What book(s) on negotiation should I read?

May 29, 2007 10:47 PM

What book(s) on NEGOTIATION should I read?

These are the three I've been considering:

-"Secrets of Power Negotiating" by Roger Dawson
-"Getting Past No" by William Ury
-"Bargaining for Advantage" by G. Richard Shell

If you have read any of these, let me know what you think.
If there's a book you recommend, please share. Thanks!

posted by ialas to shopping (14 comments total)

Difficult Conversations, by Stone, Patton, and Heen
posted by shivohum at 11:04 PM on May 29, 2007

'how to negotiate anything' by herb cohen- oldie but goodie.
posted by Izzmeister at 11:19 PM on May 29, 2007

"Getting to Yes" is what my boyfriend recommends, as it's what Disney uses to train its executives.
posted by arnicae at 11:26 PM on May 29, 2007 [1 favorite]

I remember a book called "Negotiate: the art of winning" or something like that. Had some interesting ideas.
posted by pivotal at 11:54 PM on May 29, 2007

pivotal - possibly that's the same book I'm thinking of, which I could have sworn was called "How To Negotiate And Win". I'm not finding a book of that title though. Negotiate to Win: The 21 Rules for Successful Negotiating looks like it might be it (or a revision of it) from the index. If it IS the book I'm thinking of then it's well written and has some good advice that's done well by me over the years.

Of course it's possible that these negotiation books are all broadly similar.
posted by Artw at 12:15 AM on May 30, 2007

"You Can Negotiate Anything" is really the best. "Getting to Yes" and its the sequels are quite popular but focus on a single style of negotiating. Cohen's book has it all and it very well written. Many people consider it the standard against which the other books are judged.
posted by caddis at 2:34 AM on May 30, 2007

Getting to Yes has had a very real affect on my professional (promotion, pay, job description) and personal (car purchase, social relations) life.

I now understand that the attitude with which you enter a negotiation is utterly predictive of the level of success you can expect.
posted by mooders at 3:37 AM on May 30, 2007

"Getting to Yes" is the absolute Bible. In my negotiations class this year, we used The Mind and Heart of the Negotiator:

http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Heart-Negotiator-2nd/dp/0130179647

(sorry, I suck at HTML)

The latter is a reallly excellent book, which takes you very methodically through the questions and preparation you need before a negotiation, as well as the various aspects of different inds of negotiations. Very practical.

Whateer you buy, the key is to use it for really thorough pre-negotiation prep, because 90% of a negotiation happens before you get to the "table."
posted by lunasol at 5:22 AM on May 30, 2007

What kind of negotiation?
If you're interested in getting your way and/or not getting screwed in the process, then look for the 'Negotiate to Win'-type books.
If you are interested in the kind of negotiation where you want all parties to come away better off than they started, 'Difficult Conversations' is excellent.
posted by MtDewd at 6:55 AM on May 30, 2007

This is the list of books the library I do some work for is recommending.
posted by MsMolly at 7:03 AM on May 30, 2007

Arrgh, linked to the wrong list. The one on negotiating is here.
posted by MsMolly at 7:04 AM on May 30, 2007

Another vote for Getting to Yes.

Also, take a gander at How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. It is really the foundation for the modern business reltionship.
posted by valentinepig at 10:04 AM on May 30, 2007

My profession is teaching people how to negotiate. Most people in the industry would agree that you want to start with "Getting to Yes" -- that's the basic primer on what we call "principled" or "problem-solving" negotiation. "Getting Past No" is a good follow-up, but you definitely should read the original first.

"Difficult Conversations" captures the next level of thinking to come out of this field. It focuses more on the interpersonal than the tactical elements, but it will be extremely helpful in teaching you how to be persuasive.

Shell's book is ok. Cohen's book is about how to screw people, which is only a successful strategy if you're going to die immediately afterwards and never suffer the consequences to your relationships and reputation.
posted by equipoise at 10:25 AM on May 30, 2007 [1 favorite]

I found The Only Negotiating Guide You'll Ever Need very practical with a lot of common negotiating scenarios and options presented.
posted by yoga at 10:29 AM on May 30, 2007