Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight

In an age of terror, our national leaders face such critical decisions every day. Should we negotiate with the Taliban? Iran? North Korea?

In private disputes you too may face such adversaries: a business partner who has cheated you, a sibling grabbing part of your inheritance, a greedy divorcing spouse.

Across a wide range of difficult conflicts, Mnookin explains how to make wise decisions. He identifies the traps to avoid—emotional, strategic, and political—and the elements that are critical for success.

Mnookin’s real life case studies cover a remarkable range. Some involve political leaders: Churchill’s refusal in 1940 to negotiate with Hitler; Nelson Mandela’s choice to initiate negotiations with the government of South Africa. Others involve individuals facing evil regimes: the Soviet KGB or Hitler’s SS. Half the cases involve business or family disputes where Mnookin played an active role. In all of them, emotions ran high and demonization ran rampant: two giant computer companies fighting over software rights, the San Francisco Symphony torn by strike, a CEO who feels betrayed by a joint venture partner, and some family disputes that reached crisis points.

In this lively, informative, practical book, Robert Mnookin provides the reader with the tools we need to bargain with the devils in everyday life as well as evaluate the decisions of our national leaders.