Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People

As a long time mediator I've read many books on the subject of negotiating. I found Bargaining for Advantage so informative I bought copies for my grown children. Shell brings science into the "art" of negotiating and makes sense of an often mysterious subject. My two daughters especially enjoyed the discussion of women and wages and why women may earn less than men - because they don't ask for more! If there are two or more people in a room, then there likely is negotiating taking place, at one level or another. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

To many of us the term 'Negotiation' is an abstract word. Prof. Shell converts it to a concrete term with all the steps involved to accomplish the results one desires. Reading the book will give you the information you need -- practicing the steps will give you the skills needed to get what you deserve at the bargaining table. Remember, "We don't get out of life what we deserve, rather what we negotiate."

This book is by far the best business reference book i read in a long while. Its negotiations theory is supported by psychological research which make sense and help you remember why the offered techniques are useful. The fascinating real life anecdotes help clarify the theory and make this book a fun read. For those who are looking for a serious book and a tool to handle different negotiation situations successfully, I highly recommend it.

I really like the subject of negotiation. As a matter of fact we all negotiate, I'm an engineer and I negotiate all day: with marketing, with manufacturing, with suppliers. I needed some key concepts to bring with me in every negotiation. I knew I was naturally doing something good and something bad in every negotiation and I needed to become more reliable.This book gave lots of good inputs, starting from my favourite: know your style. I now realised how, being almost a natural "compromiser" or "problem solver", I need to improve in those negotiations where stakes matter more than relationship. A very interesting book for people who want to be more effective and want to analyze their own behaviour in day to day negotiations.

G. Richard Shell's book on negotiation was my first read on the topic, aside from a little Dorling Kindersley guide. This is not a book to teach you how to be a cutthroat or hardball negotiator, it is a book designed to help YOU get the best solution every time.The author is to be commended for a number of achievements in this book. First, the writing was excellent -- easy to read, yet not simplistic; interesting enough that I actually enjoyed it; and extremely well organized. Unlike maky other books, the anecdotes are both interesting and well-used to illustrate his points.Second, the author presents guidance on a wide range of issues. One section helps you identify your bargaining style and then gives you suggestions on how to maximize its effectiveness. Another offers advice on how your strategy should change based on the relationship (or lack thereof) between the two parties. This book is not just for MBAs; it's for all people, since everyone negotiates in various forms with everyone else. Third, the book achieves an excellent balance between theory and practice. Shell refers to numerous psychology and economics experiments to describe the ideas beneath the negotiation process, but he also gives real-world advice on how to put these ideas to work.Finally, a section on ethics is included which, although enlightening enough to provide a basic knowledge of legal, moral, and practical implications of various bargaining strategies, is really only a primer to a much larger topic. Again, this was a truly excellent book, especially for anyone looking for a first read on the topic.