Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People 2nd Edition [Paperback]

G. Richard Shell (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 2, 2006

As director of the renowned Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop, Professor G. Richard Shell has taught thousands of business leaders, administrators, and other professionals how to survive and thrive in the sometimes rough-and-tumble world of negotiation. His systematic, step-by-step approach comes to life in this book, which is available in over ten foreign editions and combines lively storytelling, proven tactics, and reliable insights gleaned from the latest negotiation research.

This updated edition includes:

• A brand-new "Negotiation I.Q." test designed by Shell and used by executives at the Wharton workshop that reveals each reader's unique strengths and weaknesses as a negotiator
• A concise manual on how to avoid the perils and pitfalls of online negotiations involving e-mail and instant messaging
• A detailed look at how gender and cultural differences can derail negotiations, and advice for putting talks back on track

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

G. Richard Shell teaches negotiation at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is professor of legal studies, business ethics, and management and academic director of the Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Revised edition (May 2, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143036971
• ISBN-13: 978-0143036975
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Negotiating
  • #34 in Books > Business & Investing > Skills > Communications
  • #91 in Books > Business & Investing > Management & Leadership > Motivational

More About the Author

G. Richard Shell is the Thomas Gerrity Professor of Legal Studies, Business Ethics, and Management at the Wharton School of Business, where he teaches as a senior member of the faculty. He is the author of the award-winning Bargaining for Advantage: Negotiation Strategies for Reasonable People, The Art of Woo: Using Strategic Persuasion to Sell Your Ideas (with Mario Moussa), and Do What You Were Meant to Do: Finding Your Own True Measure of Success (forthcoming in 2013). He is Director of the Wharton Executive Negotiation Workshop and the Wharton Strategic Persuasion Workshop. He has taught everyone from Navy SEALs and Fortune 500 CEOs to front-line nurses and teachers.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

207 of 209 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Second Best of Both Worlds November 9, 2007

By David M. Landis

Format:Paperback

There are two basic styles or strategies in negotiation literature: advantage seeking and joint gain finding. The best work on joint gain is the seminal work by Roger Fisher, Getting to Yes. The best work on advantage seeking is the work of Chester Karrass who extols high aspiration and concession management. The great thing about this book is that it is simultaneously the second best book in two very different paradigms. This is the best work on the topic of the information parties exchange as part of the negotiation process. That is why this is such an insightful work and worth every penny spent to buy it and hour it takes to read it Five stars and there are only four books in this entire niche subject that deserve that rating. Since I teach this stuff I read or at least skim scores of negotiation books. Many are thoroughly second rate. Reading a really good book on a subject you care about makes you want to write a review for Amazon. See.

75 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I Highly Recommend This Book October 9, 2006

By Meir Ben David

Format:Paperback

This book gives some very important understanding of negotiation to people who are not professional negotiators and do not know all the ins and outs of the current research in the field.

1. It talks about the differences in the negotiation style and how those differences affect the negotiation process.
2. It talks about what and how to set your goals in a negotiation.
3. It talks about whats and hows of using the various standards in making your case during the negotiation.
4. It discusses leverage and how it changes over time during the negotiation.
5. It discusses relationships that may or may not exist among the people in negotiation and how that affects negotiations.
6. It discusses different strategies from opening to closing the deal
7. It talks about creativity that can go into the deal that would make the pie bigger (as opposed to just dividing the pie).
8. It discusses ethics at length at the end of the book.

This book even has a template for preparation for negotiation that you can use as a way of thinking and doing research before you begin your negotiation. Each chapter also has a summary that is useful as a list of criteria for formulating your negotiation strategy.

I think that at the price I paid for the book, it was definitelly a bargain. If you are looking into becoming a better negotiator, this book is for you.

50 of 56 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best in Category February 9, 2007

By Robert A. Hall

Format:Paperback

This is one of those books I wish I'd read years ago. It was recommended to my colleagues and I during a negotiating workshop I scheduled for the managers at the professional association I manage. "Bargaining for Advantage" is clear, informative and entertaining--what more could you want? After 24 years as an Association Executive and ten as a state senator, I think of myself as an experienced negotiator. And I learned a ton from this book. It will be valuable for everyone, as we are all frequently called upon to negotiate. But for people managing a business, non-profit, agency or even a military organization, it's a pearl. Best business book I've read this year.

Robert A. Hall, CAE

Author of "The Good Bits."