Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In Reviews

• VERY BASIC INTRO TO NEGOTIATING

  
  By A34U6WKGEO82P2 on 2003-03-24
  This is the first book I ever read on negotiating, and at the time I found it extremely good. However, since then, I have read both Shell's "Bargaining for Advantage" and Cialdini's "Influence", and found those two books immensely better than Getting to Yes, for a few different reasons.

  Number of stories - in Getting to Yes, the authors do not offer enough stories to burn the concepts into the reader's mind. I personally think stories are the best way to communicate something like negotiating.

  Actual psychological concepts explained - Getting to Yes is a summary of findings, and it never explains why certain things work. Without a deep understanding, it is not clear when the concepts work and when they don't. Especially in Influence, you really get to understand how to persuade someone by remembering the core psych concepts.

  If you are just looking for a quick intro to negotiating, this is a decent book. If you would like to actually understand people and how to influence them, this is too basic.
  
  

• A Great Way to Overcome Communications Stalls

  
  By A1K1JW1C5CUSUZ on 1999-01-24
  In virtually all circumstances where people are working together, they come to agreement in ways that short-change the interests of everyone involved. This landmark book shows practical ways to find out what other people want, and to devise better alternatives that create a "win" for everyone. The authors do a great job of overcoming the preconception that many hold that working on problems means that you have to be unpleasant. The advice to be hard on the problems and easy on the people (building a relationship) is a key concept that everyone can use. I have found this book to be one of the most helpful that I have every read, and I cite its lessons in my own book. I recently had a chance to use these principles in a negotiating workshop with veteran negotiators, and I was struck by how few people apply the lessons of GETTING TO YES. You will vastly improve your life if you read and practice the ideas in GETTING TO YES.
  
  

• # 2 in my top ten list of Books on Negotiating

  
  By A2JUJX5PP1Q5OT on 1998-01-08
  The foundation of all great negotiation books, Getting to Yes gives you the real essence of mutual gains negotiation. It's a neat, concise, little paperback, and a fast read. It's so neat and concise, in fact, that you should buy multiple copies and hand them out to people you like - or to people you want to like you. I've read it a dozen or so times and I keep finding new insights. The main ideas of the book are that positional negotiation is pointless, and that our negotiations should focus on interests rather than positions. As far as I'm concerned, if that's the only thing you recall from reading this book, you'll have learned something indispensable. But, by the time you finish Getting to Yes, you'll be convinced that negotiation is a simple matter of figuring out what you really want, what the other side wants, and working out the space where those interests intersect -- despite the generalizations, deletions, and distortions the other side might use to confuse you. One of the leading fundamental constructs presented in Getting to Yes - which differs radically from my own number one tenet - is "separate the people from the problem." Getting to Yes proposes that problems exist objectively and can be analyzed on their own merits, independent of people's perceptions, attributions, and relationships. My contention is that a problem only exists to whatever extent it is perceived by the beholder. As such , there is no problem if you separate the people from it. In real life, it's impossible to disentangle people issues from discussions of "concrete substance." Regardless of the prescriptive in Getting to Yes, real problem solving negotiations require constant simultaneous attention to the problem and the people. The skills you really need to extract and understand others' perceived interests in the context of a relationship aren't taught in Getting to Yes. The book diagnoses the conditions that cause difficulty in negotiation, but doesn't offer all components of the cure. Nevertheless, one dose each of Sales Effectiveness Training and Getting to Yes should cure just about anything that ails any normal negotiation. As John Kenneth Galbraith says of Getting to Yes, "This is by far the best thing I've ever read about negotiation...equally relevant for the individual who would like to keep his friends, property, and income and the statesman who would like to keep the peace." What other endorsement do you need?
  
  

• This book is the foundation for successful negotiations

  
  By ASW5SVXO0ZATM on 2000-10-13
  I read this book in an MBA course for Dispute Mediation. Although it was not a required reading, every text and article mentioned this book. You can easily read it in a weekend. Do not expect theory, paradigm, or lofty descriptions-this is cut to the chase stuff that lets you know many techniques for negotiating and helping the other side make a decision that is right for all involved. Some helpful key concepts include elimintating emotions from the process, or dealing with the emotional techniques that the other side may use against you. It also describes BATNA, or the best alternatives to a negotiated agreement-those agreements which may be the most realistic and beneficial terms for both sides. I think that the other book, getting past no, by the same author, is an additional reference that anyone considerring this book should also read as an excellent complementary text to the principles outlined in this classic.
  
  

• I tried it and it really worked!

  
  By A3EBRZXH5A5JO1 on 1999-12-23
  Overall, I like this book a lot and I found it very useful.

  Actually I didn't read through the whole book. Yet I did capture the key point of the book - 'Don't bargain over positions'. Then I used this principle-based negotiation in real life. For instance, when I am facing a challenge from my partner on my proposal, I won't fight back directly. I will first seek for the mutual interest, a common ground. Then I'll explain why I think my proposal can help achieve the mutual interest. Then I ask the opposing partner what he/she think and whether he/she wants to share any better proposal to achieve this mutual interest. If my/mutual interest can be satisfied, yet my partner has a better way to do it, then why not change my own proposal? I tried this approach several times and they all worked out pretty well. Most of the times I successfully convinced my partner without damaging relationship. A few times I changed my position yet I was still happy because I still had my interest satisfied.

  Net, this book is really useful and recommend to BUY for everyone.
  
  

• Naive and unhelpful
  By on 1998-11-03
  Most negotiations are zero-sum games, i.e., you and the other side argue over a certain price--you take a one position: low price, other side takes the other position: high price. This is a fact Fisher and Ury naively try to deny. Their main idea is that you shouldn't argue from a position (high price/low price) but should try to find creative ways to mutually satisfy everyone's "shared and compatible interests." Yeah, of course, and they are right that sometimes these shared interests are overlooked, but the really difficult negotiations consist of both sides fighting over a fixed amount and there is nothing for the sides to do except take opposed positions.

  What "shared and compatible interests" do you have with the car salesman or plaintiff's attorney who has the single-minded goal of taking as much money from you as possible? Even if there are shared interests, and you can enlarge the pie, there is still the hard zero-sum issue of how to divide the pie. For zero-sum negotiations (i.e., most of them) _Getting to Yes_ is not helpful. A much better book on negotiating is _The Art and Science of Negotiation_ by Howard Raiffa.
  
  

• Essential reading
  By A2SETXU4UY67C9 on 2002-02-10
  This is the first book I've read on the issue of negotiation. The book is easy to read, and the authors use good, solid examples to illustrate the techniques they are teaching. The end of the book, with it's summary review, really pulls it all together. The writing style is clean, clear, and simple, without being so simplistic as to seem unbelieveable.

  The authors try to show readers how to remain objective in negotiations, rather than letting their emotions take control. The speak of being "soft on people and hard on principles", the idea of staying focussed on the problem and not attacking or blaming people. The parts I found most useful are the notions of focussing on interests rather than positions, and finding alternatives that will allow both parties in the negotiation to gain something. The idea of moving away from positions to finding the common ground of shared interests is one that is particularly useful in that it can be applied to any situation, be it a parent/child conflict, a work situation, or any negotiation. This concept shows readers how to focus on their long term goals rather than on being "right" and winning in the short term.

  I have used the techniques in this book to great success many times, in a variety of areas in my life. They are easy to use, and they work! I highly reccommend this classic text to everyone.
  
  

• Critical & Fundamental Book on Negotiation
  By A3H3CEI6EE0V4A on 2006-06-15
  The book, GETTING TO YES, by Roger Fisher and William Ury is perhaps the most important book on negotiation I have ever read. I have personally benefitted from this book simply because I am even more aware of the importance of preparation and identifying shared interests and taking advantage of them. Respect, always respect, the other person's interests. More importantly, know them well.
  
  
  Highlights:
  The book is on principled negotiation, which is essentially negotiation on merits. The aim is to reach a wise agreement, defined as meeting the legitimate interests of all parties to the extent possible, resolving conflicting interests fairly, and ensuring the agreement is durable and takes community interests in account.
  
  The factors of principled negotiation include:
  
  PEOPLE: separting people from the issues/problems.
  INTERESTS: focus on them, particularly mutual interests, and not on "positions." E.g., the expression of "you are in no position to negotiation" is absolutely absurd. One, it is an assumption unless the person stating that carefully prepared. Two, it can generally only hurt the person stating that, generating hostility and conflict. A principled negotiator probes interests, raises questions. The question, then, is "what are your interests in this deal?" and "Why do you suppose that is a fair proposal?"
  PLANNING: a skilled negotiator will gather, organize, and weigh all information carefully relating to a negotiation. If there is one concept I could share with you, it is "prepare."
  CRITERIA: prior to reaching an agreement, the parties should agree to using objective criteria to measure an agreement; these include market value, precedent, and so forth.
  OPTIONS: generate a variety of options to reach an agreement. Envision what a successful outcome would be from the negotiation prior to negotiation, then generate several possibilities of satisfying everyone's interests to obtain the goal.
  
  Specific Questions I had that were answered:
  a) When personally attacked, what to do?
  Control yourself, let the other side vent, then remain silent. Do not embarrass them, do not attack back.
  
  b) More on this concept of "interests?"
  First, find shared interests. Two, acknolwedge the other side's interests as a part of the whole system of negotiation. Share what your interests are pointedly, then provide your reasoning for reaching your proposal.
  
  c) If the other side is way more powerful?
  One must know her/his BATNA well. It is your Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement (I think that is the correct acroynm). The better your BATNA is, the more power you have. If you have a very bad BATNA, you must realize that "how" you negotiate is extremely important. Your BATNA should be your measure against any proposal made by the other side. If your BATNA is better, then you obviously reject the proposal.
  
  d) What if the other side is choleric, tricky, and applies pressures to force me into agreement?
  You should first recognize the tactics being used. "Oh, this is the old good and bad cop routine." Then, expose it. Say, "excuse me, unless I am mistaken, you two are playing good cop and bad cop with me. Now, let's just focus on interests and reach a mutually satisfying agreement." If they put sun in your eyes, request to move. If your enviroment is hostile or discomforting, you have a right to request a change in setting. Most importantly, recognize them... do not be phased by them.
  
  e) I am powerful, they are weak. How should/can I exploit them?
  Resources do not make you a powerful negotiator. All the king's soldiers and all the king's men cannot make you a powerful negotiator, particularly if your socalled "power" will not impact the other side. It is best to focus on mutual interests and attempt to reach an agreement to satisfying them. Threating a person, mentioning your power will most-likely undermine your ability to reach agreement.
  
  
  In conclusion, this book can be a benefit for all people. Why? It shows you how to take into account other people's interests to satisfy your own. It is crucial for individuals to terminate the concept that to "win" in negotiations is to take advantage of other people. To succeed in negotiation, it is not about exploiting people but getting what you want. Essentially, satisfying your interests; this book can show you how.
  
  
  I hope the above was helpful,
  Clovis
  
  
• A single tape! Content is good, but not a good value
  By A244NGROUPKGJL on 2000-05-23
  I guess I was expecting more than a single tape for my $10. I think there is probably a lot of good information in the book, but it's hard to tell from a single hour of talk on a single tape. I recommend getting the book and forgetting the tape for this one.
  
  
• This Really Works!
  By A3E5IF90W47UWZ on 2000-02-23
  I read this book as assigned reading for an International Relations course, and readily saw its relevance there. But I have also been able to apply the book's principles to everyday life -- with my coworkers, my wife, even my kids -- without damaging my relationships and still managing to keep everyone content. The central ideas about not digging in on positions and finding common ground, are key to this success. The book helped me open my eyes to realize that sometimes common ground is easier to find than I'd first thought, but it might not be what I'd first thought. I highly recommend this book!
  
  
• An original and one of the very best on negotiation
  By A6EJJ61785HG3 on 2003-01-02
  Almost everyone can benefit from improved negotiating skills. This 1981 classic, updated in 1991 with new material responding to questions from readers, continues to provide practical guidelines for executives dealing with each other, with superiors and staff, with customers, partners, suppliers, and government regulators. If you have ignored this as a pop book, take a good look at it. This practical, non-academic, and well-illustrated book does not waste the reader's time with filler. The authors explain the problems that arise from bargaining over positions, presenting an alternative approach. Their method revolves around four elements: Separate the people from the problem; focus on interests, not positions; invent options for mutual gain; and insist on using objective criteria. They offer helpful approaches for situations where the other side is more powerful, refuses to play, or uses dirty tricks. The range of situations in which their approach can be applied is almost limitless. Keep this one close at hand to refer to repeatedly until "principled negotiation" becomes ingrained and natural.
  
  
• Written for the Student, not the Practitioner
  By on 2000-06-28
  "Getting to Yes" consists of five basic ideas. One needs only to flip through the book's pages to identify its key elements. I found much of the information in "Getting to Yes" to be redundant and obvious. However, I cannot argue that the central ideas are well-supported. In fact, many are over supported with one similar example after another. The fact remains, negotiating is an art that takes years of pracitce to develop. While this book may add value to a scholastic reading assignment, it is very much like a book offering martial arts training. There is no substitute for hands-on experience. Although a quick read, "Getting to Yes" could have been summed up in half the pages.
  
  
• The most popular book on negotiation
  By A360Z3TU7PMIUQ on 2002-09-18
  Roger Fisher and William Ury are responsible for breaking new ground on the subject of negotiation with this best seller. They are also co-founders of the Harvard Program on Negotiation (www.pon.org), the pre-eminent think tank on negotiation based at Harvard University. Rather than focus on negotiation tactics, this book uses decision making skills and analytical skills to resolve conflict.

  Also known as the "Harvard Approach" or the "Harvard Five Step Approach," Getting to Yes provides the reader with a five step approach to negotiation. Step one is to "separate the people from the problem." Put another way, don't get personal when you negotiate. Most books on "win-win" negotiation stress this point, so there is nothing new here. Steps 2 through 5 completely redefined negotiation strategy, however and deserve close attention. Step two is to determine the underlying needs or interests of the parties. The premise for this point is that negotiator's positions in negotiation are rarely consistent with their underlying needs. Step three is to develop options to address these needs. This "solution" section is where the rubber meets the road in negotiation. The goal here is to exploit the differences in each parties underlying needs so you can achieve a "win-win" result. Step four is to determine your BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement.) Your BATNA is your deadlock or "walk-away" point. Put simply you will be able to determine when to deadlock if you can determine what your alternatives to negotiation are. If the other negotiator's offer is worse than your best alternative to negotiation, then you should turn down the offer and go with your alternative. This step provides you with an objective, non-emotional approach to making rational decisions during the negotiation process and justifies the price of the book. The last step to to develop "objective criteria" or independant standards to resolve conflict. An objective criteria is a solution that is independent from the control of both persons (such as using the CPI to determine the rate of inflation in a rental agreement, or using a property appraiser to determine the fair market value of property at some point in the future.)

  Like all collaborative negotiation books, Getting to Yes is a valuable book IF there is a relatively free flow of information between the parties and if the parties are willing to collaborate. If these conditions exist, you can come up with "win-win" solutions that will stand the test of time. But I wouldn't take this book onto a car lot...or for that matter into any negotiation where the other party won't take a collaborative approach to the negotiation process.
  
  

• A Classic that has been superceded.
  By A52X1I4UT56KL on 2005-09-15
  Getting to Yes started a revolution in negotiation, both by stressing principled negotiation and in making the material accessible to a very wide audience. It is still a good read, is still taught in universities and continuing education, and is an excellent starting point for people who are new to negotiation but intend a deep study because of its historical significance and its content.
  
  However, having taught Getting to Yes and having used principled bargaining in practice, I think there are a few shortcomings that are dealt with in other books. While Fischer and Ury do make the point that principled bargaining includes sticking to your priciples and not being a pushover, it is not emphasized enough. I have even found myself being too cooperative after reviewing this text because the emphasis is on being cooperative. I think this is a partcular danger for new/lay negotiators, especially if this is the first text they're exposed to or they intend to practice these concepts in daily life. The tone of the book is just a bit too friendly. As a result, there has been a backlash (wrongly, in my opinion) against this text in some quarters.
  
  The verbal judo section at the end is excellent, giving techniques for dealing with unreasonable people that are great. I would've liked more of these very practical tips and examples to go along with them, but the book as a whole is already a lot to digest. Newer versions of GTY do add more material here.
  
  Newer texts take these problems into account. The best, in my opinion, is the follow-on by Ury, "Getting Past No." It can be read without having read "Getting to Yes," although it is very interesting as a follow-on, too. In it, Ury is clearly taking into account the criticism that GTY was too soft and he presents a more robust vision of principled bargaining.
  
  
• Could be titled "How to Succeed in Life"
  By ACF246F29L2F1 on 2000-06-19
  Rarely does one find a book that has so much applicability and also speaks with so much clarity. It's a "How to" book about negotiating, a skill that virtually everyone in life employs on a daily basis. You learn simple concepts that you can apply while getting some good anecdotal backbone that makes it very read-able. Those interested/working in politics and/or law will find it "up their alley" - but everyone would benefit from a read. I would put this book in there with the likes of "The Road Less Travelled", "How to Win Friends and Influence People", "The Meaning of Life" and probably the ubiquitous "Seven Habits..." - a group of works which all just teach you how to be a stellar human being. Well, gives you a map anyway, you have to walk the path yourself. Of course I'm still walking...
  
  
• An Optimistic Classic
  By API6D0PY13CAM on 2000-10-19
  This book provides a marvelous structure for learning about negotiation. I have always felt, however, that standing on their own the methods of _Getting To Yes_ are a little unrealistic--they assume that the other party wishes to negotiate as well. This assumption is corrected in _Getting Past No_, which may profitably be read in conjunction with _Getting To Yes_ to enable the reader to develop a more useful skill set.
  
  
• This groundbreaking work is still a must read
  By on 1999-06-20
  At the time of its first publishing, Roger Fisher and the Harvard gang introduced a book that was truly groundbreaking and remarkable - while being concise and readable. The book is a must read now more than ever. Fisher and the Harvard Negotiation Project have provided the language for modern negotiation - a language everyone should learn. "Getting to Yes" is a great start to improving negotiation skills that build long term relationships and advance short term interests. The world would be a little bit better if everyone took a little time to read this little book.
  
  
• Very disappointing
  By on 2001-11-29
  I was very disappointed with this audio cassette. The one-hour cassette has limited information and is not worth the money. I have a library of audio tapes filled with great information. This is not one of them. I found the narrator voice very annoying to listen to. The tape reminded me of a college professor lecture. I will never buy another tape without checking your reader reviews. I want my money back!
  
  
• The content of this book is sound; however
  By A2D9IEFJGB483Q on 2006-08-31
  First, a testimonial. When I was three-quarters of the way through, I had a whammy of a week. On Monday I negotiated in a job interview, Tuesday I negotiated with my landlady, and Wednesday I negotiated with my manager over new job routines (the cause of my activities on Monday). I found the methods, strategies, approaches and techniques in the book IMMEDIATELY helpful in these situations.
  
  This is a helpful book, and groundbreaking. I say groundbreaking, because after the ground is broken, it needs to harrowed, hoed, watered, and planted. There is much work to do in this field.
  
  The book is wisely divided into two halves. The first half (parts I and II) is negotiation with friendlies, the second half (III-V) is for adversaries and potential friendlies. In some way, it may be better to read the second half first, where you have the techniques that break ground for the "real" negotiation.
  
  The content of this book is sound; however, there are deeper issues with prose and organization. I think the worst offender is this one paragraph:
  
  "Any method of negotiation may be fairly judged by three criteria: It should produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible. It should be efficient. And it should improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties. (A wise agreement can be defined as one that meets the legitimate interests of each side to the extent possible, resolves conflicting interests fairly, is durable, and takes community interests into account.)" (p. 4)
  
  This 72-word paragraph is awkward. In reality, it is two run-on paragraphs. A better rewrite, using 43 words, could be:
  
  "Any method of negotiation may be fairly judged by six criteria:
  * Meets the legitimate interests of each side
  * Resolves conflicting interests fairly
  * Is durable
  * Takes community interests into account.
  * Is efficient.
  * Improves the relationship between the parties."
  
  The problem is that the phrase "wise agreement" is too big for a bullet point and too small to get the job done. Furthermore I dropped the qualifiers--it is understood that no agreement will be platonically perfect. "A living dog is better than a dead lion." (Ecclesiastes 9:4). Since discussion about wise agreements comes later on (83-85), the paragraph could also be rewritten with 39 words:
  
  "Negotiations should be wise. This involves meeting the legitimate interests of each side, resolving interests fairly, being durable, and considering community interests. Additionally, it should be efficient and it should improve (or at least not damage) the parties' relationship."
  
  Another drawback is repetition. Chapter 2 focuses on the people problem in negation, but in chapter 3, which deals with redefining interests, the authors say be hard on problem, soft on people. This material was already covered in the previous chapter, and is redundant.
  
  I don't think this is an editorial problem. Rather, it is one of conceptualization. I think it would be helpful to have a theoretician, logician, or a philosopher to go over the book, with the objective of reconstructing the book. The problem is in organizing the parts into a coherent whole. Right now, it is a semi-coherent hole.
  
  
• Getting to Yes by Fisher, Uri et al.
  By A24505CR98NLLV on 2004-01-12
  This book provides many practical examples on the art of negotiation. The author begins by encapsuling a negotiation into
  a tri-parte process:
  o It should produce a wise agreement if such a thing is possible
  o It should be efficient.
  o It should not damage the relationship between the parties.

  A successful negotiation will meet the underlying concerns of the
  parties. There are four points to a successful negotiation:
  o Separate the people from the problem.
  o Focus on interests and not positions.
  o Generate a variety of possibilities.
  o Insist that the result be based on an objective standard.

  In addition, a good negotiation will present the various
  options fairly. The parties should develop objective
  criteria and fair procedures. When the other side attacks,
  consider it as an option and improve upon it. Remember that
  affirmative answers generate resistence and questions elicit
  answers (thoughtful or otherwise). The essence of a principled
  negotiation lays the foundation for a discussion of facts and
  basic principles.

  This work is a gold mine of advice on the art of negotiation.
  It will help you to navigate through difficult situations artfully
  while deflecting as much resistence as possible. This book will help you because it points out the
  pitfalls of negotiations between parties; namely, adherence
  to rigid positions, unwillingless to hear the other side and
  attacks on people. The objective of a good negotiation is to
  produce a fair result and to set forth rational guidelines
  and rule structures for the parties to follow. This work
  teaches contrary to the way people typically behave. As such,
  it provides readers with scenarios that may not be in their
  domain of everyday experience.
  The author emphasizes the futility of adherence to rigid
  positions without exploring alternatives and agreeing on
  fair rule structures to evaluate the issues presented.
  
  

• Don't take it personally!
  By A29K6CMKV3W21I on 2004-07-01
  I must confess I ordered and read this book because my new boss recommended it. Well, now that we have unpacked all the boxes from our move to take this job - I find we have about 5 copies of this book. This book is GREAT! This is not a new book but has been read by millions of people and is now a classic. The first edition came out in 1981 and the second edition 10 years later. The newest edition benefits from many updates and has an additional chapter (#10) with common questions (and answers) that people have commonly asked about Getting to Yes. This new chapter really helps the reader to understand the method better - in fact I can't imagine the book without it. One of the best things that authors Fisher, Ury and Patton do in this popular book do is give the reader a practical framework for developing better relationships that lead to better outcomes in life and work. The ideas are helpful in getting along with family as well as in the workplace. In many cases their methods will sound like things you already knew and have practiced in some of the more successful moments in your life. However, the book puts it all in perspective and gives you the complete picture to know why it works better when you focus on helping the other person get what they want so you can, too. After reading Getting to Yes you will be more prepared to negotiate more effectively in every type of situation. This book helped me decide I like the new boss, too!
  
  
• Truly Indispensable
  By A1UPCM6BCM8XI3 on 2006-04-11
  Don't miss "Getting to Yes" or Fisher's newest book - "Beyond Reason"
  
  Getting to Yes is an incredible book. It should be required reading in every company. Advice such as "looking beneath positions to underlying interests" is practical and surprisingly useful. Roger Fisher just came out with a new book that is equally useful. The new book is "Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate." Get it. Its advice is simple and works. Any smart professional knows how important emotions are in negotiating, and Beyond Reason shows you how to use them effectively. These two books make a great pair and have gotten me better deals at work, and made life easier with my family, too.
  
  
• Extremely effective
  By on 2001-02-06
  What's unique about this book is that the techniques it describes are equally effective for both sides of a negotiation. This book is an easy read. I first read it while in the middle of a tense business negotiation and found it to be very helpful. The book advocates focusing on objective interests and staying away from negotiation over subjective positions. I have found it easy to turn negotiations my way by confronting positional negotiators with these techniques. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel: "Getting Past No".
  
  
• Perhaps the best all purpose introductory book to negotiation
  By A1J93EGDYK0IWA on 2006-03-25
  This books is an excellent introduction to negotiation. It talks about negotiating in a principled way, but not in a weak way. When I was a director in business, I bought a copy for all of my managers and challenged them to operate this way. The advice is practical, the ideas well presented and the model something that has proven itself over time.
  
  While the concepts are simple, the application isn't. It takes awareness and emotional intelligence to do all of the things in this book well. However, the book raises awareness of what's really critical and in that sense it is invaluable. This is a business classic for good reason.
  
  I think the most important thing this book emphasizes is separating out the emotional factors from the substance of the negotation and working with them separately. While this may seem like common sense, a lot of people go forward with a negotiation without getting the emotional issues on the table and resolved first.
  
  I also found this book hard-hitting. There was a lot of good, well-organized information in a short space. If you don't want to become an expert at negotiation, but you are looking for something short with solid principles, this is your book. If you are looking for books on conflict resolution, there are better ones out there. If you click on my profile, I list some of them under a listmania list and have written reviews under each one. Perhaps one of these books would be better for your specific needs.
  
  I think it is useful to master the principles in this book so they can function as a roadmap to hang more complicated ideas on as your skills grow in this area. While the book doesn't address some of the more difficult or complicated areas of negotiation, it is a great concise introduction that will point you in the right direction for the challenges you are facing.
  
  I also like the strong emphasis on ethics in this book. I think it's a misconception that one needs to compromise principles to be a tough negotiator. This is certainly not true and this is a great book for people who don't want to win a particular negotiation at the expense of an important relationship. Therefore, it's also a nice roadmap for couple's, dealing with teenagers, etc.
  
  
  
  
• Getting to Yes
  By A2LD3891PPAHT2 on 2000-02-19
  Getting to Yes deals with ways to negotiate without giving in. As a registered nurse, I found that the book provided practical solutions for problems that arise in the work setting. It includes plans to disarm your opponent when negotiating turns into arguing. The steps to negotiated agreement can be used to settle disputes not only in the professional setting, but in a personal setting as well. The book includes numerous scenarios that demonstrate how the strategies work in real life situations. Negotiated agreement would require time and effort, but its benefits could help anyone in a management position
  
  
• Introduction to the art of negotiation
  By A35BC9HR8HSEMZ on 2005-02-14
  From "Getting to Yes":
  
  "Reading the pamphlet on the Royal Canadian Air Force exercises will not make you physically fit. Studying books on tennis, swimming, riding a bicycle, or riding a horse will not make you an expert. Negotiation is no different."
  
  Wise words indeed. Anyone expecting a "how-to" method from any book on negotiation is in the wrong field of study. The best one can expect is a general framework, and that is what this book provides.
  
  Fisher and Ury advocate what they refer to as "principled negotiation", a style of negotiation where there are no winners and losers. Agreements are reached rationally by considering the motives each party has for maintaining a their position. People are separated from the issues at hand, and emotions are controlled. There is a strong emphasis on rationality, using objective criteria.
  
  Unfortunately, human beings aren't always capable of controlling their emotions and being rational. Or sometimes simply refuse to negotiate. Fisher and Ury recognize this, and provide a framework for tackling these issues, centered on what they call BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement).
  
  Overall a great book, but, as the authors themselves would concede, no substitution to negotiation experience.
  
  
• Great Book, Horrid CD
  By A3ECI64KKDBIOS on 2006-03-15
  Painfully academic in it's delivery and the staged negotiation scenarios are stilted and slow.
  
  Book is a good read and offers some good approaches and negotiating techniques. The audio CD is dull and is an uninspired presentation of good material.
  
  
• A common-sense approach to negotiation
  By A2Z7TU96G2WB9B on 2000-06-19
  Roger Fisher and William Ury, of the Harvard Negotiation Project, brought together all the strategies of negotiation and explain how to use them and why they work. Many of the strategies seem like common sense, but the authors give concrete examples to help the reader become more aware of the good methods.

  At first, I thought this would be another book which simply gave pointers on good negotiation. The writers go a step further and discuss what to do when faced with a party which uses unfair negotiation tactics (like threats or good guy/bad guy). Invaluable.

  This is all written in an easy-to-read format and well worth the time to read.
  
  

• A better way to work out agreements with other people
  By A1AYJY5NBGHPEW on 2003-08-15
  This is a very good book about how to work out agreements with other people. The authors start off saying that many people negotiate some where along a spectrum of easy or hard negotiating, either they are willing to get along and often may give up something they really want, or they will push and push for what they want. The authors say it is better to stay back and figure out what is a fair deal for both sides. For example in buying a car you would look at what other people are paying for a similar model and number of miles. Or in getting a job the salary should be competitive with other people with similar backgrounds. The key point is to try and find ways to decide if an agreement is fair.
  The method is basically:

  1) Separating the people from the problem
  2) Focusing on the interests, not positions
  3) Inventing options for mutual gain
  4) Insisting on using objective criteria
  
  

• A timeless classic for any negotiator
  By A8OT4PJFWXI99 on 2004-01-09
  It's amazing to me that this book was written over twenty years ago, but is still so relevant. Negotiation is a passion of mine, and I have read this book multiple times because the ideas presented in it are the basis for almost any book that has been written on negotiation since its publication. Plus, it is a quick read that almost anyone can understand.

  This book revolutionized negotiation with its claim that you would be better off if the person that you were negotiating with also read this book. Rather than focusing on tricks and ways to manipulate the other side, it shows you how to set up a cooperative, win-win negotiation.

  Such terms as win-win negotiation, cooperative problem solving, BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement), and negotiation jujitsu might sound trite because they are used so frequently in other negotiation texts. However, I'm willing to look past that since these terms originated here.

  In multiple negotiations--big and small--I have used the process outlined in this book (1. "separate the people from the problem", 2. "focus on interests, not positions", 3. "invent options for mutual gain", 4. "insist on using objective criteria") to produce successful results.

  Your ability to negotiate affects so many parts of your life (from how much money you make to how you resolve conflicts with your spouse) that it is worth investing in this book and in becoming a better negotiator.

  While (because the book is a tad idealistic) I do not recommend making this the only book that you read on negotiation, I highly recommend it as one of the books to read. I'd also recommend checking out "Getting Past No" by Bill Ury, which is the follow-on to this and discusses how to handle situations in which the other side doesn't want to cooperate.
  
  

• Getting Past No
• Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
• Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People 2nd Edition
• Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)