  The gravitational field of a particle of small mass \mu moving through curved
spacetime is naturally decomposed into two parts each of which satisfies the
perturbed Einstein equations through O(\mu). One part is an inhomogeneous field
which, near the particle, looks like the \mu/r field distorted by the local
Riemann tensor; it does not depend on the behavior of the source in either the
infinite past or future. The other part is a homogeneous field and includes the
``tail term''; it completely determines the self force effects of the particle
interacting with its own gravitational field, including radiation reaction.
Self force effects for scalar, electromagnetic and gravitational fields are all
described in this manner.
