15 Monday Jun 2009
Posted in Career Prep, Summer Reading
Check out the latest (and totally free!) edition of the Foreign Service Journal:
Foreign Service Journal – June 2009
After reading John Brown’s review of “Selling the Great War: The Making of American Propaganda” by Alan Axelrod, I must add this book to my summer reading list. Also check out “Counterterrorism: Some Lessons to Consider” by Alan Berlind for an insider’s perspective of how the U.S. government has reacted to terrorist acts in the past.
15 Monday Jun 2009
Posted in Career Prep, Summer Reading
Somewhat busy today reading and catching up on my news shows. Here’s what I consumed:
11 Thursday Jun 2009
Posted in Summer Reading
Wow, big day for me – John Brown linked to my humble blog from John Brown\’s Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review, Version 2.0 . I read this everyday and am proud to among the amazing blogs he mentions. Now that I know people are looking, I’ve got to get some interesting content up. So much pressure!
On suggestion from my Foreign Service Mentor, I’ve started reading Graham Greene’s “The Quiet American”. I’m only 54 pages in, but it has made me think about the roles outsiders play when working in another country. Depending on their jobs (reporter/ diplomat/ aid worker/ etc), to what extent should they insert themselves in local affairs and when do you draw the line? Thomas Fowler, a central character who is a reporter, explains his stance on page 20,
‘I am not involved. Not involved,’ I repeated. It had been an article of my creed. The human condition being what it was, let them fight, let them love, let them murder, I would not be involved. My fellow journalists call themselves correspondents; I prefer the title of reporter. I wrote what I saw. I took no action-even an opinion is a kind of action.
Sure, reporters are supposed to be objective, but are there certain situations…or should there be certain situations where this isn’t the case? This stance reminds me of what critics say about UN Peacekeeping missions. Is there a lesson here for Public Diplomacy? Leave your comment and let me know what you think.
19 Tuesday May 2009
Posted in Career Prep, Summer Reading
I managed to get through my entire checklist yesterday, and exceeded my reading goal for “Think India” (8o pages). Not sure if I will finish it, though. The book is mostly anecdotes about people who have made it big in India, and a brief introduction to the country’s history. The most interesting thing I’ve learned so far is that India’s economic growth is due to an increase in personal credit. Apparently, there has long been a stigma associated with purchasing items on credit, but people have become more comfortable with the idea, creating a growing middle class.
On deck today, the May 16th-22nd edition of the Economist. I must read this ASAP since I have three back issues that I haven’t touched yet.
18 Monday May 2009
Posted in Career Prep, Summer Reading
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I finished “How to Win a Cosmic War” on Saturday, and while it wasn’t what I expected it to be, I learned quite a bit. Here are some take-aways: Global Jihadist groups are social movements; globalization encourages nationalist groups; if immigrants don’t feel like they can identify with their adopted country, they may seek other ways to create an identity for themselves; Jihadism is an attempt to create a universal muslim identity of suffering at the hands of the “other”; you win a “cosmic war” by refusing to fight in a “cosmic war”– bring the grievances back to earth.
For a beginner like me, this book was perfect. It provided enough detail without being overwhelming, and Azlan’s style is straightforward. I was able to follow the author’s logic and the connections he made among the subject matter he chose to discuss. For someone with more advanced knowledge, however, “Cosmic War” might seem rudimentary, but it’s a quick read. Azlan’s research is impeccable, so It’s worth reading even if you learn only a few new things.
14 Thursday May 2009
Posted in Summer Reading
I’m about half-way through Reza Aslan’s newest book, “How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror,” and I must admit that I am impressed. John Stewart tipped me to the title on The Daily Show, so I found it at the public library. Aslan’s prose read like a novel–which is impressive given the tough nature of the topic and sheer volume of ideas packed into this, relatively short, book. He’s able to break down complex events, like the founding of Israel, into straight-forward chapters that include bits of information from a variety of sources. For someone with little knowledge of this material (like me!), “How to Win a Cosmic War” is surprisingly easy to follow.
http://rezaaslan.com/
07 Thursday May 2009
Posted in Summer Reading
The goal after grad school is to take the foreign service exam, but there aren’t too many great test-prep resources out there. Most just recommend to “read widely.” Not overly helpful advice, but it’s a start. In the queue for this summer: The Economist (of course), The Atlantic, Reza Aslan’s “How to Win a Cosmic War” and Shashi Tharoor’s “The Elephant, the Tiger & the Cell Phone” (or maybe another India book, not sure yet). Throw in my favorite blogs and a little www.nytimes.com and I think I’m heading for a pretty busy summer.
