We re constantly negotiating in our lives, whether it s convincing the kids to do their homework or settling million-dollar lawsuits. For those who need help winning these battles, Roger Fisher has developed a simple and straightforward five-step system for how to behave in negotiations. Narrated soothingly by NPR announcer Bob Edwards, Fisher adds the meaty portions of the material with a sense of playfulness. The blend of voices makes this tape easy to listen to, especially the real-life negotiating scenarios, in which negotiating examples are given. This is a must-have tape for every businessperson s car. (Running time: one hour, one cassette) --Sharon Griggins

#A quick reminder about negotiation (2008-04-20) When it comes to negotiation, people are often confronted with though bargaining that destroys relationships. Getting to Yes offers people a new way of looking at negotiation and enables negotiators to reach a mutual profitable agreement without hard feelings. The Harvard Negotiation Project, which this book is based on, came to understand basic principles that should guide every dispute. Thus, it is important to focus on the issue at hand, not the people involved in it or the position one defends. Do not hesitate to stay creative a...

#Don t take it personally! (2004-07-01) I must confess I ordered and read this book because my new boss recommended it. Well, now that we have unpacked all the boxes from our move to take this job - I find we have about 5 copies of this book. This book is GREAT! This is not a new book but has been read by millions of people and is now a classic. The first edition came out in 1981 and the second edition 10 years later. The newest edition benefits from many updates and has an additional chapter (#10) with common questions (and answers) that people have commonly asked about Gettin...

#Don t buy from audible (2004-06-26) Don t buy the audio version from audible. com . Their programming skills are terrible. I could not download some of the books I bought, could not burn into cd the ones I could download, and forget about making it work with an mp3 player, unless you re lucky. I know about 5 people who bought stuff from there and only one had the luck of downloading a working file and burning it successfully to a cd. The quality of the narrations is awful, at least in the books I managed to hear (only on windows media player, nothing else worked). If you re used t...

#Packed with Knowledge! (2004-03-02) Authors Roger Fisher, William L. Ury and Bruce M. Patton offer a seminal step-by-step guide to negotiating effectively. The authors use anecdotal examples to illustrate both positive and negative negotiating techniques. They believe that, with principled negotiation, both parties can reach an agreement in an amicable and efficient manner. Principled negotiation is based on the belief that when each side comes to understand the interests of the other, they can jointly create options that are mutually advantageous, resulting in a wise settlement...

#Great Book! (2004-02-06) Incredible book! You will learn a lot about yourself and other people too. A must read!

Effectively managing personnel--as well as one s own behavior--is an extraordinarily complex task that, not surprisingly, has been the subject of countless books touting what each claims is the true path to success. That said, Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton s Now, Discover Your Strengths does indeed propose a unique approach: focusing on enhancing people s strengths rather than eliminating their weaknesses. Following up on the coauthors popular previous book, First, Break All the Rules, it fully describes 34 positive personality themes the two have formulated (such as Achiever, Developer, Learner, and Maximizer) and explains how to build a strengths-based organization by capitalizing on the fact that such traits are already present among those within it. Most original and potentially most revealing, however, is a Web-based interactive component that allows readers to complete a questionnaire developed by the Gallup Organization and instantly discover their own top-five inborn...

#A point well taken, but... (2006-07-07) The idea of the book is to help you find your talents, build your strengths, which will in turn, improve your performance. Building your strengths is indeed somthing that is often overlooked, as most of the time we seek to improve our weaknesses- that s a point well taken- and a good reason to buy the book. However two more things also need to be mentioned. First, why can t we work on building both our strengths AND our weaknesses? In other words, why do we have to necessarily pick just one? I feel that many weaknesses can be improved upon. Se...

#Good book for managers who want to develop their people (2006-05-05) It s unconventional to be an advocate of focusing on people s strength instead of area of improvement , especially in the business world. This book gives plenty of real cases a lot of which we can relate to, very convincing. It s also a very easy read.

#Top Career Books Available (2006-03-17) Having recently been thrown into the world of executive unemployment, I highly recommend these two books for people facing reorganizations, layoffs, job changes or career redirection. . . NOW DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS (Buckingham) and THE BLACK BOOK OF OUTSOURCING (Brown & Wilson) Buckingham gives you a kick in the pants to get back on track. . . and Brown/Wilson will open up a whole new perspective on outsourcing - how to find a career in it, where the jobs in the US are, how to qualify, even how to open your own outsourcing firm.

#Some great ideas are present. (2006-02-23) The Author presents some great ideas, although excludes God, or any spiritual forces from any influence in who you are, or the decisions you make. Still, Christians should be able to gain value in some of the helpful ideas. Focusing on our weaknesses is the devils interest. Focusing on our strengths (God being one of them notably not mentioned in the book) is our responsability. Online questions don t let you answer a valid response. For example: a person who can excite others can often also calm them down. Saying you are neutral isn t a...

#beware of used copies (2004-07-03) An integral part of this book is the online profile. Each copy of this book comes with a unique PIN number inside the book jacket. If you buy a used copy, the PIN number may be already used, and thus will not allow you to use the online profile. However, the book is still interesting if you enjoy reading through the signature themes and guessing what your profile would have uncovered. It is also fun to read each theme and think of people you know who come to mind, and consider ways in which you can support their strengths. I would give this b...

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change was a groundbreaker when it was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more than 10 million copies sold. Stephen Covey, an internationally respected leadership authority, realizes that true success encompasses a balance of personal and professional effectiveness, so this book is a manual for performing better in both arenas. His anecdotes are as frequently from family situations as from business challenges. Before you can adopt the seven habits, you ll need to accomplish what Covey calls a paradigm shift--a change in perception and interpretation of how the world works. Covey takes you through this change, which affects how you perceive and act regarding productivity, time management, positive thinking, developing your proactive muscles (acting with initiative rather than reacting), and much more. This isn t a quick-tips-start-tomorrow kind of book. The concepts are someti...

#Not a Recommended Gift (2008-11-28) This book is outdated with white tower language. I would not recommend it for our workforce that is starting out. There are too many analogies that are disconnected from the actual concepts and lessons that we need to teach our workforce. Time is precious and if I have to go back and try to get the point, then I see no point in reading it. I would not recommend this as a gift.

#filled with important information (2007-12-02) Not that I m an expert in the subject, but I m guessing that this isn t your typical success book. In many ways it s a general purpose psychology book, dealing with such things as motivation, organizational skills, and how to deal with stress. It s chock full of seemingly unique information, and interesting quotes and tidbits. For example, it states Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success, leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. The book isn t boring or repetitive, and is written i...

#A number of years (2007-11-03) I read this book a number of years ago as part of a semester long class with it as the main teaching tool. From what I remember it provides good insights into time management, prioritizing tasks and breaking down a goal into bite size pieces so that a person isn t overwhelmed by the size of what needs to be done.

#Mandatory reading (2006-12-06) This book should be mandatory study for everyone above the teen years. I have spent 3 years reviewing the principles off and on, and it has significantly changed my behavior and outlook. Covey draws on innate human traits of character, and shows how to use them to enrich your life. I can often tell when I have met a Covey student: they have an indescribable peace and glow about them. Warning: Do not just read this book once. You have to practice the principles and revisit the book to get maximum benefit. Ideal for a study group format.

#Exceptional, Life-changing and a Must have! (2006-07-09) I found the book incredibly useful in EVERY aspect of my life! It gives you tools (lists, diagrams, and organizer inserts) which are so useful and helpful in order to live a highly effective and rewarding life based on the strength of correct and time tested principles. Stephen Covey provides very personal examples of his effective growth change as well. I like authors who do what they preach! I am confident that other readers who follow Covey s advice will find their lives to be far more organized and satisfying. This excepti...