Following the Allied victory in World War II, Germany faced a long road to reconstruction. The war took the lives…
Some Like it Hot — U.S. Diplomats Negotiate Spicy Foreign Foods
The chemical compound capsaicin is responsible for the spice and heat in spicy dishes. While particular plants, peppers, and vegetables…
Food for Thought: A Woman in African Agricultural Development
In 2003, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated up to $650 million worth of food aid to…

An American in a Japanese “Triple Disaster”
There was no warning. The shaking that soon rocked mainland Japan on March 11, 2011 would tear down buildings and…

Black and White: A Battle Between Segregation and Independence in Southern Rhodesia
During the Scramble for Africa (a period lasting from 1881 to 1914 that brought colonization of most of Africa by…

The Development Process is Never Static: Reorienting and Expanding Family Planning in Yemen
Even when the situation seems most dire, the development process is never static. Bottom-up, local efforts help make the process…

Deserted in the Panama Canal, Exploring the Rose City, and Travelling the Globe in Forty Days: Firsthand Accounts from George Hermann in the Foreign Service
Foreign Service Officers are posted to positions abroad for terms of one, two, or three years depending on locality, demand,…

George Hermann “Christmas Time”
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.” This part of a song would describe the Christmases spent by George…

Construction of the Eastern Bloc Through a Woman’s Eyes
After the destruction and horrors of World War II, countries across the world banded together to offer support and assistance.…

George Herrmann’s Excellent Adventures in West Africa, South America, East Asia, and More
Have you ever seen a monkey in an airport? How about the Dalai Lama? Have you visited the world’s first…