December 11, 2007
Reviewed by Laura Sessions Stepp
"Consider what can happen when people don't say no...A working mother of three volunteers to chair the PTA board and wonders why she barks all the time at her husband. A financial officer agrees to shift company money illegally, against his better judgment, and ends up in prison."
April 8, 2007
Reviewed by Paul B. Brown
We spend a huge part of life in situations that require negotiation...Along the way we have learned, often the hard way, to develop some negotiation skills. But formal training is rare - and, if it occurs, is usually limited to one brief course. A handful of new books, either in bookstores now or coming soon, is aiming to fill the void. The best of the bunch, The Power of a Positive No, is by William L. Ury, director of the Global Negotiation Project at Harvard.
March 19, 2007
Reviewed by Hannah Clark
"Saying no has become a crucial life skill for two-income families with increasing hours at work. But many people are afraid of that two-letter word."
March 8, 2007
Reviewed by Barbara Kiviat
Although we may intuitively understand how to effectively say no, we often don't because of other concerns swirling in our head. Yet today, Ury argues, in a world with more information, more options and more demands for productivity than ever before, the stakes are incredibly high.
March 1, 2007
Reviewed by Jeffrey Zaslow
Why does our culture make us want to boil everything down to yes or no? Can focusing on those two words really change our lives?" Columnist Jeffrey Zaslow explores this question in his review of several books, including William Ury's "The Power of a Positive No.
Summer 2007
Reviewed by Frank E.A. Sander
First there was Getting to Yes, the legendary book on negotiation, now translated into 30+ languages, still selling more than 3,500 copies per week more than 25 years after its initial appearance...Now comes the third of the trilogy in which Bill Ury addresses the problem of the negotiator who finds it difficult to walk the tightrope between extending empathy to the opponent while still asserting her own interests...How can this challenging task be accomplished? That is the thrust of this readable book...Only those few negotiators who already can get to Yes while still asserting essential Nos can afford to ignore this book.
2006
Twenty-five years after the publication of the bestselling Getting to Yes, Ury addresses the other side of the coin, but his version of "No" is not a simple rejection. "A Positive No begins with Yes and ends with Yes," he says, because it defines the nay-sayer's self-interests and paves the way for a continued relationship.
2006
A handy guide to go along with Ury's phenomenal best seller, Getting to Yes: how to protect yourself without feeling bad or acting nasty. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
April 21, 2007
Reviewed by Susan Shaw
Ury offers insight into the importance of negotiation and coming up with "win-win" solutions. Ultimately, this is a worthwhile read for anyone who has a hard time saying that little two-letter word.
April 22, 2007
Reviewed by Charles Euchner
Ury calls for a new kind of 'no' that is not a shrill message of rejection. Instead, 'no' should be built on the foundation of strong and positive values, and be the beginning of a conversation, not its end.
In this [book] you will learn
Why you should read The Power of a Positive No
Imagine that you are a police department’s hostage negotiator. An armed man who has just lost his job is holding his wife and children hostage in their barricaded home. He threatens to kill his family and himself unless the authorities turn over the boss who fired him so he can “administer fiery justice.” How do you tell this potential murderer no without jeopardizing everyone in the house? The professionals who negotiate during such extreme situations know how to refuse in such a way that no one gets hurt. That’s a useful skill, even when lives are not at stake. William Ury, head of Harvard’s Global Negotiation Project, has negotiated agreements that have ended bloody conflicts around the world. Here, he outlines a nimble strategy for delivering a “Positive No” in every situation. This approach enables you to be firm about your values and state your opinions without alienating others.
getAbstractsuggests this book to anyone who has to deliver an occasional no and make it stick.