Bare-Knuckle Negotiation—Savvy Tips and True Stories from the Master of Give-And-Take

In Bare-Knuckle Negotiation, Felder shares his wit and wisdom about the tactics and strategies of effective negotiation, so laypeople can get what they want when it’s time to cut a deal. He covers diverse topics from how to read opponents’ nonverbal cues to unnerving your opponent through displays of seemingly irrational behavior. He reveals the importance of never making a threat you can’t back up and how to be crafty without being dishonest. Citing anecdotes, cases, and stories from his long career in the legal trenches—tales that are often outrageous, shocking, and strange—Felder lets you in on the secrets that have made him such a feared and respected negotiator.

RAOUL FELDER has practiced divorce law for more than forty years. During that time he’s earned fame and fortune representing such clients as Rudy Guliani, Robin Givens, Carol Channing, Riddick Bowe, the former Mrs. Carl Sagan, and the former Mrs. Martin Scorsese. An accomplished writer, lecturer, and television personality, he is a graduate of New York University and New York University Law School.

As a renowned divorce lawyer and television talking head, Felder summarizes years in the marital dissolution trenches with personal anecdotes that illustrate his recommended approach to negotiations. He covers the practicalities and subtleties of negotiation: understanding verbal and nonverbal communication while knowing how much to ask for, when to walk out of negotiations, how to deal with opponents, and how to establish credibility. Felder also drops names, tells tales, and uses his encounters on behalf of famous people as real-life examples of his technique. Essentially a lively and entertaining "how-to," this is a worthy consideration for large public libraries. (Library Journal, February 1, 2004)
In the world of successful negotiation, flexibility and reasonability rule the roost. So says divorce lawyer Felder, whose advice is as straightforward and forceful as it is colorful and entertaining. The keys to coming out on top never wanting too much and knowing when to walk away from the table are not as easily mastered as would-be negotiators might think. (Calling off talks and storming out of the room can work as a bargaining tool provided that those leaving remember to gather their belongings before exiting, explains Felder in one particularly humorous recollection). To hear it from him, effective negotiation is as logistics-driven and nuanced as a warrior's preparation for battle. Throughout this part-celebrity tell-all and part-no-nonsense-how-to, Felder drops the names of everyone from Rudy Giuliani, Jay Leno and Mick Jagger to Anthony Quinn, Johnny Carson and Mike Tyson. While the negotiating advice is useful and on-point, rocket science this isn't; it is Felder's anecdotes that ultimately deliver on the book's promises. It's hard to know whether to admire, fear or even loathe Felder as he unapologetically describe s his win-at-all-costs tactics, which include purposely withholding insulin from a diabetic opponent, extending negotiations beyond the onset of religious holidays, taking advantage of the physical condition of older lawyers and hiding food from hungry lawyers and clients. (Jan.) (Publishers Weekly, December 1, 2003)

Foreword.
Acknowledgments.
Introduction.
1. Life is a Minefield.
2. Distractions.
3. Never Want Too Much.
4. Establishing Credibility.
5. Walking Out.
6. Opponents.
7. Understanding the Pace.
8. Nonverbal Communication.
9. Verbal Communication
10. Getting to the Bottom Line.
11. Physical Conditioning.
12. Acting Crazy.
Summing Up.