G. Richard Shell

A decent, high-level look at negotiation. Examples were sometimes too lofty and/or legendary to be easy for the common folk to identify with. The book is aimed, it felt, at middle managers rather than entry-level people, but for someone who wants a sense of what to expect when trying to get ideas across in the corporate world, this is a good primer. It's a practical and amoral (but not immoral, and also very ethical) look at getting your goals accomplished in corporate America.

In Bargaining for Advantage author G. Richard Shell provides a thorough review of the negotiation process, from preparation to closing, but for me personally the singularly best piece of advice was this bit of wisdom: "Those who expect more get more." I come from a world of tempered expectations and playing nice, which as Shell points out is a relativity weak disposition to negotiate from. We all tend to get exactly what we expect from life and research further confirms this is true. What show more someone sees as entitlement, and all the negativity associated with that word, another sees it as self-esteem and of being assertive. Food for thought.

In general, there's so much misinformation and anxiety associated with the act of negotiation that many don't take full advantage of their options or they avoid bargaining altogether. According to the author, successful negotiation is 90% preparation. It's like taking a test. If you don't study, then you're just flying blind. show less

My graduate school instructor who taught negotiation recently recommended this book to me. I found it to be a much better book than Getting to Yes, another classic in the field which seems to be better known. Shell writes extremely well, provides many concrete examples, lays out a detailed and methodical strategy for improving your negotiation skills, and provides a nifty assessment in the appendix to determine your own unique style and preferences. This is a very practical book, of course, show more but it is also interesting and a pleasure to read. I heartily endorse my professor's recommendation and suggest that others will benefit from this book. show less

I met Mr. Shell when he taught a class sponsored by the company I worked for back in the late '90s. His premise: you don't have to be immoral or a jerk to be a strong negotiator. As such, his book is the best of many, many books I've read on negotiation. Much better than the proverbial classic "Getting to Yes" (which I also own).