A diplomat's rebellion -- Understanding foreign nationalism -- The sources of U.S. legitimacy -- Some rules of the game -- Diplomatic character and the art of curiosity -- Bureaucratic fantasy and the duty of dissent -- The cost of U.S. unpopularity -- Public diplomacy and the limits of persuasiveness -- Diplomats and journalists -- Democratizing an oligarchic planet -- Counterterrorism lessons from "Revolutionary Organization 17N" -- The domestic politics of nuclear weapons -- The diplomatic cost of clandestine intelligence -- Diplomatic skepticism and the lessons of Iraq -- A look toward the future -- Appendix A. My letter of resignation -- Appendix B. The State Department responds.