I’m loving this book right now. (Just between you and me, if I were editing the thing, I’d start off with a much more powerful story–the guy, Chris Voss, has so damn many of them–than the one chosen to launch the reader into the world of high-stakes negotiation. But, hey, I’m sure Tahl Raz, the ghost writer, had good reasons for doing what he did.)

Now, here’s how the book is described on Amazon:

After a stint policing the rough streets of Kansas City, Missouri, Chris Voss joined the FBI, where his career as a hostage negotiator brought him face-to-face with a range of criminals, including bank robbers and terrorists. Reaching the pinnacle of his profession, he became the FBI’s lead international kidnapping negotiator. Never Split the Difference takes you inside the world of high-stakes negotiations and into Voss’s head, revealing the skills that helped him and his colleagues succeed where it mattered most: saving lives. In this practical guide, he shares the nine effective principles—counterintuitive tactics and strategies—you too can use to become more persuasive in both your professional and personal life.

Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion.

I’ve been taking notes like a mad woman because this book is GOLD.  I’m going to take a class with Chris Voss, even if it costs me a few thousand bucks because, as I’ve said before, we don’t get what we deserve, we get what we negotiate.

As a recovering people pleaser, this negotiating stuff can feel pretty uncomfortable. When you see how gracefully it can be done, however, how easily you can maintain your integrity when dealing with others, well, who wouldn’t want to learn more?

I only wish I’d read this book when I had teenagers.