Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight Paperback – April 12, 2011

A good book about negotiating

Overall it is a good book about the theme in question, however it is more about examples of specific situations than actual a guidance on how to deal with the situation in a generic form.I do have enjoyed reading it and even in the format in question it has provided grat insights about people's nature when negotiating in very difficult situations.

I just read this book with my book club and, unanimously, it was a hit. The story format was incredibly engaging and effective, and I learned a process and skills which will be useful at work and in life.Among members of my book club, one said that she loved "every" chapter. A couple members have MBAs, have read other books on negotiation and found the stories a useful, interesting and vivid way to present points on negotiation. This book helped two others directly by encouraging them to reach out and/or analyze before reacting emotionally (i.e. utilize Spock): one manages many people, and faced a frustruating situation to which she was going to respond immediately. Instead, she solicited opinions from each member of her group first, and made a different, and what she considered better, decision. She said that she wouldn't have done that had she not just read this book, and appreciated the advice. Another is a high-level professional involved in a difficult political situation at work. She's been quietly looking for another job (for a variety of other reasons, too). She said that this book caused her to step back, analyze her value and contribution, and plan to negotiate first.The group really liked the WW2 and Mandela chapters and the juxtaposition of the situations. I found these and the S.F. Symphony chapter the most interesting. I also enjoyed IBM vs. Fujitsu chapter with Mnookin's creative solution. The Divorce and Sibling chapters were great for showing the traps, and are quite relatable (happily not immediately!)Overall, this was a surprisingly fun read, with the bonus of a first-rate education in negotiation.

I wish I read this book years ago. It is a quick read but there is so much information in it. The author has a sense of humor but his experience is very telling. It's one of the few times I've highlighted sections

Tells interesting stories about hard negotiations he has experienced, but at no time does he actually break down the dynamic of identifying a 'devil' and knowing when to stop negotiating with them. I expected something along the lines of Voss's book Never Split the Difference, which is an amazing read, but never got anything like it. Not a complete waste, but very disappointing.

The author provides examples, from business, politics and war, of conflicts between opponents who start out demonizing each other and then find, or fail to find, common pathways to resolution. The book is a plea for restraint of initial impulses to fight - in court or on the battlefield - while each side puts itself in the other side's place to figure out what concessions can reasonably be expected.The section about Nelson Mandela is for me the centerpiece of the book. The story of his heroic endurance through years of imprisonment, his deep understanding of his opponents, and his skill at negotiating while balancing passion and thoughtful restraint, mark him as one of the truly great figures of history. I am grateful to Mr.Mnookin for teaching me so much more about this remarkable man than I already knew.

The cases tend to be wordy and not too straight to the point but the book achieves to apply the proposed framework with real life cases.

A collection of negotiation case studies, some set on the world stage, but others set at a much more intimate level. Mnookin's gift is to find the common threads that defy the scale differences, distilling a subtlety distinct cut on interest-based negotiation. The political case studies are good, but the real value in this excellent book lies in the detailed discussion and perceptive analysis of cases of employee representation vs. management, a divorce, and sibling disagreement over inheritance. Each case illustrates the value of focusing on interests rather than pointless positions of so-called principle. How often have I seen the outcome of "it's the principle" negatively impact people's lives, more often than not following some pyrrhic "victory" in a negotiation of some sort? Politicians of all stripes, managers and trade unionists too, as well as warring spouses or siblings - read, digest, benefit.