Negotiating the Impossible, Second Edition: How to Break Deadlocks and Resolve Ugly Conflicts (without Money or Muscle)

by Deepak Malhotra

Overview

Award-winning professor from Harvard Business School offers a new and improved edition of his guide to navigating negotiation deadlock, while offering practical advice and stories of success.

Updated with 20% new material, including a brand-new chapter and discussion guide.

Harvard professor and negotiation adviser Deepak Malhotra shows how to defuse even the most potentially explosive situations and to find success when things seem impossible in this fully expanded upon second edition.

Some negotiations are easy. Others are more difficult. And then there are situations that seem completely hopeless. Malhotra identifies three broad approaches for breaking deadlocks and resolving conflicts, and draws out scores of actionable lessons using behind-the-scenes stories of fascinating real-life negotiations, including:

• drafting of the US Constitution
• ending bitter disputes in the NFL and NHL
• and beating the odds in complex business situations.

He also shows how these same principles and tactics can be applied in everyday life, whether in a job interview or even negotiating with children. Brand new to this edition is a chapter on challenges facing today’s world including how to effectively negotiate in virtual spaces, incorporate AI in your toolkit, and tackle increased polarization.

With conflict escalating and no one willing to back down, Malhotra reminds us that negotiation is always, fundamentally, about human interaction. No matter how high the stakes the object of negotiation is to engage with other human beings in a way that leads to better understandings and agreements. The principles and strategies in this book will help you do this more effectively in every situation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798890570987
Publisher:	Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication date:	06/10/2025
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.06(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.69(d)

About the Author

Deepak Malhotra is the Eli Goldston Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. His teaching, research, and advisory work is focused on negotiation, deal-making, and conflict resolution. In 2020, Deepak was named MBA Professor of the Year by Poets & Quants. He has won numerous awards for his teaching and research, including the HBS Faculty Award, and has been twice selected by Harvard MBA students to give the end-of-year speech to the graduating class. In 2014, Deepak was listed as one of the "world's best business school professors" under the age of 40. He currently serves as faculty chair for the Owner/President Management Program for business owners and entrepreneurs.

Editorial Reviews

Easily the best negotiation book I have ever read. If you are involved in high-stakes negotiation, Negotiating the Impossible will give you actionable nonintuitive ideas that will positively impact your future.”
—Bill Gurley, venture capitalist and General Partner, Benchmark

“Packed with practical principles and illustrated with compelling examples, Negotiating the Impossible is one of the most useful and enjoyable negotiation books you will ever read!”
—William Ury, coauthor of Getting to Yes

“Negotiating the Impossible delivers on its promise. By using historically significant, seemingly intractable negotiations as examples, Malhotra provides practical lessons for the everyday negotiations in your life—including the three surprising ‘levers' at your service when the use of force is not a viable option. This book is magic for any deal maker.”
—Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell Is Human

“Deepak Malhotra has done what few others could do: he draws upon the lessons of history to demonstrate that even the worst conflicts can be resolved. This book is especially significant because it gives both the inspiration and the tools you need to tackle extremely difficult negotiations.”
—David Gergen, Senior Political Analyst, CNN; adviser to four US presidents; and Codirector, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

“If you want the best advice on how to negotiate when it looks like a deal can't be done, then Negotiating the Impossible is a must. It's filled with great strategies you can immediately put to use in your business and personal lives. It's also an extremely entertaining, thought-provoking book that you won't want to put down.”
—Tyra Banks, CEO, TYRA Beauty, and creator of America's Next Top Model

“If only we could lock the world's leaders in a room to read this book. Professor Malhotra's analysis of how negotiators can achieve the best possible outcomes for all sides is revelatory. It also starkly highlights what's missing in current negotiations—whether on refugees, on peace in Syria, or on Eurozone debt. This is a must-read for all practitioners of politics and public service.”
—Ngaire Woods, Founding Dean, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, and adviser to the IMF Board, UNDP's Human Development Report, and Commonwealth Heads of Government

“Professor Malhotra is a rare academic with real expertise in the world of negotiation and diplomacy. He gets his hands dirty and has worked behind the scenes on some of the most difficult negotiations of our time. Professor Malhotra sees what others don't see—and he has written it all down in Negotiating the Impossible.”
—Jonathan Powell, former Chief of Staff to Tony Blair; former chief British negotiator on Northern Ireland; Founder, Inter-Mediate; and author of Talking to Terrorists

“Negotiating the Impossible is a tour de force. Professor Malhotra is both a leading academic and an amazing storyteller; he has also been in the trenches and knows firsthand what it takes to tackle even the most difficult of situations. Whether you've done one deal or a hundred, this book will change how you negotiate. I will be giving it to everyone on my team.”
—Vinod Khosla, venture capitalist and Founder, Khosla Ventures

From the Publisher