Never Split the Difference

Why I'd hand it to you

Chris Voss was a lead FBI hostage negotiator, and he shows how the techniques he used in crises apply to salary talks, business deals and family arguments. He focuses on empathy, labeling the other person's feelings, mirroring their words and asking open questions that start with how or what. The stories are tense and the tools are easy to try. Keep two things in mind. Not every lesson from a hostage standoff fits a business meeting, and some tactics can come across as manipulative if you use them without real empathy. Practiced honestly, they make you a better listener.

— Matt Jordan