Customer Reviews

Realities of Foreign Service Life, Volume 2

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I bought this book after having read the first volume. I would describe the first volume as valuable for anyone having an interest in general about the Foreign Service, but I would highly recommend the second volume for anyone that has passed the interview process and is about to embark into this life.
It has a lot of information that is practical, such as packing, education, and adjustment issues for your family. Some of the chapters are short and I wished they had elaborated longer but it is still the best source of information.

Many have wondered if working for the State Department's Foreign Service is the job of their dreams. This book outlines the considerations that many have faced and how they have reacted - from real life. Anyone trying to understand that unique life will benefit from reading these accounts. I've been there-done that - and this is REAL! Check it out!

Very comforting to read to reassure us FS life was right up our alley! My husband was interviewing at the time I read. Good and bad stories of life, which was realistic. Good to hear both sides, as a pretty painted picture isn't realistic all the time. Loved it and have already re-read parts!

I read one half of this book and already knew the foreign service lifestyle was not for me. So I am very glad I found this book. It's not terribly well structured but because the stories written by individual authors are so different, you get a good feel for what it's like to live the diplomatic lifestyle. Highly recommend to those who are considering the foreign service exam and those whose spouses are about to take the exam.

This book is super awesome and pretty true in all its accounts and details of Foreign Service life. I used the book to prepare for entering the Foreign Service as a Specialist for the U.S. State Dept. and feel it really helped prepare me for what I was about to endure and face.

My wife bought this book because of the five star reviews. It was a disappointing purchase for both of us. The editing has no direction. There is no particular order to the chapters, nor the stories recounted in each chapter. The selection of stories is equally as random. Many seem pointless. Information is general at best, useless at worst. If you want any details on what to expect of life in the foreign service, look elsewhere. I thought that at least the chapter on the biding process for deployments would have some useful description. Nope. I can't believe this book cost $20. I've seen more thoughtfully organized and relevant writing from middle school students. My apologies to those who contributed to this book. I don't mean to say you do not have interesting stories or relevant experiences, but they just do not come through here.