The Foreign Service Journal, November 2009

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 newmembers, 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, paper- back, 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 pre- pare them for more rapid and successful acculturation. This study explores the effect of pre-departure cultural orientations for U.S.-bound refugees on their subse- quent employment success. The author analyzed a sample of more than 15,000 refugees from Sudan, Somalia and Liberia to test soci- ologist John Berry’s theory that ethnicity has no bearing on refugees’ experience of acculturation stress and suc- cess and to explore his recommendation that orientation interventions should be made prior to the refugees’ de- parture. The findings, presented in the form of clear in- formation 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 dis- placed populations, political science and women’s stud- ies 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 as- sistant secretary of Defense, about The Other War: Winning and Los- ing 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 re- counts with candor and rich detail how “the other war” unfolded during that critical period, shedding light on many heretofore unexamined details of operations, ten- sions 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 in- formed 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 Provi- sional Authority and then as the embassy’s principal in- terlocutor with the Multinational Command. A retired member of the Senior Foreign Service, he served pre- viously 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: Flirt- ing 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 ex- perience and profound empathy for both nations, who has closely monitored their evolution. Ambassador William B. Milam takes a hard look at 28 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 9