The Promise of Mediation: Responding to Conflict Through Empowerment and Recognition

This is the follow-up to the authors' watershed first edition of the book by the same name, and contrary to the fate of most sequels, this one's really worthwhile. Indeed, it's largely a new book, rather than a mere revision; it fully updates the reader on the journey and developments in "transformative mediation" over the decade since the authors' first book with the same title was published in 1995. For anyone with an interest in the transformative model of mediation (as contrasted with, for example, facilitative or evaluative mediation), this is the best, most comprehensive, and well-written volume available.

This newly revised edition of The Promise of Mediation offers a wealth of new information on the priniciples of transformative conflict intervention. Many readers may not be aware that the revised edition actually contains almost entirely new material, reflecting new understandings of transformative mediation that have developed since the publication of the first edition. Bush and Folger offer new specifics for practice in the transformative framework of mediation through a carefully analyzed case study, in which we can see details of the "small steps" of conflict transformation. They also discuss the impact that the transformative movement has had on the field as a whole, and debunk some common misconceptions about the transformative framework. I have especially enjoyed the last chapter, which addresses, more completely than anything in the first edition, the deep underlying values that have led to the articulation of a transformative vision for mediation, and looks at possibilities for the future of the field. This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone interested in mediation, conflict, or just the interaction of human beings.

I'm grateful to the authors for the significant advance in mediation thinking that this book represents. This new edition has the potential to move the entire field toward a deeper, more powerful understanding. With the original edition, and again with this one, Bush and Folger have provided great clarity to a topic that, until now, has been muddled. While other mediators and writers succumb to the pressures of conflict and become part of the problem, these authors instruct us on how to remain true to the most important principles that lead to deep healing of human conflict. If I had the need, I would only hire a mediator who had read, studied, understood and embraced this book.

An important addition to the mediation field. It raises fundamental questions about the assumptions on which many mediators operate and the impact of those assumptions on parties in conflict. The book argues for a different framework for approaching the practice of mediation, which should provoke almost every mediator to think more deeply about their practice. A MUST READ.

A well reasoned look at mediation with a very different goal from most guides to mediation. If you know nothing about mediation you will learn a great deal, though all from one perspective, and if you are well versed in mediation skills you will have your conceptions challenged. In the end it doesn't matter if you agree with the authors, it is worth the time to be exposed to their ideas.