cover image Enlightened Negotiation: 8 Universal Laws to Connect, Create, and Prosper

Enlightened Negotiation: 8 Universal Laws to Connect, Create, and Prosper

Mehrad Nazari. SelectBooks, $16.95 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-59079-368-8

In this informative and illuminating book, Nazari, a business professor and meditation and yoga teacher, combines his areas of expertise to look at the many ways people negotiate, consciously and unconsciously, in everyday life. To show how to become more successful in reaching common ground, he shares personal stories that demonstrate "enlightened negotiation," which considers ethical and spiritual principles as well as business success. Nazari stresses that values such as truth, fairness, and compassion have a place in the boardroom. He identifies eight "laws" of enlightened negotiation: trust, intention, communication, strength, flexibility, manifestation, mindfulness, and reflections, each bringing its own challenges and rewards. He details each of these laws, showing how to generate intended outcomes and deal with unintended results. He also explores individual negotiating styles, the power of the spoken word, and the practice of ahimsa, which dictates doing no harm but allows for self-protection. Standing out in a crowded field of books on improving negotiation skills, Nazari's explanation of his uniquely soulful and mutually beneficial approach offers a way of reaching consensus while promoting reciprocal and self-affirming respect. (June)