50 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL US Foreign Service Officer Recruitment: Persistence Pays, Mid-Career Advantage and the Long Game Thomas John Moran, Carrollton Polymath, 2024, $19.99/e-book, digital only, 38 pages. Author Thomas Moran explains the Foreign Service hiring process and outlines how it differs from privatesector recruitment. He offers tips to better position an application to maximize hiring advantage, particularly for the midcareer recruit. Thomas Moran is a retired Foreign Service information management specialist who served in Saudi Arabia, Iceland, Afghanistan (twice), Egypt, Pakistan, Russia, and China. Rome Made Easy: The Insider Guide to Authentic Rome Douglas Morris, Lulu, 2025, $19.99/paperback, e-book available, 271 pages. Author Douglas Morris has lived overseas for 30 years, 15 of which were spent in Italy. In Rome Made Easy, he offers a local’s insight into one of the most captivating cities in the world, compiling his in-depth knowledge into a comprehensive travel guide that offers up-to-date insider tips and expert advice to make a visit to Rome enjoyable, rewarding, and, best of all, easy. When sated with the splendor of ancient ruins, stunning art and architecture, vibrant markets, and guided walking tours through thriving local neighborhoods, find authentic places to eat and drink, including colorful enoteche, small family-owned trattorie, charming cafés, restaurants, gelaterie, and pizzerias. The author also recommends quality accommodations with reasonable prices. Douglas Morris is the author of 16 books and numerous articles. His partner, Kelly Degnan, was a Foreign Service officer who served in Ankara, Khost, Brussels, Pristina, Rome, Tbilisi, and Washington, D.C. His other books include Florence Made Easy (2006) and Venice Made Easy (2013). Discipline by Subtraction: The Art of Strategic Laziness James Snoddy, Amazon KDP, 2025, $14.99/paperback, e-book available, 205 pages. Discipline by Subtraction is a field manual for people who are tired of optimizing systems that shouldn’t exist. Written by a combat-tested infantry officer turned entrepreneur, diplomat, and systems strategist, the book introduces a ruthless framework for reclaiming time and clarity by deleting the unnecessary. Rather than glorifying hustle, this book elevates discernment—teaching readers how to prioritize actions based on return on investment. Through a fusion of military decisiveness, diplomatic triage, and entrepreneurial iteration, it equips readers to do more by doing less. This isn’t about doing nothing. It’s about doing fewer things on purpose, with leverage, and without apology. If you’re already operating at a high level but feel outnumbered by your obligations, this is your new doctrine. James Snoddy is an FSO with the Department of State. During 11 years in the Foreign Service, he has served in India, Latvia, and Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to assignments in New York and Washington, D.C. He is currently posted in the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy. n
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