Rating: Summary: A Most Useful Book Review: 20 years ago, I recall hearing Herb Cohen dispensing practical and witty advice about negotiations on the old Larry King (midnight to 5 a.m.) Radio Show. Recently, when I went looking for a book on negotiation to use in connection with an office presentation, I remembered Cohen and gave his book a read. To my delight the book is not only keenly insightful and amazingly informative, it is extraordinarily entertaining. Reading the book I got that wonderful sense that I knew Cohen was on the money because what he was saying was exactly what I've thought and experienced in my life but always forget or recall too late to be of any damn use. In othe words, the book manages to crystillize and articulate principles and truths that have fleetingly passed through my own consciousness on their way to oblivion. In a weird way, Negotiate Anything feels like it was written as my own personal guide to dealing with the world. Incidentally, I've given Negotiate Anything to a dozen or so people who have had an indentical reaction. My only gripe is that Cohen apparently never wrote a second book.
Rating: Summary: The negotiation is a knowledge field ! Review: According the Play Boy Magazine , Herb Cohen was the best negotiator in the world .
The world is a huge table of negotiations in which whether or not , all negotiate . The way in which our normal encounters with the others will influence decisively in the way the things be fine or wrong .
Through this book you may conduct and organize your life getting what you want , it teaches what to do and how to do . Since the complex relations among parents and sons until the most complex international issues .
It is a process we can understand and conduct , a practical ability in which it is possible to prepare to increase our possibilities to become a winner .
Rating: Summary: The Book is a Classic Review: As made evident by the foregoing reviews (except for the German fellow), this book is a stand-out in its genre. Cohen is insightful, his writing is clear, and his anectodes both helpful and funny. I first read this book about 20 years ago, and was amazed then and still am. This is one of the few books that I can re-read and still enjoy and learn from. By the way, I have sampled most of the other negotiation books and, although at times useful, they just don't compare. And, the suggestion that Cohen has borrowed from others is absurd. This guy has a style all his own. The notion that he took from those other authors is like suggesting that Steven Spielberg borrowed from Hogan's Heros when creating Schindler's List.
Rating: Summary: Herb Cohen what took so long? Review: As per the Herb Cohen world is a giant negotiating table and one can negotiate ANYTHING.Though for many this is very convincing an argument,I prefer to disregard this golden rule a little because in my opinion it is too idealistic to say one can negotiate ANYTHING.However hard one tries,in reality,one cannot negotiate ANYTHING.The human limitations interms of right level of skills and abilities,attitude,knowledge,capacity to acquire and analyse the information in time,ability to conclude and decide, deviated perception of time, power and needs prevents us from successfully negotiating ANYTHING.
As a human being,internally,we all do have an inflated perception of self and like many other things it has its own advantages and disadvantages.In this book Herb Cohen has made use of these advantages very nicely and successfully.Although it is very idealistic to say you can negotiate ANYTHING,it helps much for a man on street to motivate himself and approach
the negotiations positively with much confidence.In his book Herb has successfully negotiated with reality, to infuse that confidence and motivation to negotiate ANYTHING in the minds of the reader.
For me this book is the first structured and scientific introduction to the world of negotiations and I have benefited immensely.Though this is a very small book I took much time to complete the first reading as the contents are very informative.Just reading this book doesn't help much for a person who is serious about learning the science of negotiations.Understanding this science, and successful
implementing and practising interms of building the right attitude,thoughts and views is the key and this is why I took more time in completing the first reading.It is not that after
reading this book one will become master in the art of negotiations, rather this book will INITIATE one's journey in the world of negotiations.
I first got attracted to the subject of negotiation when I was thinking what makes people successful,how Lord Gautam Buddha and Lord Jesus were able to influence, change and convince such a huge populace.This desire to know the unknown has put me on the path of understanding the world of negotiations and psychology of human behaviour.Without understanding these two things one cannot become successful in any of his endeavours.
This book definitely helps in understanding the value of information,psychology of needs,and perception of power and time.It also helps in how to deal for a WIN-WIN and how to deal with the so called Soviet Style adamant people.The very presence of 'SOVIET STYLE' psyche proves that one cannot negotiate ANYTHING, as Herb very rightfully suggests to walk-away
from such people.This only underlines another golden rule that one cannot negotiate successfully without any MUTUAL GAIN.
Rating: Summary: This is 'REAL' stuff. Use it daily and start winning!! Review: Fantastic and funny is what most people say first after Mr. Cohen's book is finally put down. Because of his remarkable effectiveness in delivering the point of effective negotiating...you feel that negotiating is not some hidden art or that an 'IVY' League education is necessary to be effective in the everyday occurences that we deal with on a regular basis. There as many techniques and methods of negotiating as there are people and cultures, but this book focuses on simplicity as well as effectiveness. The methods are hilariously portrayed and the terms are easily grasped by the reader without the necessity of classroom discussion or instructor evaluation. THIS is real stuff! Use this book daily and change your life forever. This book is the common elixir to cure all ailments for lifes complications. I first read this book many years ago and have made it required reading since! Mr. Cohen...I applaud you for bringing this mystical art to the rest of us through your adventures and examples.
Rating: Summary: a good insight into what's really going on Review: Herb Cohen is a guy that you like, he's very personable and this shows in his book, in fact you can see much of his negotiation tools being used by him to sell his own strategies to you in the book :), he makes the book very personable and human. There's definetly some good advice and strategies we can get from his life and his experiences. But i felt it is mostly him ranting about his own adventures or encounters. With his unique personality his outlook has proven successful, but i don't know how applicable these tools would be to everyone, meaning you may be able to save a few bucks but you won't become a millionare from this book. It does explain a general mindset to approach all negotiations which im sure will make me a more successful negotiator, i just wish he was more clear in how to apply it in my life instead of hearing all his past stories which i cant relate to.
Rating: Summary: Best Book on Negotiation Ever. Period! Review: I am back reordering this book to hand out to some new employees and I saw the previous review, which slammed this book. Had it been a Ken Blanchard book, I probably would have moved me (and my cheese) over to the purchase area and forgotten it. However, this book, "You Can Negotiate...." is one of the most influential books I have ever read, with lessons that I use daily in running a 100 mil plus division of a Fortune 1000 company.Bottom line is that this book is the best negotiation book I have ever read. ( And I've read a lot of them... not to mention way too many seminars) Mr. Cohen is entertaining and reveals the common elements of all negotiation, whether it is in business or your personal life. Read it, enjoy it, and learn. It's a classic. Terry
Rating: Summary: Skip the first few chapters Review: I was assigned to read this book for a MBA level Negotiation class. I started off being thoroughly disappointed. The examples and techniques suggested where broader line unethical or so unrealistic that any sane person would be embarrassed to repeat them in a real negotiation. I am happy that I stuck with the book though and finished it. The last few chapters starting with Part Three: Styles of Negotiation was helpful and much more applicable to a negotiation situation.
Rating: Summary: excellent Review: Seven years ago, I read to represent myself in a civil case. And I am happy to say that with the lessons in this book, I beat the pants off the defendants. And I was recently drawn to this book because the memories are still with me, and are applicable to anything that I am determined to go after. So, I've tested this once again, in negotiating a deal where, because I had done what Cohen advises, (gather information on the opposition, act like I have time, and know what authority the opposition has), I managed to pull off something big. This is a book to come back to, again and again, to pull out the best in who you are.
Rating: Summary: We All need to negotiate ALL of the time Review: This book is about negotiation as an integral part of successful human conduct. Mr. Cohen is not only a negotiator by profession, but also by obsession. There are Many helpful hints in this books; for example the Three Crucial variables (Power, Time and Information) and also the 14 applications of power. This book is easy to read and full of real life anecdotes about real negotiations that range from a kid who "successfuly" negotiates with his parents , to shop bargaining and to complex international negotiations as between the US and former USSR. This book will be helpful to all people from all walks of life; negotiation is a part of everybody's life.
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