Here are 100 books that Getting Past No fans have personally recommended if you like Getting Past No. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

Tyra P. Sellers Author Of Daily Ethics

From my list on books to help you master tricky conversations with kindness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve spent a lot of my career teaching people to navigate the complex, often messy intersection of ethics, communication, and human behavior. As a behavior analyst, teacher, supervisor, and coauthor of Daily Ethics: Creating Intentional Practice for Behavior Analysts, I’ve seen firsthand how the ability to have honest, compassionate, and courageous conversations can make or break relationships, teams, and outcomes. I chose these five books because they’ve shaped how I show up in my work and life—and because I have seen their contents help others become more intentional, committed, and successful communicators.

Tyra's book list on books to help you master tricky conversations with kindness

Tyra P. Sellers Why Tyra loves this book

I love this book because it gave me a roadmap for navigating the conversations I used to dread, many of which involve ethics.

As a supervisor and leader, I’ve faced moments where my voice was shaky, my palms were sweaty (think “Mom’s spaghetti”), and my brain was frantically trying to script the “perfect” thing to say. Crucial Conversations reminded me that it’s not about perfect—it’s about being present, showing up, and having the conversation even when it is difficult.

This book highlights the importance of inviting different perspectives into tricky conversations. I’ve used its tools to prepare for and navigate tricky conversations in a collaborative way, focused on shared goals, mutual respect, and safety—even when emotions run high. It’s my “conversation courage” handbook.

By Kerry Patterson , Joseph Grenny , Ron McMillan , Al Switzler

Why should I read it?

9 authors picked Crucial Conversations as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times and Washington Post bestseller that changed the way millions communicate

"[Crucial Conversations] draws our attention to those defining moments that literally shape our lives, our relationships, and our world. . . . This book deserves to take its place as one of the key thought leadership contributions of our time."
-from the Foreword by Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

"The quality of your life comes out of the quality of your dialogues and conversations. Here's how to instantly uplift your crucial conversations."
-Mark Victor Hansen, cocreator of the #1…


If you love Getting Past No...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Book cover of Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in

Danny Ertel Author Of The Point of the Deal: How to Negotiate When 'Yes' Is Not Enough

From my list on for negotiations that really matter.

Why am I passionate about this?

I did all the right things to become a corporate lawyer or an academic, but learned those were not for me.  What I love is solving problems, with other people. And that is what negotiation is all about. Whether it’s work on a big transaction or trying to stop a civil war, putting a deal together up front, or trying much later to pick up the pieces of a relationship gone wrong, what I most enjoy doing is figuring out what we need to solve for, who has to be involved, and how we are going to get there. These books have helped me get better at doing that.

Danny's book list on for negotiations that really matter

Danny Ertel Why Danny loves this book

It’s not either/or: You can get a good deal and improve your relationship with the other side, at the same time. I loved Getting to Yes when I first read it in Roger Fisher’s law school class, and I still love it today, because it taught me I could solve difficult problems or deal with difficult people, and do it in a principled way. Whether it is a transaction for a Fortune 500 company, negotiating for a raise, or working on an international boundary dispute, the concepts and tools are the same, and they don’t start by requiring the other side to lose. Whether you are a negotiation expert, or just starting out, start here.

By Roger Fisher , William Ury , Bruce Patton

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Getting to Yes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

__________________________
THE WORLD'S BESTSELLING GUIDE TO NEGOTIATION

Getting to Yes has been in print for over thirty years. This timeless classic has helped millions of people secure win-win agreements both at work and in their private lives. Founded on principles like:

* Don't bargain over positions

* Separate the people from the problem and

* Insist on objective criteria

Getting to Yes simplifies the whole negotiation process, offering a highly effective framework that will ensure success.


Book cover of Negotiation

Bill Eddy Author Of So, What's Your Proposal? Shifting High-Conflict People from Blaming to Problem-Solving in 30 Seconds!

From my list on negotiating anything.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I got out of college, I fell in love with mediation—resolving other people’s conflicts in all kinds of settings. In developing my mediation career, I got deep into psychology as a therapist, and then deep into law, as a family lawyer. Putting these professions together, I developed a niche in handling high conflict personalities in family, workplace, and legal disputes. Now I teach how to mediate and negotiate with high conflict people around the world. I am excited to share how to negotiate in high conflict situations to bring peace to relationships everywhere. 

Bill's book list on negotiating anything

Bill Eddy Why Bill loves this book

I got this book when I was in law school and found it to be filled with insights that I never expected nor got anywhere else. It must be good because it’s on its 8th edition now! However, I should warn you that it’s dense (over 600 pages) and designed for students. But for the reader who wants to become a serious professional negotiator, this is the book I keep referring back to. This is for the person who wants a really deep dive into the subject of negotiations. It covers every aspect from psychology to economics to closing the deal. 

By Roy Lewicki , Bruce Barry , David Saunders

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Negotiation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Negotiation is a critical skill needed for effective management. Negotiation 8e by Roy J. Lewicki, David M. Saunders, and Bruce Barry explores the major concepts and theories of the psychology of bargaining and negotiation, and the dynamics of interpersonal and intergroup conflict and its resolution. It is relevant to a broad spectrum of management students, not only human resource management or industrial relations candidates.


If you love William Ury...

Book cover of Coyote Weather

Coyote Weather by Amanda Cockrell,

Coyote weather is the feral, hungry season, drought-stricken, and ready to catch fire. It’s 1967, and the American culture is violently remaking itself while the country is forcibly sending its young men to fight in a deeply unpopular war.

Jerry has stubbornly made no plans for the future because he…

Book cover of Wiser: Getting Beyond Groupthink to Make Groups Smarter

Bill Eddy Author Of So, What's Your Proposal? Shifting High-Conflict People from Blaming to Problem-Solving in 30 Seconds!

From my list on negotiating anything.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I got out of college, I fell in love with mediation—resolving other people’s conflicts in all kinds of settings. In developing my mediation career, I got deep into psychology as a therapist, and then deep into law, as a family lawyer. Putting these professions together, I developed a niche in handling high conflict personalities in family, workplace, and legal disputes. Now I teach how to mediate and negotiate with high conflict people around the world. I am excited to share how to negotiate in high conflict situations to bring peace to relationships everywhere. 

Bill's book list on negotiating anything

Bill Eddy Why Bill loves this book

This is honestly one of the smartest books I have ever read about group thinking, negotiating in groups, and avoiding massive group mistakes—which happen around the world every day! The authors give examples from negotiating the names of new household products to understanding group polarization and how to negotiate around it. They break down numerous conflict situations involving groups and give very detailed insights into what is going wrong and what can be done to make things go well. This is a great little book for negotiators, business managers, politicians, and everyday people who want to know how to get what they want in any group negotiations. 

By Cass R. Sunstein , Reid Hastie ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wiser as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Why are group decisions so hard? Since the beginning of human history, people have made decisions in groups--first in families and villages, and now as part of companies, governments, school boards, religious organizations, or any one of countless other groups. And having more than one person to help decide is good because the group benefits from the collective knowledge of all of its members, and this results in better decisions. Right? Back to reality. We've all been involved in group decisions--and they're hard. And they often turn out badly. Why? Many blame bad decisions on "groupthink" without a clear idea…


Book cover of Creative Conflict: A Practical Guide for Business Negotiators

Ed Brodow Author Of Negotiation Boot Camp: How to Resolve Conflict, Satisfy Customers, and Make Better Deals

From my list on how to negotiate for personal success.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ed Brodow is one of the world’s leading experts on the art of negotiation and the bestselling author of eight books, including the business classic Negotiation Boot Camp. SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt dubbed Ed “The King of Negotiators.” Forbes Magazine agreed, ranking Ed as one of the nation’s leading dealmakers. A nationally recognized television personality, Ed has appeared as a negotiation guru on ABC National News, Fox News, PBS, Inside Edition, and Fortune Business Report. For more than two decades, his acclaimed seminars have set the standard for "how to make a deal" in Corporate America. Ed is a former U.S. Marine officer, Fortune 500 sales manager, and Hollywood movie actor.

Ed's book list on how to negotiate for personal success

Ed Brodow Why Ed loves this book

Sanders and Mobus show how negotiations are driven by competition and cooperation at the same time. Unlike most books on the subject—which advocate either hardball tactics or slobbering win-win—this book attempts to meld the two competing approaches into a single workable strategy. The authors instruct readers on how to get their own needs met while simultaneously seeking ways to expand value for both sides.

By Bill Sanders , Frank Mobus ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Creative Conflict as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Negotiation is stuck. It's time for something new.

Almost everything is negotiable. Almost every interaction is a negotiation. And in no field is this clearer than in business, where every day we work with others to get things done. But when we have real differences, is win-win always possible? Or must every negotiation be a zero-sum battle, with a winner and a loser?

Over the last half century, two opposing philosophies have ruled the field of negotiation: the win-lose, tooth-and-nail approach of training guru Chester Karrass; and the win-win, "principled" creed of Getting to Yes, developed by Roger Fisher and…


Book cover of The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes

Lawrence E. Susskind Author Of Good for You, Great for Me: Finding the Trading Zone and Winning at Win-Win Negotiation

From my list on negotiating for mutual advantage.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Professor at MIT and co-founder of both the inter-university Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the not-for-profit Consensus Building Institute that provides help in resolving some of the most complex resource management disputes around the world. I have been teaching negotiation and dispute resolution, doing research about the circumstances under which various negotiation strategies do and don’t work, and offering online training for more than four decades. Given the many negotiations I've observed, I’m convinced that negotiating for mutual advantage is the way to go -- avoid unnecessary conflict, get what you want in all kinds of negotiating situations, and walk away with good working relationships and a solid reputation.

Lawrence's book list on negotiating for mutual advantage

Lawrence E. Susskind Why Lawrence loves this book

Bill Ury was one of the authors of the most important book in the negotiation field – Getting to Yes written more than 30 years ago. It challenged the win-lose model of negotiation that prevailed at the time. Bill and his partners Roger Fisher and Bruce Patton made it clear that we not only need to get agreement, when one is possible given the underlying interests of the parties, we also need to know how to defend our own interests in the face of inside and outside pressure. 

One of the reviewers of The Power of a Positive No said that the book “has the power to transform our lives by enabling us to say Yes to what counts – our own needs and values.” I’ve watched him in action; Bill’s three-step method works. First, you say what you really need. Then, you say no to proposals that don’t meet…

By William Ury ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Power of a Positive No as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“William Ury brings a marvelous blend of experience, insight, integrity and warmth to his work. In this wonderful book he teaches us how to say No—with grace and effect—so that we might create an even better Yes.” —Jim Collins, author of Good to Great

No is perhaps the most important and certainly the most powerful word in the language. Every day we find ourselves in situations where we need to say No–to people at work, at home, and in our communities–because No is the word we must use to protect ourselves and to stand up for everything and everyone that…


If you love Getting Past No...

Book cover of Temple of Dreams: A Novel of Now and Then

Temple of Dreams by Carolyn Mathews,

Homeless following the death of his adoptive parents in a car crash and the subsequent loss of their farm tenancy, Seb decides to enrol as a residential student at the Asklepios Foundation, a College of Natural Medicine, boasting a sanctuary modelled on an ancient Greek healing temple. Spending a night…

Book cover of The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World

Lawrence E. Susskind Author Of Good for You, Great for Me: Finding the Trading Zone and Winning at Win-Win Negotiation

From my list on negotiating for mutual advantage.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Professor at MIT and co-founder of both the inter-university Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and the not-for-profit Consensus Building Institute that provides help in resolving some of the most complex resource management disputes around the world. I have been teaching negotiation and dispute resolution, doing research about the circumstances under which various negotiation strategies do and don’t work, and offering online training for more than four decades. Given the many negotiations I've observed, I’m convinced that negotiating for mutual advantage is the way to go -- avoid unnecessary conflict, get what you want in all kinds of negotiating situations, and walk away with good working relationships and a solid reputation.

Lawrence's book list on negotiating for mutual advantage

Lawrence E. Susskind Why Lawrence loves this book

Mike shows how to cope with chaos and uncertainty by avoiding rigid plans and entrenched positions. He sees negotiation as a process of joint exploration that requires continual learning and adaptation. For him, the keys are agility and creativity. I’ve had lots of opportunities to hear Mike describe the ways that improvisation in jazz, sports, theatre, and even military action can teach us about improvisation in everyday negotiation. Mike has elevated improvisation to a key aspect of negotiation, and he has done so in a most convincing way. 

By Michael Wheeler ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Art of Negotiation as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A member of the world renowned Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School introduces the powerful next-generation approach to negotiation.

A member of the world-renowned Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School introduces the powerful next-generation approach to negotiation.

For many years, two approaches to negotiation have prevailed: the “win-win” method exemplified in Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher, William Ury, and Bruce Patton; and the hard-bargaining style of Herb Cohen’s You Can Negotiate Anything. Now award-winning Harvard Business School professor Michael Wheeler provides a dynamic alternative to one-size-fits-all strategies that don’t match real world realities.

The Art…


Book cover of You Can Negotiate Anything: How to Get What You Want

Edward Greenberg Author Of The Copyright Zone: A Legal Guide For Photographers and Artists In The Digital Age

From my list on quintessential American History/Americana.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passions lean toward American history, Americana, and skepticism. My creed is that "Conventional wisdom is neither." I am a member of the Skeptics Society, and I often litigate and lecture on copyright and celebrity rights issues. I have been a trial lawyer for 45 years and try cases in front of flesh and blood judges and juries. My clientele runs from supermodels to celebrities, photographers, performers, directors, model agencies, photographers, and artists.

Edward's book list on quintessential American History/Americana

Edward Greenberg Why Edward loves this book

I teach negotiation techniques, and this is a seminal work. It is valuable to anyone and everyone, whether in business or not. This is Mr. Trump's Bible, as he was a student of Mr. Cohen.

The title couldn't be more descriptive. It's like being able to read another person's mind or having their playbook. Wanna get what you want? Read the book and follow its lessons. Anybody can be convinced of anything given the right circumstances. Messrs Cohen and Gantry are in complete agreement on that point.

By Herb Cohen ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked You Can Negotiate Anything as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Regardless of who you are or what you want, you can negotiate anything promises Herb Cohen, the world’s best negotiator. 

From mergers to marriages, from loans to lovemaking, the #1 bestseller You Can Negotiate Anything proves that “money, justice, prestige, love—it’s all negotiable.” Hailed by such publications as Time, People, and Newsweek, Cohen has advised presidents on everything from domestic policy to hostage crises to combating internal terrorism. His advice: “Be patient, be personal, be informed—and you can bargain successfully for anything.”

Inside, you’ll learn the keys to using Herb Cohen’s proven strategy for dealing with your mate, your boss,…


Book cover of Secrets of Power Negotiating

Why am I passionate about this?

I have always tried to be "the best that I can be'' at anything. These books helped me be the best that I could be at commercial investment real estate sales...without hype...just good solid advice.

Adam's book list on books for anyone looking to begin a career in commercial investment real estate by authors who "have been there and done that"

Adam Von Romer Why Adam loves this book

The Secrets of Power Negotiating by Roger Dawson in one of the best books I have ever read on the topic. Roger’s take on the process of negotiations is refreshing and user-friendly.

The book isn’t a stuffy academic tome about what could happen in a negotiation; it is about what does happen on a daily basis. I read the book, bought the cassette tapes (that’s how old I am), and learned all the “gambits” I could. I have used his tips and techniques daily ever since…everything is a negotiation. Plus, he has a really cool accent! 

By Roger Dawson ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Secrets of Power Negotiating as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


“This is perhaps the best book on negotiating ever written. Roger’s powerful, practical principles will save or make you a fortune in the months and years ahead.” —Brian Tracy, author, Eat That Frog! and Million Dollar Habits

“This is the one negotiating book that really opened my eyes and gave me practical tools I could use immediately.” —Timothy Ferriss, bestselling author of The 4-Hour Work Week

“A fast, entertaining read that should be required reading for anyone who deals with people. Highly recommended.” —Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager

“I can’t believe it! Here’s a book that is…


If you love William Ury...

Book cover of Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS by Amy Carney,

When I was writing this book, several of my friends jokingly called it the Nazi baby book, with one insisting it would make a great title. Nazi Babies – admittedly, that is a catchy title, but that’s not exactly what my book is about. SS babies would be slightly more…

Book cover of The Strategy of Conflict

Avinash Dixit Author Of The Art of Strategy: A Game Theorist's Guide to Success in Business and Life

From my list on economics and game theory.

Why am I passionate about this?

Avinash Dixit is an emeritus university professor of economics at Princeton. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and was President of the American Economic Association for the year 2008.

Avinash's book list on economics and game theory

Avinash Dixit Why Avinash loves this book

This is the book that brought game theory to life. Eschewing dry mathematical theorems, and conducting rigorous logical analysis through rich examples of strategic use of threats, promises, and brinkmanship in real life, Schelling opened up a whole world of practical applications of the theory. My own thinking and writing about game theory owes a huge debt to Schelling. You should also read his “Arms and Influence,” “Micromotives and Macrobehavior,” and “Choice and Consequence.”

By Thomas C. Schelling ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Strategy of Conflict as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A series of closely interrelated essays on game theory, this book deals with an area in which progress has been least satisfactory-the situations where there is a common interest as well as conflict between adversaries: negotiations, war and threats of war, criminal deterrence, extortion, tacit bargaining. It proposes enlightening similarities between, for instance, maneuvering in limited war and in a traffic jam; deterring the Russians and one's own children; the modern strategy of terror and the ancient institution of hostages.


Book cover of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High
Book cover of Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Book cover of Negotiation

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Interested in negotiation, diplomacy, and law?

Negotiation 28 books
Diplomacy 33 books
Law 191 books