Getting to Yes: How To Negotiate Agreement Without Giving In Audio CD – Unabridged, January 1, 1987

The book arrived nicely packaged- it was the most carefully I've ever seen a book wrapped, and since it is a paperback, I really appreciated the care taken to make sure it arrived damage free. I will definitely purchase from this seller again.The book is a must have for anyone who negotiates as part of their job. I lost my original copy, so I bought this one as a replacement. Highly recommend!

Reviewing a book 15 years after its publication might seem a bit pointless. But that depends on the book. In this case, we're talking about a book that has near cult status in the business community.Over the past 15 years, this book has been referred to and revered in thousands--if not millions--of articles, seminars, college course, and training programs. In fact, as of the date of this review over 100 published books cite Getting to Yes.If you're in business and haven't read this book, you are operating with less than full power. But the book has value well beyond the business world. If you've ever had a disagreement end in a way that left you or the other party feeling cheated or manipulated, that ending probably came about because you were either bargaining about position or confusing the people with the problem. Either strategy guarantees at least one loser. Unfortunately, most disagreements follow one or both of these losing strategies.With discipline and practice, you can apply the knowledge in this book so that you:* Preserve relationships without giving in (go along to get along).* Can satisfy the interests of both parties.* Ensure both parties are motivated to uphold their end of the bargain.* Feel good about the agreement reached and the people who reached it.The strategies have nothing to do with tricking other people or playing games. The strategies have everything to do with respecting other people and refusing to play games.In the publishing world, "thud factor" is a major consideration. Many readers expect filler, in the form of anecdotes and stories (as if they want the author to assume they are too daft to understand assertions made directly in plain English). Getting to Yes is 200 pages long, with the last 50 pages or so being basically a review and a "Cliff Notes" of the first 150. So, you have the book followed by a summary of the book. What you don't have is 150 pages stretched to 300 pages with stories that a busy executive would rather skip.The concise writing is a huge plus to many people, but some reviewers see it as a minus. So, you may also read reviews saying that other books are "better" because they are thicker.I have two proposed solutions to that:1. Read the first 150 pages of Getting to Yes twice. This will equal 300 pages.2. Read the book, then practice it. Take 150 pages of notes regarding your experiences. You now have the stories and filler you wanted.The authors wrote this book not to entertain, but to educate. It gets to the point. There is no obfuscation, meandering, or distraction. That same communication style is required in a negotiation. The occasional anecdote may be helpful, but to lead a negotiation to a successful conclusion you must focus on the real issues. That is what this book does. And that's why it's a classic in the classroom and in the boardroom, and in executive suites and staterooms throughout the world.Be sure to read Getting Past No and The Power of a Positive No, as well.

"Getting to Yes" promotes effective non-confrontational negotiation.The most common negotiating technique is to take a position and budge as little from it as possible. This is misguided.The first and foremost principle of "Getting to Yes" is to base negotiations not on position but on interests. Even something as simple as deciding the amount of rent an apartment is worth involves interests that can help negotiations if mentioned. The landlord hopes the prospective tenant is quiet while the tenant the landlord hopes the landlord will maintain the premises. Each party's total interests should weigh in the balance when negotiating the lease.It helps negotiations progress we understands our counterparty's interests, when we put ourselves in their place. The point is not to sympathize with the other party and be more open to giving in, but rather to be able to make more effective offers.The authors also give many key phrases that help avoid or defuse tense situations. It's a good idea to practice the following sample out loud in front of a mirror before an actual negotiating round.*Please correct me if I'm wrong but...*Could I ask you a few questions to see if my facts are right?*Let me see if I understand what you are saying...*We appreciate what you've done for us...*Our concern is fairness...*Trust is a separate issue. (When asked "Don't you trust us?")*What is the principle behind your action/decision?*We'd like to settle this on the basis of independent standards...The last two phrases fit with another technique advocated by the authors: to base negotiating decisions on independent principles. For instance, with rent, independent standards include the rent for other similar apartments in the same neighborhood and legal constraints on raising rents more than a certain percentage. Independant standards allow parties to reach an agreement without seeming to give in to each other.As good as it is, no book on anything will make the reader an expert. Practice is needed, but "Getting to Yes" provides a great starting point.Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

I found this book very insightful and easy to understand. Rather than focus on the “they do this you do that” approach it offers a way of thinking, a mind-set if you like about negotiation. I found the first few chapters tough going but after that its was, for me anyway, packed full of helpful ideas and suggestions. After reading this book I find myself not armed with a lot of tips on what to do (although they are a few good tips in here) but rather a whole new framework for thinking and acting. I agree totally with the authors conclusions that you will probably know a lot of this stuff already, but this book has added to what I know and organized what I already knew. I negotiate construction contracts for a living and come from a trade background, as supposed to university, and found this book easy to understand.

Great practical advice for normal life where most conflicts lie. If you put this into practice at home and in daily transactions then the higher diplomatic stuff becomes logical. Scenarios easy to visualise. An easy read that makes for good results in life. Be careful of one thing: when your old 'you' manifests in problem situations, you'll kick yourself when looking back knowing what you know after this read!

A nice starter book, but would have chosen differently in retrospect as i am interested in negotation outside of work place environments and have since found out that as a text 'getting to yes' isn't as trusted for use in professional practice as ones that came after it.

This is definitely one of those books that everyone should read at some point. I'm sure there are lots of other good books out there on negotiation, but this is small enough and simple enough that it conveys some great principles that can benefit even the most mundane of daily negotiations.The sections on how to express disagreement whilst still keeping a good working relationship with another person are particularly helpful and interesting.

This book has a relevant and useful information towards the core law models at university. I did use it in my year one and year two for alternative dispute resolution topics and assessments.