The Negotiating Edge

Suggested Reading

The following are our favorite books on negotiation. If you are looking for something more specific, check out our additional reading list which has over 100 books on negotiation covering everything from how to negotiate your divorce to how to get a raise. If you have any favorite books on negotiation, bargaining or conflict resolution please contact us and let us know. We are always looking for new ideas and new publications.

	How to Outnegotiate Anyone (Even a Car Dealer!) by Leo Reilly (Paperback- 1993) As the title suggests, this book focuses on bargaining skills. It provides practical, hard-hitting advice on how to bargain price including how to make an opening offer, when to deadlock and when not to, how to determine your power at the table, and much more. It has sold over 100,000 copies.
	The Win-Win Solution: Guaranteeing Fair Shares to Everybody by Steven J. Brams, Alan D. Taylor (Paperback - October 2000) Having trouble figuring out how to fairly divide assets between people? This book provides an innovative solution. Steven J. Brams, a Professor of Politics at NYU, and Alan D. Taylor, a Professor of Mathematics at Union College, have come up with a procedure called "adjusted winner" that is simple and easy to implement. We highly recommend it to you.
	Getting Past No: Negotiating Your Way from Confrontation to Cooperation by William Ury. (Paperback- February 1993) One of the few books on negotiating with difficult people that we recommend. Most of the other books that we have seen rely on "personality typing", neurolinguistic programming (don't even ask what that is!) or other such hokum. This book, on the other hand, is solid, down-to-earth and very useful.
	The Art and Science of Negotiation by Howard Raiffa (Paperback- March 1985) This book is used as a college textbook in most universities that teach negotiation. Professor Raiffa has written a number of books on negotiation and decision making, all of them excellent. This book is highly regarded but it is not for the casual reader. It is a serious read.
	The Evolution of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod (Paperback- 1985) Robert Axelrod has broken new ground in game theory with his computer simulations. This book explores how cooperation can emerge in a world of self-seeking egoists--whether superpowers, businesses, or individuals--when there is no central authority to police their actions. An important book.
	Prisoner's Dilemma/John Von Neumann, Game Theory and the Puzzle of the Bomb. By William Poundstone (Paperback- 1993) This is the best book on game theory that we could find for the casual reader. Poundstone introduces us to John Von Neumann, the creator of "the theory of games" and tells the story of how game theory influenced America's cold war policies. Von Neumann is generally regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of our age, and the model for Stanley Kubrik's Dr. Strangelove. We meet John Forbes Nash, the subject of Ron Howard's film "A Beautiful Mind" and Robert Axelrod, who has broken new ground with his computer simulations (see above.) This book explains game theory and frankly discusses its limitations, its strengths and its "dark side." A highly enjoyable and readable text.

Couldn't find the book you wanted? Check out our additional reading list with over 100 linked titles on negotiation.