Its conciseness is deceptive. The concepts expressed are profound. For example, I cannot count the number of clients to whom I have explained the concept of BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement, i.e. what you do if the negotiations fail) before we head into a session of mediation or other negotiation. I have reread this book several times at widely spaced intervals and have found it better than I remembered each time.
I think this particular book is also much more helpful to those who participate in negotiations that are less structured than labor or arms negotiations that are highly choreographed than was _Getting to Yes_, which at times seemed to assume that all players in the negotiation would be using the same text.
1) Don't react 2) Disarm them 3) change the game 4) Make it easy to say YES 5) Make it hard to say NO
5 excellent steps in winning over a reluctant negotiation partner. Simple and clear steps that can have a great impact.
Getting Past No stands on its own. You don't need to have read Getting to Yes to understand and appreciate this one. Only do I love to go back to the basics of negotiation over and over, and their is for me no supplement to Getting to Yes.
It is several years ago I read the book the first time, but still every week, if not very day, I find use for its principles.
This book along with Frank Bettger's classic on selling have proved to be the most important all-purpose books to my life and career.Meditate over this Book! I am still astonished on how this book summarized the reasons of many of my past successes and how easily it pinpointed the reasons why I failed. PEOPLE! We always get down to people! I read both books, "Getting to Yes" and "Getting Past No" and before I read this one I thought I was going to read the "sequel" of the first one, but in reality Mr. Ury expressed himself (more than 10 years later) with more than just another view to the same problem. He managed to synthesize and put also his heart in divising a pathway for normal people (like you and me) to effectively get positive results in all possible difficult relationships and situations (personal, professional, etc.). This book plus "Difficult Conversations" are two must reads for persons really concerned in managing PEOPLE and PEOPLE PROBLEMS.
