The Alternative Contents Page

Last post we had the contents page and earlier we had an executive summary. I think its worth balancing all of that practicality with some fun stuff.

On the one hand, the book is exceedingly pragmatic. You will read how to negotiate like a master and you will learn the step-by-step techniques of what to do in any situation, in simple, “how to” language, even to the extent of “If they say x, you say y”.

But it also aims to be highly readable, catching your attention through telling stories. In learning the techniques, you will also read about:

• How Elvis learnt to shake his leg
• The negotiating tactics of Genghis Khan
• Evil dolphins (and Dick Van Dyke)
• Words of wisdom from Val Doonican’s mum
• How to set up your own cult
• The discovery of Viagra
• The importance of knowing the difference between your ear and your backside

Want more? How about:

• How to save the world from the apocalypse
• How to stay at the best hotels and travel on the world’s best airlines for free
• The most famous urinal in history
• The man who survived a duel…by using sausages
• The rock band who burnt a million pounds
• What made David Beckham and Robbie Williams nervous?
• Why did Nelson Mandela want to stay in jail?
• The key to J.P.Morgan’s billions

What, even more? Not a problem! Here:

• The mind-reading techniques of poker world champions
• The man who turned down $100m
• A love affair with a crocodile
• The history of writing
• Bart Simpson’s foolproof strategy for rock-scissors-paper
• Why was all quiet on the Western Front?
• How to tell if he/she fancies you
• How to jump the queue successfully
• The story of the biggest bonus ever seen
• Ending the Cold War with a smile
• How to win the Nobel Prize twice
• How to win an election
• The negotiation that made Bill Gates the world’s richest man
• The informational value of horse manure
• How Sir Isaac Newton made and lost a fortune
• How to negotiate with the person whose mission was to exterminate your race

And there’s more:

• How to make 20 million enemies
• How the film industry helped itself to success
• The complexities of the Northern Ireland peace process
• Why were the Oslo Accords unsuccessful?
• Gandhi’s successful negotiation tactic with the British Empire
• Why the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference failed to reach agreement
• Win power by being an identical twin
• How to lose friends and alienate people and perpetuate civil wars
• How to negotiate successfully with Wal-Mart

And more:

• How to do a deal with Mike Tyson
• How the 10 Commandments and your dog help build trust
• How to lose an airline
• How to negotiate with a puppy dog
• The baseball umpire who gets the players to self-referee
• How to resolve a prison riot with bacon and burgers
• How to train dolphins, dogs and your negotiating counterparty
• How two deadly enemies became “The Chuckle Brothers”
• How pulling a cow out of a barn can help you with difficult negotiators
• Making the impossible possible
• Make sure you are not the turkey and they are not the butcher
• How Andy Grove, President of Intel, saved his career
• The story of Thomas Edison’s first invention
• Do you share the same ancestor as Hilary Clinton?
• The right wording to end wars
• The wrong wording to end wars

Actually, there’s a lot more still but I’ve got tired of writing!

Whether you want to set up your own cult or save the world from mutually assured destruction, you’ll read how to do it here. Or even if you just want to get a better deal from your customer or get a pay-rise from your boss, it’s all in the book.

And, hopefully, you will enjoy yourself along the way, too.