The Foreign Service Journal, November 2016

48 NOVEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The Battle Road Edward August, Amazon Digital Services, 2015, $12.99/paperback, $4.99/Kindle, 252 pages. This work of historical fiction, inspired by the author’s visits to Lexington, Concord and Minute Man National Historic Park— with its five miles of Battle Road that have been restored to the original 1775 condi- tion—is an entertaining introduction to the birth of America for young readers. When 13-year-old Jason Caldwell sets out to find his miss- ing brother, he is transported through time to 1775, just before the start of the Revolutionary War. He builds friendships and experiences life 200 years ago, including Paul Revere’s ride and the shot heard ’round the world, as he discovers the necessity of fighting this war. Edward August, the pen name of Augie Dworak, is a retired artist and teacher who lives in a farmhouse in New Hampshire with his wife, Deborah. He is the father of Foreign Service Officer Sadie Dworak, who is currently serving at U.S. Embassy Beirut. POTPOURRI A Cup of Culture and a Pinch of Crisis Leah Moorefield Evans, Katie Jagelski, Patricia Linderman and Nicole Schaefer- McDaniel, eds., Talesmag Press, 2016, $12.99/paperback, 270 pages. A Cup of Culture and a Pinch of Crisis is a collection of essays by expatriates that will open readers’ eyes to new insights about food, personal growth and the adventure of living abroad. Subtitled Tales from a Small Planet: The Food Edition , the book covers the gamut of experiences expats have in dealing with foreign cultures and climes, with food as the central theme. Should you get hungry while reading the book, many recipes are included with the essays. Some are faithful to the original maker of the dish, others have an American twist or a substitution where the ingredients cannot be obtained in the United States. (When was the last time you saw camel hump meat at the grocery store?) Among the anecdotes are stories of finding ingredients for the next meal, learning to love strange new dishes (like eel or edible chrysanthemums) and bonding with people over a meal in places both exotic and humble. The tales of trying new foods convey deeper stories—of making new friends, changing one’s outlook and overcoming adversity far from home. Foreign Service family members Leah Evans, Katie Jagelski, Patricia Linderman and Nicole Schaefer-McDaniel curated this tasty offering, working virtually from their homes in Mexico, Mongolia, Paraguay and Turkey. It is the first book published by Tales from A Small Planet (www.talesmag.com) , a 501(c)(3) organization and webzine created in 2000 by a group of Foreign Service spouses who had previously worked together on the “Spouses’ Underground Newsletter” (known as SUN). Make It In India: Global CEOs, Indo-U.S. Insights Ranjini Manian and Joanne Grady Huskey, Westland Ltd., 2015, $25/ paperback, $3.03/Kindle, 191 pages. The United States and India—the two largest democracies in the world—are entering a new era of collaboration in which culturally sensitive communi- cation will play a dominant role in diplomacy and business relations. In Make It In India: Global CEOs, Indo-U.S. Insights , Ranjini Manian and Joanne Grady Huskey help further readers’ cultural intelligence by providing answers to some of the most common questions that arise in American and Indian business dealings. The book is written as an easy-to-read resource for Ameri- cans interested in doing business in India. Each chapter addresses a particular topic, such as creating positive first impressions, expectations and protocol when conducting meetings, forming teams and team dynamics, working and communication styles, working with women in the workplace, negotiating deals and global citizenship. In each chapter, a series of questions related to the topic are answered by a selection of CEOs from Indian and American companies with experience in the Indo-U.S. market. “Tips” and “Facts,” set off for easy reading, are interspersed. Ranjini Manian and Joanne Grady Huskey founded the expat mobility and cross-cultural services firm Global Adjust- ments in 1995. An intercultural coach to heads of multinational