THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2024 87 definitions for terms like “diplomatic démarche” make it easy for the casual reader to understand. Given that I am expected to join the Foreign Service in the next few years, I especially appreciated these detailed, engaging insights into my future career. The Rangel Fellowship, one of five flagship programs offered by the State Department, provides participants funding for graduate-level studies and professional development training. With the additional years of preparation, the goal of the fellowship is to help aspiring individuals like me enter the Foreign Service—and, ideally, stay in the Foreign Service for a full career. However, as various authors and Kralev explain, officer training relies heavily on on-the-job learning, which has perpetuated a sink-or-swim culture over the past century. While mentorship should remain an important piece in building a strong diplomatic community, this textbook, coupled with programs like the Rangel Fellowship, offers a robust education for incoming diplomats that can give them confidence when heading to their first post. The book’s contributors do not shy away from addressing the challenges and realities of a Foreign Service career, offering valuable insights that individuals should consider before committing to this line of work. In addition, the book explores the five specialized career tracks for State Department Foreign Service officers and highlights key areas, such as cybersecurity, multilateral spaces, and health and science. Chapter 5, “How Does an Embassy Work?,” briefly covers other agencies with ties to foreign affairs, including the Foreign Commercial Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USAID, defense attaché offices, intelligence agencies, law-enforcement agencies, U.S. Agency for Global Media, and the Peace Corps. Importantly, every chapter ends with related case studies and training exercises. The former allows readers to relate the chapter’s contents to memorable historical examples, and the latter gives them the opportunity to challenge their critical thinking with hypothetical situations in the Foreign Service. I think Diplomatic Tradecraft will serve the mission Kralev envisioned when he started this project: to inform and inspire the next generation of diplomats. I read through the pages as if reading an action novel, and the stories from distinguished Foreign Service members reinforced my decision to serve and represent U.S. interests abroad. What makes it more than a textbook, more than an informative or theoretical Armed with insights from Diplomatic Tradecraft, I feel more prepared and motivated to pursue a Foreign Service career. manual, is the concrete advice provided by career diplomats. The entirety of chapter 3 is dedicated to the skills every officer should exhibit; but throughout the book, each author emphasizes the daily importance of empathy, skillful management, humility, and negotiation in the Service. Whether working with a host government to ensure the well-being of an American arrested overseas or coordinating logistics for an embassy event, soft skills and human connection play a crucial role in effective diplomacy. I still have much to learn, and my anxiety has not entirely subsided. But, armed with insights from Diplomatic Tradecraft, I feel more prepared and motivated to pursue a Foreign Service career. Knowledge that I can always return to the invaluable guidance in this book—crafted by individuals who have navigated similar challenges before me—reassures me as I try to follow in their footsteps. Denise Geronimo is a 2024 Charles B. Rangel Fellow and 2024 Fulbright grant recipient to the Philippines. Currently, she is researching the information and communication technology sector’s impact on Filipino labor migration at the University of the Philippines Open University. She will then pursue a two-year master’s degree in law and diplomacy at Tufts University’s Fletcher School before joining the Foreign Service. n For more books about diplomacy, and other books by and for the FS community, go to the FSJ November edition at URL https://afsa.org/foreignservice-journal-november2024.
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