Not for the Faint of Heart: Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence

Ambassador Wendy Sherman is a truly amazing person, and her memoir "Not for the Faint of Heart" documents this admirably. The only thing I found difficult about this narrative was that it was thematically rather than chronologically organized, and this meant that there were times when the myriad political and diplomatic endeavors with which the author has been engaged merged together and gave rise to some degree of confusion. It seemed she was describing something about her involvement with the work of the Department of State during the tenure of Secretary Albright, and then all of a sudden was discussing the Iran Nuclear Talks with Secretary Kerry.One thing about the book that is nearly overwhelming was the exhaustive detail Sherman does in fact give to the description of those negotiations in 2015 to indeed try to reach a nuclear control agreement with Iran involving the European Union, China, Russia and the U.S. as well. The fact that a plausible agreement was finally accomplished despite all the road blocks and challenges makes it all the more poignant that our current administration appears to have simply "scrapped" the whole thing, thoughtlessly and perhaps even maliciously, without any serious consideration of the nuances which Ambassador Sherman describes so exhaustively.All in all, this is a very important book, even if it is somewhat challenging to read and may require more serious study than I have been able to give it in my first endeavor.

This is a collection of Ms. Sherman's class presentations at the Kennedy School, I think, with four principles about women and power thrown into the mix. Or at least I think it's four. The book's a little clunky. However, I have a huge amount of respect for her and I loved her tone, her humor and her insights. I thought the look into the world of diplomacy was wonderful. I learned a lot. Mostly that I do not have the patience to be a diplomat. Nor do I find tiny incremental steps satisfying. I loved learning more about John Kerry, President Obama and so many of the other people in his administration.

Good simple book.

An engaging and interesting read of the Iran nuclear negotiations. At times, I felt like I was right at the table with the US delegation. Describes the art of international diplomacy and the tireless efforts required to achieve consensus and compromise. I found some of the discussions on women's issues to be a bit heavy-handed, predictable and pedantic, but this was a very small portion of the book. Also, some of the particular events discussed in this book were also presented in Kerry's book "Every Day is Extra".Ms. Sherman is a very impressive person with impressive negotiating accomplishments..

This is a excellent book. It’s absorbing and insightful without reading like an academic tome. It does a particulary good of describing how diplomacy really works — the good, the bad, and the ugly. It should be required reading for every student of foreign policy.

Amazing account of what it’s like to sit at the tables of power ... when you win and when you lose. Also a good background study in global geopolitics and where today’s key agreements came from.

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I now understand the Iran Nuclear Deal so much better.

If you buy this book to learn about the author's life as a diplomat you will be disappointed. There are too many digressions and asides about personal attitudes toward female empowerment that makes the book a waste of time for those interested in , for example, the Iran JCPOA deal.

Wendy educated, entertained and enforced the need for power that must follow a passionate commitment. Her courage, resilience and persistence shone throughout the book