This book was mentioned in a text

We use at Berlitz and we got BATNA from it. We teach it to people learning English so they will be able to be hi-class negotiaters. BATNA--Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement. If you don't know this, you cannot be a pro negotiater.

Good approach, but still has holes

I like this negotiation book because it emphasizes the win-win situation yet its system is flexible enough to deal with those who do not want to play that way. On the other hand, I am still intrigued by the use of standards. The authors propose that, in order to achieve some level of, shall we say "fairness," one should resort to the use of established standards that help both parties to gain a perspective. One example was about oil drilling rights in international waters. There was a disagreement that polarized relatively rich nations against relatively poor nations, and only after the discovery and use of an oil drilling economics model developed at MIT did the impasse begin to melt. However, what happens if the standard/model itself is developed with a biased opinion? One example might be the customs used in apartheid South Africa that were clearly biased towards whites. In summary, this book has important points (e.g. look at the interests behind the positions), but more work could be done to clarify the use of some principles.

Great book on principle-centered negotiation

Getting to Yes is a book that focuses on negotiation techniques you can use to get a fair deal without sacrificing the relationship.

Fisher and Ury give some excellent advice for negotiation such as focusing on the problem and interests, not digging yourself into a position, how to handle overpowering and dirty negotiators, and work on problem solving by creating options.

I was mostly impressed by the author's description of how to maintain integrity without giving in. I was also impressed with the step-by-step scenario they had of the negotiation with the landlord that had charged over the rent control limit.

On the down side, I really wished there were more examples in this book. While there certainly were a few, I was left wanting more in order to understand the techniques given. Also I found some of the language to be dry, but this is not a huge issue.

Getting to Yes is definitely a book you want to read and we all have to negotiate at some point in our lives. 4 out of 5 stars.