List of Top 10 Negotiation Books of All Time
- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
- Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People
- Getting to Yes with Yourself: How to Get What You Truly Want
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
- Getting Past No
- Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World
- Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond
- Why Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiations – And Positive Strategies for Change
- Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
- Negotiating the Impossible: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts
By definition, negotiation is the process through which two parties have a dialogue with each other and reach an outcome that is beneficial to both of them. And the two parties resolve a conflict while trying to reach that outcome. This is as per the bookish definition of negotiation.
However, when it comes to reality, you need to realize that one of those parties could be you. And when you are involved, you would like the things to be skewed in your own favor rather than being equally beneficial for both the parties. You also need to realize that the other party, which is not you, will also be thinking on the same lines; the other part would also like the things to be in their favor as much as possible at the end of the process of negotiation.
If it was not so, the process of negotiation would have been very simple. And we wouldn’t have felt the need to learn negotiation as an art or science. And I wouldn’t need to write down this article. But since negotiation is much more complex than what its definition suggests,
Further, I have listed the top 10 best negotiation books in detail. With each of their names, I am also giving a short review and the key takeaways on each of the following books.
#1 – Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
This book was originally written 35 years ago in the year 1981. It was a best-selling non-fiction book, written by Roger Fisher and William L. Ury. Since then, it has been updated a few times. Its 1991 update was co-authored by Bruce Patton and the book has appeared on the Business Week bestseller list for many years.
Book Review:
This edition is for you if you are a beginner in the world of negotiations. It makes your concepts of negotiation clear and makes you understand how great negotiators think. This edition takes examples to make you aware of what mistakes you could be prone to while going through the process of negotiation. You would never forget to avoid these mistakes because the book teaches these lessons by providing real-life examples.
Key Takeaways
- This book discusses every basic lesson that any negotiator would have ever learned.
- The edition on negotiation insists on things like not bargaining over positions, keeping people separate from the problem, focusing on objective criteria and getting the other side to play.
- It also explains the famous idea of Best Alternatives to a Negotiated Agreement.
- These concepts are illustrated in such a simplified manner that if you go through them just once, you would be as good as knowing how to negotiate. It’s a must read!
#2 – Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People
Bargaining for Advantage is a negotiation strategy book authored by G. Richard Shell and published in association with Penguin House of Publishing in year 2001.
Book Review:
The author has said that negotiation depends on 90% upon the preparation of the negotiators. There were many misconceptions around the concept of negotiation and bargaining, which she has tried to address by providing various stories and a stepwise overall review of the negotiation and bargaining process. Shell has written it extremely well and provided many concrete examples in her publication. Further, a detailed and methodical strategy has been laid out by the author for improving your negotiation skills and a thorough assessment is provided in the appendix for determining your own unique style and preferences.
Key Takeaways
- Highlight by the author on the hidden patterns and psychology of the people that govern their bargaining skills
- Various grave danger situations, including hostage situations, business deals at high stakes, etc., have been explained as stories to provide the real-life scenario of bargaining.
- A total review of the negotiation process from preparation to closing.
#3 – Getting to Yes with Yourself: How to Get What You Truly Want
The author William Ury, is quite renowned for writing about the art of negotiation. Getting to Yes with Yourself was originally published in association with HarperCollins on October 4, 2016. This book is a rather short one and includes approximately 208 pages only.
Book Review:
This wonderful negotiation skills book has been written by one of the most influential experts on negotiation. This book has been recognized as the Bestselling Negotiation Book by the New York Times. In this edition, the author says that you shouldn’t expect the other party to get convinced by your arguments unless you aren’t convinced by those arguments. A practical and effective way of explaining the things makes the reading of this book a wonderful and interactive experience.
Key Takeaways
- Reference to all types of life experiences by diversely distributed people among managers, government officials, workers, lawyers, etc.
- Taking from the author’s view expressed in his books, the author has mentioned that the best way to find the cause of unsuccessful agreement or unsatisfying relationships is to survey yourself regarding your thought process. You should try to change the natural tendency to react in a way, which doesn’t serve your own true interest many times. Attacking and controlling this tendency can result in a big-time opportunity.
- He has provided a seven step method of reaching an agreement with the other party, dramatically improving the quality of negotiation.
#4 – Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
This is one of the practical situation oriented books and is a bestselling book authored by Chris Voss, Tahl Raz. It was published recently in 2017 in association with Random House publishing.
Book Review:
The author has provided some really noteworthy information for the readers at the time he reached the pinnacle of his profession, being the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.
Key Takeaways
- Revealing the skills that helped the author and his colleagues in better negotiations.
- Laying down nine principles, which are effective to make you more persuasive in both professional and personal life.
#5 – Getting Past No
Yet another renowned author’s book on the art of negotiation, Getting Past No is written by William Ury and was originally published in 1991. It is published in association with Random House Inc and includes approximately 189 pages.
Book Review:
Many people face that awkward and discreditable situation where they have to listen to NO from someone. It helps readers to understand the process of negotiations under different and difficult situations and guides how to stay cool under pressure situations.
Key Takeaways
- Here, you can get to know the handling of pressure and understanding the importance of learning negotiation.
- You will get to learn how to deal with underhanded tactics, finding mutually agreeable options and standing up without provoking opposition.
#6 – Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World
Getting More, written by Stuart Diamond, was originally published in 2010. This edition is published in association with Penguin and includes approximately 400 pages.
Book Review:
In Getting More, negotiation expert Stuart Diamond reveals the real secrets behind getting more in any negotiation – whatever “more” means to you. Getting More is accessible, jargon-free, innovative, and it works!
Key Takeaways
- You will find tricks on how to handle the unpredictable and how to take the discussions in light of the unpredictable.
- At every point of life, you will find yourself negotiating for the wants and likes of yourself and your emotions might affect your bargaining skill.
#7 – Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond
Negotiation Genius, written by Deepak Malhotra and Max H. Bazerman, was originally published in 2014 May. It is published in association with Tantor Media, Inc.
Book Review:
One of the most recommended books by the negotiation experts. The authors have thrown light on the behavioral aspects of human life and have reflected on his real-life experiences with business clients. He has used his experience to demonstrate the preparation and execution of a well-driven negotiation.
Key Takeaways
- It gives you detailed points, especially the talking points that will work in the real world.
- The reader will be ready with an action plan of the negotiation and bargaining processes, decided on how to react and what to do after they complete reading of this book. It will help you make yourself a negotiation expert or a negotiation genius!
- A situation of negotiating from the position of weakness gives you an edge in negotiating and bargaining scenarios.
#8 – Why Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiations – And Positive Strategies for Change
Why Women Don’t Ask, written by Linda Babcock, Sara Laschever, was originally published in 2003. This book was published in association with Piatkus. Most probably, a working woman or a female character, who desires to start her career, should read this book to understand why women seldom ask and sacrifice a million things till the end of their career.
Book Review:
The author, who is a Professor of Economics, visiting faculty for Harvard University, has been a specialist in the special situations negotiation and dispute resolution. This book, when published in 2003, made a controversial entrance in the negotiating experts’ world but soon, it was widely recognized by its readers who applauded the author’s remarkable observations on real-world situations.
Key Takeaways
- Detailed research in psychology, sociology, economics, and organizational behavior gives an understanding of the minds of working women class.
- There are various situations of real-world interviews and cases where women seldom ask for what they need and want and deserve.
#9 – Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade
Written by Robert B. Cialdini, was originally published in 2016, in association with Random House. Establishing the importance of persuasion in bargaining and negotiating situations is the main focus of this book.
Book Review:
Based on various case studies, the author has drawn attention to the human psychology of bargaining. He has delivered a message to the readers, where he has given the connection of human psychology with the skills of persuasion and negotiation.
Key Takeaways
- Various case studies and stories help the reader to get into the observer’s shoes and to understand how human psychology changes from the time before, during and after negotiation.
- Persuaders succeed in their negotiations not only because of what they say or how they react, but also what they do before the discussion
#10 – Negotiating the Impossible: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts
Written by Deepak Malhotra, was originally published in 2016 August, in association with Harper Collins. Establishing the importance of persuasion in bargaining and negotiating situations is the main focus of this book.
Book Review:
Breaking down the mentality of a good negotiator, the author has described what a good negotiator shall do before sitting at the negotiation table, how a person should handle the process and lead the discussion while mapping the negotiation and how to use the power of empathy.
Key Takeaways
- Mention of various historic events and the stories behind them has been provided in this book, to give in detail a view of fascinating real-life negotiations.
- A Process of negotiations does not only start when a person sits at the table, rather it starts way before it, and how the mentality and working of the minds of negotiators go in such situations has also been given by the author in this book.
- Applying everyday life scenarios to more complex business scenarios, the author has demonstrated that though the level of negotiating play has increased, the principles which govern the negotiation, are still the same.
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