New Book: Bargaining with the Devil?
NPR Excerpt: The line between negotiation and confrontation is a thin one. Harvard law professor Robert Mnookin argues that even with a group like the Taliban, negotiation has to be an option. It's the focus of his new book, Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight. Mnookin talks with Guy Raz about several case studies in which negotiation with a known evil is the best course of action.
Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=123694086
From Book Site: http://www.bargainingwiththedevil.com/
Should you bargain with the Devil? In an age of terror, our national leaders face this sort of question every day. Should we negotiate with the Taliban? Iran? North Korea? What about terrorist groups holding hostages? In private disputes, you may face devils of your own. A business partner has betrayed you and now wants to negotiate a better deal. Your marriage is ending and your spouse is making extortionist demands. A business competitor has stolen your intellectual property. Your sister is fighting you over an inheritance. You are furious. Your gut tells you to fight it out in court.
But when facing a devil—anyone you perceive as a harmful adversary—it may make more sense to negotiate rather than fight, says Robert Mnookin, the internationally renowned leader in the art of negotiation. How do you decide?
