I'm not really sure what makes this book stand out to me so much - just the number of times I've read it. It's like a familiar friend. Retief is the intelligent member of the diplomatic group; somehow he always manages to keep his bosses happy while figuring out and solving the real problems and keeping the bad guys from taking over the universe. I think my favorite part is how the aliens talk. As the book goes on the talking gets wierder and wierder and more fun to figure out. The book is actually a series of short stories about the same character, progressing in a sequence that makes the best sense if you read them all together like a book.