Realities of Foreign Service Life

Great product, quick service. Unfortunately, I thought this book would talk more about what it was like for a foreign service OFFICER, but really it's more about foreign service SPOUSES. Helpful, but I was looking for something a little different.

I've bought several books for my study of the Foreign Service and the vast majority are hard to slog through. This one was engaging, written by numerous personalities about their experiences from different relationships with a Foreign Service Officer. I was able to finish it in one evening.

This book was invaluable for people interested in joining the foreign service. I was considering doing so myself, but after reading this book - and much, much more information and reading matter on the life of a FSO - I was able to decide that it was just not for me. Then again, someone could read this book and be quite moved by it. I certainly hope so. This book did not diminish the great respect I have for FSOs and their families, and in fact I think it increased said respect.

The one qualm I had with this book should not really be considered as such. I had one issue in that it was heavily weighted towards stories of the wives of FSOs, and that domestic partners of all other kinds were seriously underrepresented. However, through reading this book, its introduction, and numerous websites on the issue, the truth seems to be that this is one of those facts about life in the FS right now: the demographics are frighteningly skewed towards a three to four person family with the husband the FSO and the wife following him and taking care of the children. If that offends you in any way, then read this book and see if you could live with it - this will give you some idea of what the FS experience is.

This book is full of relatively worthless and obvious quips about living abroad.
There is an entire section devoted to grocery shopping and how it is different in various countries.. no duh. There is also a massive section about Foreign Service wives carrying on about their kids.
Most of the accounts in this book are written by Foreign Service spouses and provides very little insight into the Foreign Service.

This book is simply key in helping you understand what a life in the Foreign Service is like. Several essays provide different insights into the ups and downs of living overseas and the unique challenges of the Foreign Service. You simply must read this before considering that career, and more importantly your spouse must read it also. Arguably, the spouse gives up more to join the Foreign Service. Until I read this book I was on the fence but not too far into the text I decided this wasn't for me or my family, which is really a great thing. If I relied on the State Department view I would have exerted significant time and effort only to find out later or too late. Some critics complain the book is too whiny, and it does come across like that at times. But look at it this way: if you read all the negatives and are still motivated, then the Foreign Service would be incredibly dense to NOT take you.

One of the interesting takeaways for me was that your will likely be evacuated sometime in your career. If you or your spouse can't deal with the thought of flying the wife and kids out of a dangerous country, sitting on C-130 troop seats while the other stays in a dangerous situation, the Foreign Service isn't for you. If you don't mind living like a king overseas and living like a pauper in Washington, the Foreign Service may be for you. If you have to have fast access to pop-tarts you may think twice. If the thought of you or your kids contracting dysentery or other crazy diseases with less than great medical care bothers you, think again. If your spouse has career aspirations you need to seriously consider this option. Before you order that subscription to The Economist, get this book first.