Starting with NO by Jim Camp

Jim Camp provides a contrarian view of doing negotiations. "Starting with NO" is an interesting read from the beginning till the end. The author teaches you a number of effective ways to do negotiations.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. There is nothing called “win-win” in negotiations
2. “NO” is a decision. An early “Yes”is probably a trick. “Maybe” gets you nowhere
3. "Win-Win" is often "Win-Lose" because it invites unnecessary compromise. It is emotion based and not decision based
4. Greatest weakness in negotiation is the "dangers of neediness"
5. Fear of rejection is a sign of neediness
6. Cold-Calling is the worst way to do business. But, it is a great training ground for negotiation because your neediness is under control
7. We feel OK in the presence of inferior people and we feel not OK in the presence of superiors
8. Saying NO, inviting NO, hearing NO - these are powerful tools for any well trained negotiator
9. Never save the adversary, but save the relationship. Otherwise, you'll be responsible for their decisions. 

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

This is one of the best books that I've read about Product Management. If you are Product Manager or if you aspire to be a Product Manager, this book is a must to read.

You'll learn how to take a product through the different stages of technology adoption and into the mass market. The author explains some challenges faced by organizations in crossing the chasm and how they can effectively cross them.

Some key takeaways from the book are:

1. There are 5 stages of technology adoption - Innovators, Early Adoptors, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards 
2. Marketing must refocus away from selling products towards creating relationships
3. Marketing’s first deliverable should be partnerships 
4. Watch out for the FUD (Fear Uncertainty Doubt) that can plague decision makers when confronted with unfamiliar products or services 

Improving your story telling by Doug Lipman

Improving your story telling by Doug Lipman teaches you techniques that you can follow to tell powerful stories.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. Many storytellers are less effective than they could be, simply because they try to apply written-language concepts to the oral language of story telling.
2. In a book, the reader who forgets whether the story began in a specified year can at worst, turn to the opening page to reread them. A story listener, however has no way to “rewind” except in her memory
3. No two story tellers will tell the same story identically. No two audience members will hear the story in the same way.
4. Different ways of creating vivid imagery are - visual, auditory, kinesthetic (touch), verbal and smell. 
5. The listener has no second chance to hear what was said previously. The oral story teller must rewind the listeners wherever the term or character is mentioned. 

The Millionaire Mind

"The harder you work, the luckier you become" - This has been the mantra of many millionaires surveyed by Thomas Stanley. The author has harped on millionaires' lifestyle, their habits, their attitude and some of their secrets for success. Of course, he corroborates them. I was surprised to know that millionaires were not created by trading stocks or playing lotto :) The content overall could have been condensed. Anyways, it was not very boring. I'm now more tempted to read "The Millionaire Next Door". I would recommend this book to people who wants to know some secrets behind millionaires' success.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. Big home owners (who are at big debt and who are experts in filling loan applications) are “income statement affluent”. Millionaires are “Balance Sheet Affluent”. They focus on accumulating wealth. They have little or no outstanding credit balances
2. Foundation stones for financial success are Integrity, Discipline, Social Skills, a Supportive Spouse and Hardwork (working harder than most people)
3. There is a strong correlation between one’s willingness to take financial risks and one’s level of wealth. It is less about investing in the stock market and much more about investing in ourselves, our careers, our professional practices, our private businesses and so forth
4. Millionaires do not follow the crowd in what they sell and how they invest.
5. Majority of the millionaires exercise regularly

Author's website: http://www.thomasjstanley.com/

How to get rich by Donald Trump

In the book, "How to get rich" by Donald Trump and Meredith McIver, the authors explain techniques that you can follow to get rich. They also explain habits and traits that millionaires exhibit.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. Money is not an end in itself, but it is sometimes the most effective way to help us realize our dreams
2. Begin working at a young age, to become rich
3. If you are careful when recruiting employees, management becomes easier
4. Even the best surgeon needs to be retrained regularly to stay current on the latest research and procedures
5. Don’t expect your employees to work harder than you do
6. Be optimistic, but always be prepared for the worst
7. Don’t let anyone be your yardstick. That’s taking power away from yourself in a big way
8. Millionaires never try to do another man’s job
9. Never borrow long term with the prospects of short-term income
10. If you love, absolutely love what you are doing, chances are excellent that you’ll succeed

The Magic of Thinking Big

Have you been giving excuses for all your failures? Do you consider yourself as a pygmy? Do you always find faults with others? Are you dreaming about success and not taking any actions? If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, this book is really for YOU.

Some of the key takeaways from this book are:

1. If you believe you can succeed, you will.
2. Fear explains why millions of people accomplish little and enjoy little
3. Actions cure fear. Indecision, postponement on the other hand, fertilize fear
4. To think confidently and act confidently - be a front seater, make eye contact, walk 25% faster, speak up, smile big
5. We do not think in words and phrases, we think only in pictures and/or images.
6. Successful person doesn't ask "Can I do it better?". He knows he can. So, he phrases the question "How can I do it better?"
7. Big people monopolize the listening. Small people monopolize the talking. 
8. The test of a successful person is not an ability to eliminate all problems before they arise, but to meet and work out difficulties when they do arise. 
9. People who tell you it cannot be done almost always are unsuccessful people, are strictly average, or mediocre at best in terms of accomplishments. 
10. A wise man will be the master of his mind. A fool will be its slave. 

I enjoyed reading this book. David Schwartz corroborates his thoughts and suggestions with wonderful stories. You can apply his practical ideas even to change some of your perpetual habits. This book is really a motivation booster and forces you to get into action. It stimulates your positive thinking/attitude and alleges you not to make negative impressions about people/ideas/beliefs. The book affirms that successful people constantly involve in self-development.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be successful and is looking for a motivation booster.

 Author's website: http://www.davidschwartz.com/

Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

If you have been wondering where to start, to develop skills on negotiations, this is a nice book to read.

The authors bring out the merits of the principled negotiations over the traditional hard/soft negotiation techniques. The book recommends to focus on the people, their interests, available options and the standards in any negotiation. I liked the BATNA (Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement) concept which can be applied to many real life negotiation situations.

Key takeaways from the book are:

1. Principled negotiation is hard on merits and soft on people 
2. Any method of negotiation may be fairly judged by three criteria - it should produce a wise agreement if agreement is possible. It should improve or at least not damage the relationship between the parties. It should be efficient.
3. During negotiations, speak about yourself and not about them. For example "I feel let down" instead of "you broke your word". Use "we feel discriminated against" rather than "you're a racist".
4. If you want to buy an item worth thousands of dollars and all that you've is one hundred dollars, you should not expect skillful negotiation
5. Recast an attack on you as an attack on the problem. Resist the temptation to defend yourself or to attack them. 
6. Some of the most effective negotiating that you will ever do is when you are not talking 

The content is short & sweet. This book is focussed on principled negotiations and doesn't deal with all the negotiation paradigms. I would consider this as a primer for negotiations. At the end, there are a few techniques suggested to handle people who play dirty tricks.

You cannot learn to swim by reading a book. Similarly, you cannot be a negotiation expert overnight by just reading this book. You should perpetually apply the ideas.

Author's website:  http://www.williamury.com/