Synopses & Reviews
An intimate look at how twelve mediators achieve extraordinary results.At last, Deborah Kolb's collection of interview-based profiles of mediators at work is available in paperback. Written in the style of the New Yorker, the book consists of twelve personal and compelling stories of successful mediators for all areas of our society. Kolb reveals who they are and what techniques they use to achieve results.
"The best examination of what mediators actually do. Anyone who wants to settle a dispute will learn from these profiles."
—Roger Fisher, coauthor, Getting to Yes
Review
"Insightful and highly readable. The best examination of what successful mediators actually do. Anyone who wants to settle a dispute will learn a lot from these profiles." --Roger Fisher, coauthor, Getting to Yes
"All mediators, and anyone else who practices or is interested in alternative dispute resolution, will be interested in this book." --Mary P. Rowe, ombudsperson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
"A must read for anyone contemplating the practice of alternative dispute resolution as a mediator or using the services of a mediator." --Wallace Warfield, George Mason University, and former president, Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution
Synopsis
Climb into the heads of some of the most respected mediators in the business. Jimmy Carter, Linda Colburn, Lawrence Susskind and other luminaries take you behind the scenes and share their insights, techniques, and experiences in twelve personal, interview-based profiles. Their compelling stories illustrate the many ways to "make talk work," making this a uniquely pragmatic, inspiring resource for both working practitioners and aspirants to the field.
Synopsis
Twelve personal, interview-based profiles in the style of The New Yorker present an inside view of mediators at work: who they are and what techniques they use to achieve successful results in all areas of our society where conflicts arise--from business, law, and public policy to public education, the environment, and labor relations. Compelling stories illustrate the many ways to "make talk work," offering insights to mediators currently working in the field, those seeking to enter the profession, and others who find that mediation skills are critical to success in their careers.
About the Author
DEBORAH M. KOLB is executive director of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School and professor of management at the Simmons College Graduate School of Management.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Another Way to Settle Disputes: The Practice of Mediation.
Part One: The Professionals.
1. Frances Butler: Questions that Lead to Answers in Child Custody Mediation (Kenneth Kressel).
2. Patrick Davis: "To Bring Out the Best... To Undo a Little Pain" in Special Education Mediation (Susan Silbey).
3. Howard Bellman: Using "Bundles of Input" to Negotiate An Environmental Dispute (Christine Harrington).
4. William Hopgood: "Conditioning" Parties in Labor Grievances (Deborah M. Kolb).
5. Patrick Phear: Control, Commitment, and Minor Miracles in Family and Divorce Mediation (Austin Sarat).
Part Two: Builders of the Field.
6. Albie M. Davis: Community Mediation as Community Organizing (Sally Engle Merry).
7. Eric Green: Finding Alternatives to Litigation in Business Disputes (Lavinia Hall).
8. Lawrence Susskind: Activist Mediation and Public Disputes (John Forester).
Part Three: Extending the Reach of Mediation.
9. Juju Atkinson: Blurring the Distinction Between Mediation and Adjudication (William O'Barr).
10. Jimmy Carter: The Power of Moral Suasion in International Mediation (Eileen Babbitt).
11. Linda Colburn: On-the-Spot Mediation in a Public Housing Project (Neal Milner).
12. Joseph Elder: Quiet Peacemaking in a Civil War (Thomas Princen).
Conclusion: The Realities of Making Talk Work.