Rating: 
Summary: Indispensable Advice on Contract Negotiation
Review: Well done book that coaxed me and encouraged me to negotiate for a well-defined contract. I've stopped wanting to just close the deal (although old habits die hard) - now I want to make sure the contract is negotiated for success - mine and my clients'. That's a new focus for me, even though it seems so obvious as I write this. A really good addition to my library that I'll use whenever I'm negotiating.
Rating:
Summary: Better than Getting To Yes
Review: While the other reviews listed here accurately describe Ava's book, I wanted to add a different perspective. This book was just about as enjoyable and entertaining as any I have come across in the fairly mundate world of contracts, negotiations, and similar business topics. I felt as if I was sitting across from Ava and having a light-hearted "discussion" on how to negotiate and maintain relationships while doing so. But the advice that she gives during this "discussion" is about as sage and helpful as I could ever imagine any negotiator (architect or lawyer, for that matter) needing. What a great book!
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining Education
Review: While the other reviews listed here accurately describe Ava's book, I wanted to add a different perspective. This book was just about as enjoyable and entertaining as any I have come across in the fairly mundate world of contracts, negotiations, and similar business topics. I felt as if I was sitting across from Ava and having a light-hearted "discussion" on how to negotiate and maintain relationships while doing so. But the advice that she gives during this "discussion" is about as sage and helpful as I could ever imagine any negotiator (architect or lawyer, for that matter) needing. What a great book!
Rating:
Summary: Marvelous Book with Great Insights from a New Perspective
Review: With this marvelous book on negotiation, Ava Abramowitz has provided a most excellent public service to design professionals and all other participants in the construction industry. If more people followed the advice contained in this book, there would be more trust between parties, more effective risk management, better projects, happier project participants, and less litigation. This book challenged my own thinking, as I'm sure it will challenge yours. If you follow Ava's reasoning, you will find yourself asking more questions to help focus on your client's problems and needs, and you will learn to listen to them better so that you will propose solutions that go beyond their design needs and reach their basic business and personal concerns. Not only will the principles of communication and negotiation make you more effective in relationships with your clients, you may even find yourself listening better to your spouse and children. I think that all of us who learn to apply the principles of communication and negotiation so artfully and enjoyably explained by Ava, will better appreciate that we negotiate every day over little (and sometimes big) matters. Ava encourages us to approach negotiation from a new perspective instead of the tired old concepts of hard and soft negotiation, win-lose negotiation, or even win-win negotiation. Negotiation, as she explains, does not fit into simple formulas; it does not have to be complex; and it certainly does not need to be intimidating or dreaded. Whether you negotiate contracts with clients or just haggle with your boss, employees or co-workers over every-day decisions in the office or in the field, this book is must reading. I highly recommend this book not only for design professionals but for other project participants and their attorneys. Personal anecdotes and war stories from the author's experience, as Deputy General Counsel of the American Institute of Architects ("AIA") and Risk Management Services Director of a major insurance company, bring this book to life. Highlighted boxes of text sprinkled throughout the book help emphasize and organize key principles. The friendly, conversational writing style, with numerous succinct headings, subheadings, bullets and lists, make for enjoyable and easy reading, and virtually assures that this book will become a continuous reference.
Rating:
Summary: Marvelous Book with Great Insights from a New Perspective
Review: With this marvelous book on negotiation, Ava Abramowitz has provided a most excellent public service to design professionals and all other participants in the construction industry. If more people followed the advice contained in this book, there would be more trust between parties, more effective risk management, better projects, happier project participants, and less litigation. This book challenged my own thinking, as I'm sure it will challenge yours. If you follow Ava's reasoning, you will find yourself asking more questions to help focus on your client's problems and needs, and you will learn to listen to them better so that you will propose solutions that go beyond their design needs and reach their basic business and personal concerns. Not only will the principles of communication and negotiation make you more effective in relationships with your clients, you may even find yourself listening better to your spouse and children. I think that all of us who learn to apply the principles of communication and negotiation so artfully and enjoyably explained by Ava, will better appreciate that we negotiate every day over little (and sometimes big) matters. Ava encourages us to approach negotiation from a new perspective instead of the tired old concepts of hard and soft negotiation, win-lose negotiation, or even win-win negotiation. Negotiation, as she explains, does not fit into simple formulas; it does not have to be complex; and it certainly does not need to be intimidating or dreaded. Whether you negotiate contracts with clients or just haggle with your boss, employees or co-workers over every-day decisions in the office or in the field, this book is must reading. I highly recommend this book not only for design professionals but for other project participants and their attorneys. Personal anecdotes and war stories from the author's experience, as Deputy General Counsel of the American Institute of Architects ("AIA") and Risk Management Services Director of a major insurance company, bring this book to life. Highlighted boxes of text sprinkled throughout the book help emphasize and organize key principles. The friendly, conversational writing style, with numerous succinct headings, subheadings, bullets and lists, make for enjoyable and easy reading, and virtually assures that this book will become a continuous reference.
Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: Wow! I picked up a copy of Contract Negotiations the other day and despite being in the middle of 5 or 6 other books, it is ythis one I keep returning to. Because of the casual tone and informal style reading it feels as much like a good conversation as a good read. I've enjoyed her writing in the Handbook in the past, but here she has given ample room to explore the subjects more thoroughly and enjoyably. And Ava is able to sustain a level of high energy and interest throughout. Simply amazing to me, given what is usually treated as such a dry and reserved subject.
I have a year old architecture practice in Chicago, teach at U of Illinois Chicago in the Architecture department, and wrestle every day with the issues you describe in the book, whether with owner/clients, my own employees or grad students. If I ever get to reach my dream of teaching professional practice (in addition to the current building science/design) in the coming years, I will certainly make this book required reading. Until then I will set to memory so much of the wisdom therein and spread the word amongst colleagues and clients. What a real joy, to involve myself in the rewarding conversation that is this book.
Rating:
Summary: wow!
Review: Wow.
I picked up a copy of this book the other day and despite being in the middle of 5 or 6 other books, it is this one I keep returning to. Because of the casual tone and informal style, reading it feels as much like a good conversation as a good read. I've enjoyed her writing in the Handbook in the past, but here Ava is given ample room to explore the subjects more thoroughly and enjoyably. And she is able to sustain a level of high energy and interest throughout. Simply amazing to me, given what is usually treated as such a dry and reserved subject.
I have a year old architecture practice in Chicago, teach at U of Illinois Chicago in the Architecture department, and wrestle every day with the issues she describes in the book, whether with owner/clients, my own employees or grad students. If I ever get to reach my dream of teaching professional practice (in addition to the current building science/design) in the coming years, I will certainly make this book required reading. Until then I will set to memory so much of the wisdom therein and spread the word amongst colleagues and clients. What a real joy, to involve myself in the rewarding conversation that is this book.
|
