Share <Embed>

Buy New

$11.05

List Price: $17.00
Save: $5.95 (35%)

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Want it tomorrow, June 6? Order within and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Ship to:

Select a shipping address:

Buy Used

$8.82

FREE Shipping on orders over $25.

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Jenson Books Inc

Fulfilled by Amazon

Turn on 1-Click ordering for this browser

Added to

Unable to add item to List. Please try again.

Other Sellers on Amazon

Add to Cart

$15.34
+ Free Shipping

Sold by: BOOKS-ON-SALE

Add to Cart

$15.51
+ Free Shipping

Sold by: Book Depository US

Add to Cart

$11.59
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: booksXpress

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 4 images

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most Paperback – November 2, 2010

by Douglas Stone (Author), Bruce Patton (Author), Sheila Heen (Author),

529 customer reviews

See all 4 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$11.45

—

Paperback

"Please retry"

$11.05

$4.49

$3.57

Unknown Binding

"Please retry"

—

$19.99

$9.11

The 10th-anniversary edition of the New York Times business bestseller-now updated with "Answers to Ten Questions People Ask"

We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success. you'll learn how to:

· Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation
· Start a conversation without defensiveness
· Listen for the meaning of what is not said
· Stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations
· Move from emotion to productive problem solving

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

$11.05 FREE Shipping on orders over $25. In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently bought together

Total price: $29.60

Buy the selected items together

This item:Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone Paperback $11.05
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher Paperback $9.27
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details
Getting Past No: Negotiating in Difficult Situations by William Ury Paperback $9.28
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
FREE Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Roger Fisher

955

in Business Conflict Resolution…
Paperback
$9.27
William Ury

167

Paperback
$9.28
Douglas Stone

144

Paperback
$10.16
Deborah Tannen

54

Paperback
$10.31
Roger Fisher

85

Paperback
$9.55
G. Richard Shell

152

Paperback
$9.61

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Does this book deliver on its promise of an effective way through sticky situations, whether ‘with your babysitter or your biggest client’? It does.”
—The New York Times

“These talented communicators blend a daunting array of disciplines into highly readable and practical advice.”
—Booklist

“I’m on my third reading. Half the pages are dog-eared. This is a mind-bogglingly powerful book. For life.”
—Tom Peters

“A user-friendly guide to mastering the talks we dread . . . a keeper.”
—Fast Company

“Emotional intelligence applied to life’s toughest moments.”
—Daniel Goleman, bestselling author of Working with Emotional Intelligence

“The only people who shouldn’t read Difficult Conversations are those who never work with people, anywhere.”
—Peter M. Senge, bestselling author of The Fifth Discipline

“How do you confront your ex-spouse who’s late picking up the kids? How do you tell a client their project took longer than expected and the bill is twice as high? How do you say ‘I’m sorry’? Start by picking up Difficult Conversations.”
—Citizen

“Difficult Conversations will be appreciated by readers who wish to improve oral communication in all aspects of their daily lives.”
—Library Journal

“Stone, Patton, and Heen illustrate their points with anecdotes, scripted conversations and familiar examples in a clear, easy-to-browse format.”
—Publishers Weekly

“The central insights of Difficult Conversations so resonate with common sense that it is easy to overlook just how remarkable of a book it is . . . a must-read.”
—Harvard Negotiation Law Review

“Examples more clear-headed and advice more precise than we’ve seen before.”
—Dallas Morning News

“Stone, Patton, and Heen have written an extremely clear and unpretentious exposition of how to develop effective communication skills and a guide to achieving openness and constructive outcomes in dialogue . . . this book is, and probably for some time to come will be definitive.”
—Southern Communication Journal

About the Author

Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, and Sheila Heen teach at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Negotiation Project. They have been consultants to businesspeople, governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world, and have written on negotiation and communication in publications ranging from the New York Times to Parents magazine. Bruce Patton is also a co-author of Getting to Yes. Each of them lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Stone and Heen are the authors of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It Is Off Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered, and Frankly, You're Not in the Mood) (Viking/Penguin, 2014)

Roger Fisher is the Samuel Williston Professor of Law Emeritus, Director of the Harvard Negotiation Project, and the founder of two consulting organizations devoted to strategic advice and negotiation training.

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Product details

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Penguin Books; 10 Anv Upd edition (November 2, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780143118442
ISBN-13: 978-0143118442
ASIN: 0143118447
Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.6 x 7.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (529 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,195 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #5 in Books > Business & Money > Management & Leadership > Management Science
- #9 in Books > Reference > Words, Language & Grammar > Communication
- #32 in Books > Self-Help > Relationships > Interpersonal Relations

If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

Customers viewing this page may be interested in these sponsored links

(What's this?)

Customer Reviews

529

4.7 out of 5 stars

5 star		76%
4 star		17%
3 star		5%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

Write a customer review

See all verified purchase reviews

Top Customer Reviews

Help using my anger more productively and peacefully!

ByCGLon July 17, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

For several years I've been working in psychotherapy to actually feel my anger - and use it productively so that people don't walk all over me. I used to be such a people-pleaser, i didn't even know when I was angry... and then I would unknowingly turn all my anger on myself - in the form of depression and self-criticism. It can still take awhile for me to realize when I don't like something and am annoyed or frustrated. And when I get angry, I can still become very anxious so it's tempting to vent, thinking I'm so entitled and right. But venting always turns out bad. Now I'm committed to becoming aware when I don't like something - sooner and sooner - and setting boundary or at least expressing what I don't like. Enter this book. It is helping me do all the is MUCH more gracefully. At first I just wanted to set a boundary. Sometimes it came out harsh. Now I understand the importance of staying calm, compassionate and connected with the other person when expressing my likes and dislikes as well as when negotiating and compromising - and staying friends during the whole process! I'm still learning. And reading the book. I'm not depressed anymore. Really. It's really great.

0Comment 24 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Too simplistic.

ByBilly Bearon September 2, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

It didn't help me. Really very simplistic. Almost all the advice could be summed up in a few sentences: "See both sides. Don't judge. Admit your own responsibility. Ask how you could do better."

11 comment 8 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

a mentor recommended reading this

ByEkgeison April 14, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This has been invaluable for changing perception on how to address difficult topics. In following some of the advice in this, we have been able to address issues that needed addressing, without threatening or losing valuable relationships in the working and friendship departments. When I was having some difficulty with coworkers, a mentor recommended reading this, and I could not be more grateful for the advice. While not every aspect applies for every situation, the general principles are applicable in numerous ways. This has not been the be all end all for me, but it has definitely helped me focus on how my words come across, and helped guide my speech to lead to healing in some strained relationships.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great book - very eye-opening!

ByJM555on May 18, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I don't normally write reviews, but this book was great. I was skeptical and figured it would just list a bunch of suggestions that aren't practical in the real world, but I was wrong. Some of the material was very eye-opening, especially the topics that deal with looking at yourself to see how you may be contributing to the problem. Highly recommended!

0Comment 33 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

definitely helpful, worthwhile read, but....

ByKevin Healeyon November 6, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I have to agree with a number of other reviews that the examples given, or at least the amount of them, is overkill. Those probably added 20% of additional material that made the really really good findings/insights/lessons harder, for me at least, to digest. I'm not critic or scholar though. Please read this, you'll find some very helpful lessons.

0Comment 7 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Not sure how to talk to a teacher, neighbor, employee, boss or volunteer when there's a problem? This book will help.

ByAlan Zon April 28, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Some conversations are easy to have. Some are hard — both in personal life and in business settings. Want to tell a hard-working employee that he's simply not meeting expectations? Want to discuss some challenges with a customer, or perhaps tell your adult child that you see problems ahead? How about firing a volunteer at your local non-profit? Those are all hard, and many of us avoid those conversations, or muff them, or get totally stressed out about the encounter.

This book is focused on adult-to-adult conversations. Don't expect it to help with your middle-schooler. But you might want to read this book before talking to your kid's teacher about your concerns.

Nearly every difficult conversation, by the way, takes place between people at different "levels" of power. It's easy to tell who has the power when you're bracing to talk to your employee. It's harder to know when you're talking to a teacher, or to someone you're in a relationship with, or a customer, or a volunteer, or a neighbor. This book will help you understand the relative positions in people in difficult conversations, and this will help you frame how to move forward — delaying a difficult conversation is never a good idea.

0Comment 12 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

One of the best books I have read to date

ByIvan Ton October 2, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This is by far one of my favorite books. This truly helps you understand the fact that not all conversations have one statement but instead have many. It will have you looking at how people communicate with you and how you communicate with others. It will have you sometimes over analyzing words and sentences and the use of emotional terms in a conversation. Such a great and easy read, this is a book I recommend for anyone. You will be surprised how easy it is to get the jist of proper and forward conversation.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A must for anyone who deals with people...that's everyone!

Bychrisgietzenon April 8, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

If you don't know what to do when a friend PMs you out of the blue on the offense about something you posted on Facebook and you can't even remember what you could have said to warrant such an attack, this is the book you need to have read and understood! It also helps with any conversations that you need to have with a loved one, a co-worker and client, etc. Highly recommend!

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Customer Images

See all customer images

Most Recent Customer Reviews

Three Stars

it's ok Read more

Published 10 days ago by Merida

Five Stars

Everyone should read this book. It has been invaluable with tough customer conversations as well as difficult personal conversations.Read more

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer

Five Stars

Great book for anyone who wants to improve their negotiation skills Read more

Published 1 month ago by miroslav salon

Great book.

Great book... a must-read. It's one of those books that one MUST read over and again from time to time to remind yourself of the wonderful truths expounded in it.Read more

Published 1 month ago by Eric Perez

A MUST READ

Every person on the planet could benefit from this book. It is exactly what I needed to know to improve my relationships. Love the specifics about "what to say".Read more

Published 1 month ago by Sarah Peterson

Relationship-Saver!!

Fresh off a breakup out of frustration with what had appeared to be intractable toxic fights, I found my way to this book by chance.Read more

Published 1 month ago by David Green

Great book

This is a book everyone should read to help them have more fulfilling relationships of all kinds. It has some important keys to making relationships stronger in home, work, and...Read more

Published 1 month ago by good book

Soo nice and heblpful for Improvement Project with HCW, simple situation and examples.
Use as a tool in your Project Read more

Published 1 month ago by Amazon Customer

Four Stars

Good value on text book needed for class.Read more

Published 2 months ago by Vicki B.

Five Stars

One of the most helpful books ever to support people interested in mastering the art of easing difficult conversations.Read more

Published 2 months ago by Naomi P

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most

Set up a giveaway