"While many primers have appeared to help new political appointees adjust to life inside the Beltway, Beyond a Government of Strangers is the first book to focus on the men and women who stick around - the career executives and their own roles in the executive branch. Robert Maranto provides advice on how career leaders can improve tenuous relationships and overcome conflicts with political appointees, especially during presidential transitions. He offers a rare insider's perspective, with first-person accounts and quotations taken from interviews with scores of career executives. Included in the book are helpful strategies and invaluable details, such as "Ten Tips on Managing Your Political Boss" and examples of how careerists at different federal agencies handle the orientation of new appointees."--Jacket.