Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not half the book it should be, 18 Feb 2003
By A Customer
We're all used to the American-style self-help/management books written by somebody who has little understanding of their subject matter but has sealed a nice book contract on the strength of having talked up their experience to the publisher. Most of them start, "I was once at a dinner party once with <insert famous American here>, and he said to me, he said, 'Bob, let me tell you something which will change your life'..." Most of the authors claim to have run General Motors at some point. Their books are pretentious, yet largely valueless.If this is your experience of management books then you won't be disappointed with this one. "You Can Negotiate Anything" is stuffed full of vague, unhelpful tips with little or no reference to real-world situations. Although I don't doubt Cohen's experience, he seems to have proven the theory (was it from "Think And Grow Rich"?) that people may know how to do something successfully, but don't necessarily know what it is that they're doing right - the overall impression is that the book could have been written equally well by a jobless student skiving out of a psychology lecture. At best it may help you negotiate £10 off your next fridge freezer. I doubt it would help you negotiate in a business situation. (To be fair, it may redeem itself in the last chapter, but I gave up around page 215 and went and did something more useful instead.) If you're still keen to purchase, you can buy my copy.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, however be careful when applying your skills., 12 Jul 1999
By A Customer
I read this book while attempting to negotiate a contracting raise. While I accept everything that was said, I have a serious dilemma about its title. It is one thing to negotiate the price of a refrigerator and another thing to negotiate one's salary, even though I took Cohen's advice, "Care, but don't care that much." Employers might not negotiate with you if you come off holding too many aces, even if they need your skills and value your contribution. Employers want to feel as if they are in charge and will often prefer a weaker candidate who is manageable. It is funny how lawyers or marketeers do not suffer from this problem. Even the least qualified ones have high expectations. The hard part of negotiating is getting someone to accept you as an equal, even when you have the credentials to back it up. There is an art and relationship (repoire) behind negotiation, and a mere study of this book is not going to let you negotiate anything you want.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Most Useful Book, 17 Oct 1998
By A Customer
20 years ago, I recall hearing Herb Cohen dispensing practical and witty advice about negotiations on the old Larry King (midnight to 5 a.m.) Radio Show. Recently, when I went looking for a book on negotiation to use in connection with an office presentation, I remembered Cohen and gave his book a read. To my delight the book is not only keenly insightful and amazingly informative, it is extraordinarily entertaining. Reading the book I got that wonderful sense that I knew Cohen was on the money because what he was saying was exactly what I've thought and experienced in my life but always forget or recall too late to be of any damn use. In othe words, the book manages to crystillize and articulate principles and truths that have fleetingly passed through my own consciousness on their way to oblivion. In a weird way, Negotiate Anything feels like it was written as my own personal guide to dealing with the world. Incidentally, I've given Negotiate Anything to a dozen or so people who have had an indentical reaction. My only gripe is that Cohen apparently never wrote a second book.
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