If you have studied Negotiation in the last 20 years or so, the name Robert Mnookin should be familiar to you. The Harvard law professor has authored or co-authored numerous articles and books, including the book upon which I base my Negotiation course, Beyond Winning: Negotiating to Create Value in Deals and Disputes (with S. Peppet and A. Tulumello). Additionally, he recently was the graciuous host of the 2009 AALS Works-in-Progress Conference, an event Indisputably unashamedly favors. His latest book Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight is getting a lot of publicity, and rightfully so since we’re mired in war with some unsavory characters. However, I was surprised to hear him being interviewed on NPR recently as I was driving home. I haven’t yet read the book (can’t wait until my copy arrives), so I’ll have to save any commentary until then.
To listen to the interview go here. Below is a short teaser from the NPR web site.
The line between negotiation and confrontation is a thin one. Harvard law professor Robert Mnookin argues that even with a group like the Taliban, negotiation has to be an option. It’s the focus of his new book, Bargaining with the Devil: When to Negotiate, When to Fight. Mnookin talks with Guy Raz about several case studies in which negotiation with a known evil is the best course of action.