One of the modules that I am taking this semester centers around International Management; I wanted something along the business line in addition to the slew of Communications modules that I have already taken. It was a good decision; I learnt loads from my professor who flew in from New York and I found an interest in Negotiation.
We all negotiate everyday. Spouses negotiate whether they should buy takeaways or cook, employers and employees negotiate the latter's salaries, property buyers and agents negotiate over pricing; it is an intricate skill which requires sharpening. I was very intrigued by my professor who related her experiences with negotiation; the Japanese would want this and the Americans would want that. Some of the proceedings would drag on for months with no conclusion in sight.
This is the second book that I read regarding Negotiation. I went to Goodreads and surprisingly, there were no reviews, save for two users who rated it on the lower end of the spectrum. I do not think this book deserves such a low rating so here's a book review from yours truly! Also, I seldom write reviews for non-fiction books so.. be easy on me. :D
The book opens with a brief introduction to Negotiation and argues why it is extremely important to prepare for it. In the business world, preparation is key. Not only do you and your team prepare yourselves thoroughly, it is also essential to prepare about the opposite team. Knowing their background adequately and what makes them ticked for instance, are crucial to negotiation and winning it.
There are a total of ten chapters altogether; each chapter highlights a principle. It opens with a quote and ends with a summary of key points in bulleted form. Besides the principles, the book is also chock full of stories from famous and experienced negotiators. There is a good variety of fields, ranging from the sporting world to media to politics and diplomats.
The writing is simple, but easily comprehensible. Personally, I think that a writer has succeeded when he is able to use simple words to convey powerful and strong messages to people of all levels. You don't need to use big bombastic words just because you are going to deliver something important. I vaguely remember reading an article some years ago for the subject General Paper, where one of our politicians handed back a document to his subordinate and insisted that the latter re-worded it in simple terms. I also remember this incident between me and my significant other who's a science major in a local university; he showed me one of his assignments and asked for my take. I thought it was a pretty good piece of writing because I could follow his argument and this was coming from someone who has scant knowledge about Biology.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough. - Richard Feynman
The key lies in having a good structure and using simple words for easy comprehension. I believe that the book will still be able to appeal to people who already have a certain amount of experience in negotiation such as businessmen and diplomats because of the way it is written and supported, thus making it a powerful read. As a college undergrad, I enjoyed the book (especially the stories) thoroughly and it has expanded my knowledge about Negotiation. I rate it out of 5 likes:
