10 Best Negotiation Books [2025]
By definition, negotiation is the process through which two parties have a dialogue with each other and reach an outcome that benefits them. Below is the list of books on negotiation skills that you must read in 2025:
- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In ( Get this book )
- Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People ( Get this book )
- Getting to Yes with Yourself: How to Get What You Truly Want ( Get this book )
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It ( Get this book )
- Getting Past No ( Get this book )
- Getting More: How to Negotiate to Achieve Your Goals in the Real World ( Get this book )
- Negotiation Genius: How to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Brilliant Results at the Bargaining Table and Beyond ( Get this book )
- Why Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiations – And Positive Strategies for Change ( Get this book )
- Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade ( Get this book )
- Negotiating the Impossible: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts ( Get this book )
Let us discuss each negotiation skills book in detail and its key takeaways and reviews.
#1 - Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
This negotiation skills book was originally written 35 years ago, in 1981. Then, it was a best-selling non-fiction book by Roger Fisher and William L. Ury. Since then, they have updated a few times. Bruce Patton co-authored its 1991 update, 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 clarifies your negotiation concepts and makes you understand how great negotiators think. In addition, this edition takes examples to make you aware of what mistakes you could be prone to while going through the negotiation process. You will always remember to avoid these mistakes because the book teaches these lessons by providing real-life examples.
Key Takeaways
- It discusses every basic lesson any negotiator would have learned.
- This negotiation book insists on 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 the best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
- These concepts illustrate so simplified that if you go through them just once, you will be as good as knowing how to negotiate. It’s a must-read!
#2 - Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People
Authored by G. Richard Shell and published in association with Penguin House of Publishing in 2001.
Book Review:
The author has said that negotiation depends 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, the author has laid out a detailed and systematic strategy for improving your negotiation skills. A thorough assessment is provided in the appendix for determining your unique style and preferences.
Key Takeaways
- Highlight by the author 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 real-life bargaining scenarios.
- 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 with HarperCollins on October 4, 2016. Unfortunately, this book is rather short and includes approximately 208 pages only.
Book Review:
One of the most influential experts on negotiation has written this book. It has been the Bestselling Negotiation Book by the New York Times. In this edition, the author says that you should only expect the other party to get convinced by your arguments if those arguments don't convince you. A practical and effective way of explaining things makes reading this negotiation book a wonderful and interactive experience.
Key Takeaways
- Reference to all 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 agreements or unsatisfying relationships is to survey yourself regarding your thought process. It would help if you changed the natural tendency to react in a way that often doesn't serve your true interest. 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 negotiation quality.
#4 - Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
This book is one of the practical situation-oriented books and is a bestselling book authored by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz. It was published recently in 2017 in association with Random House publishing.
Book Review:
The author provided some really important information for the readers when 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.
- Losing nine principles effectively makes you more persuasive professionally and personally.
#5 - Getting Past No
It 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 must listen to NO from someone. It helps readers understand the negotiation process under different and difficult situations and guides how to stay cool under pressure.
Key Takeaways
- You can learn how to handle pressure and understand the importance of learning negotiation.
- You will learn how to deal with underhanded tactics, find mutually agreeable options, and stand 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, and innovative, and it works!
Key Takeaways
- You will find tricks for handling and taking the discussions in light of the unpredictable.
- At every point in life, you will find yourself negotiating for your 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 May 2014. It is published in association with Tantor Media, Inc.
Book Review:
One of the most recommended books by negotiation experts. The authors have highlighted human life's behavioral aspects and reflected on his real-life experiences with business clients. In addition, 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, deciding on how to react and what to do after they complete reading this negotiation book. It will help you make yourself a negotiation expert or a negotiation genius!
- 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 and Sara Laschever, was originally published in 2003. This negotiation book was published in association with Piatkus. A working woman or a female character who desires to start her career should probably read this book to understand why women seldom ask and sacrifice a million things till the end of their career.
Book Review:
The author, a Professor of Economics, visiting faculty for Harvard University, has been a specialist in special situations negotiation and dispute resolution. When published in 2003, this book made a controversial entrance into the negotiating experts' world. Still, its readers soon widely recognized it and applauded the author's remarkable real-world situations.
Key Takeaways
- Detailed research in psychology, sociology, economics, and organizational behavior gives an understanding of the minds of the 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, it 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 negotiation 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 persuasion and negotiation skills.
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 because of what they say or react and what they do before the discussion.
#10 - Negotiating the Impossible: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts
Written by Deepak Malhotra, it was originally published in August 2016 in association with Harper Collins. Establishing the importance of persuasion in bargaining and negotiating situations is the main focus of this negotiation 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
- This book provides a detailed explanation of various historical events and the stories behind them to give a view of fascinating real-life negotiations.
- The 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 negotiation skills 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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