomers, euphem- isms, evasions and simple flim-flam that litter con- temporary political and professional discourse. Terms and phrases are arranged alphabetically, but an index grouped by category (e.g., business, health, media, social behavior, military affairs and intelli- gence) at the back of the book facilitates quick look- ups. As the inspiration for this work, the authors cite long experience in government and academic bureau- cracies as well as lengthy periods living abroad — “where one naturally studies our American language from an alien perspective, which is helpful in learning our home country’s use of indirection and evasions.” According to the authors, the book evolved “as a sort of crib sheet, translating evasions, distortions, circum- ventions, obfuscations and misleading terms back into English.” Don Hausrath, a retired senior FSO, and Paul Wasserman, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland College of Information Studies, are co- authors of Washington, D.C., from A to Z (Capital Books, Inc., 2003). Contact with Alien Civilizations: Our Hopes and Fears about Encountering Extraterrestrials Michael A.G. Michaud, Springer, 2006, $27.50, hardcover, 448 pages. Whether intelligent beings exist beyond the Earth — and the implications of contact with them — has been explored and debated for more than 2,000 years, and by no means just among science fiction writers. This comprehensive review of the subject, is meticu- lously documented. It contains a history of speculations about con- tact with extraterrestrial intelli- gence, descriptions of the scien- tific searches for extraterrestrial life and alien signals, and consideration of the argu- ments concerning the probability of finding other technological societies. Also included are the major models of contact. The second half of the book is devoted to an evaluation of the main predictions that have been offered about contact, and some conclu- sions about the search and its consequences. Retired FSO Michael Michaud served as director of the State Department’s Office of Advanced Technology and as counselor for science, technology and environment in Paris and Tokyo. As chairperson of International Academy of Astronautics working groups that considered this subject, he coordinated the drafting of the Declaration of Principles Following the Detection of Extraterrestrial Intelligence. He has published numerous articles and papers, and is the author of Reaching for the High Frontier: The American Pro-Space Movement, 1972-1984 (Praeger, 1986). Mr. Michaud lives in Europe. National Interest and International Aviation Erwin von den Steinen, Luwer Law International BV, 2006, $122.00, hardcover, 230 pages. How should the national interest in aviation be defined as we move into the 21st century? Should national regulatory controls progressively give way to multinational controls? Is this an either/or equation? These are some of the questions addressed in this rig- orous and thoughtful study of international aviation, a cornerstone of the social and economic process of glob- alization. A functioning aviation system (not necessari- ly the fate of particular airlines) is a vital national inter- est, the author explains, but its safeguarding requires international cooperation. The subject of national rela- tionships and international regulation is examined here. The national interest is explored from a producer per- spective, from a consumer perspective, from a regional perspective and in the context of the North Atlantic market. Though thorough, this work is not an academic 60 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 6