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The word no has figured prominently in our popular culture in the past two decades. "Just say no." "What part of 'no' didn't you understand?" The idea is that no is easily understandable and always definite, as if all social interactions were as simple as that of a parent laying down the law for a child. But as any child quickly figures out, the word no usually means there was a flaw in negotiating strategies, and is only a temporary setback. That's where Stephen Pollan steps in. As a financial and legal consultant, he coaches clients into favorable resolutions to their problems, whether they've been turned down for business loans, offered great jobs they have reservations about, or been fired from jobs they knew they were good at. In Turning No into Yes, he argues that the path from no to yes involves six steps: figure out the real problem; deal with just one problem at a time (often there are clusters of problems contributing to a rejection); focus on facts and put aside emotions; become an expert on the situation (in others words, know what people in your field make; why your superiors may have turned down your proposal; and who is really undermining your efforts behind the scenes); make sure the people you're dealing with really know and trust you; and, if it's still an issue after you've gone through those steps, get them to reverse their decision and tell you yes. The beauty of Turning No into Yes is that Pollan and his cowriter, Mark Levine, use real-world examples to demonstrate every point they're making. We see partners in an art gallery work out a sticky ownership issue; an NBA basketball player learn to become a true businessman; an editor at a magazine get the raise he deserves. Somewhere in this book you'll recognize yourself as well as a situation you've found yourself in--or will soon find yourself in. And once you've read it, you'll want to keep it on your shelf for the day when the situation you never anticipated comes to pass. --Lou Schuler
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