Thomas R. Pickering quotes:

In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known.

Many of the forests of the world are being mowed down... But the rest of the world isn't going to say, "Okay, we'll save our forests, but you Americans can keep driving all your cars!" There has to be give and take.

Moskin has brought together with care and lucidity an inside history of American diplomacy written through the eyes of the many diplomats who conceived and carried it out over 225 years. You experience the challenges, successes, and foibles. Over time, the Foreign Service evolved into a professional cadre serving the public and presidents, often at the peril of their lives. Anyone interested in understanding our diplomacy, what makes it tick, and how it strives to serve the public interest should read this masterful history.

A fascinating, insightful, and new treatment from the perspective of an intimately involved former Iranian senior official on Iran's nuclear program and responses to it. For those familiar with the details, there is much new information about the Iran side, its ideas, strategies, disputes, and aims. U.S. experts will have some key questions but will learn much from this extraordinary book.

Some people do need to be held to account because some of the conduct is so widely at odds with our values, but making an example out of a few people would be a disservice.