Improvisational Negotiation: A Mediator's Stories of Conflict About Love, Money, Anger -- and the Strategies That Resolved Them

Foreword vii
Jim Melamed

Introduction 1

Part One: Human V. Human: Healing Relationships 5

1 Independence Day 7

2 Paintball Pranks 19

3 Step-by-Step 29

4 A Sweet Deal 44

5 Reading Minds 55

6 Rock Star 66

7 Gratitude Is the Attitude 75

8 Memories 84

9 Working at the Car Wash 92

10 Transforming the Journey of Revenge 103

11 A “Hats-On” Approach 114

Part Two: “ Show Me the Money (Or Something of Equal Value)!”: Creative Solutions 125

12 Liar, Liar! 127

13 The Handicap 138

14 Legally Blind 147

15 The Slow Drip 158

16 Death Takes a Holiday 167

17 If the Shoe Fits . . . 175

18 The Staggered Approach 185

19 Time-Share 198

20 The Silent Mover 207

21 A Small Deception 214

22 The Laddered Approach 225

23 The Confidential Listener 233

24 Dropping the Bombshell 247

25 Worth the Wait 255

26 Creating Value 267

Part Three: Getting to the Bottom Line 279

27 Too Many Cooks 281

28 Bottom-Line Negotiating 291

29 The “Fishy Calculator” Method 296

30 The Crossover 303

Part Four: The Mediator’ S Hip-Pocket Guide to Strategy 311

About the Author 323