You Can Negotiate Anything by Herb Cohen Summary
Overview of You Can Negotiate Anything
Master negotiator Herb Cohen's 1980 bestseller reveals how power, time, and information shape every interaction in your life. Endorsed by Og Mandino as "a must for a better life," this nine-month NYT bestseller teaches the psychological tactics that turn daily conflicts into win-win opportunities.
Similar books to You Can Negotiate Anything
Feel the book through the author's voice
Turn knowledge into engaging, example-rich insights
Capture key ideas in a flash for fast learning
Enjoy the book in a fun and engaging way
Key takeaways
Everything Is Negotiable-Even When They Say It Isn't
Warren Buffett keeps multiple copies of this book in his office, handing them out like business cards. FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss calls it foundational to his career. What makes a negotiation manual so universally compelling? Perhaps because it reveals an uncomfortable truth: you've been negotiating your entire life, often without realizing it-and frequently losing. Every human interaction is a negotiation. When your toddler refuses vegetables, that's a negotiation. When your boss sets an "unmovable" deadline, that's a negotiation. When a hotel posts checkout times or a store displays prices, those are opening positions in negotiations you didn't know you could have. The problem isn't that we don't negotiate-it's that we surrender before the conversation begins. We see printed signs and assume finality. We hear "company policy" and accept defeat. Yet 90% of Americans dutifully check out of hotels by 1 PM not because they must, but because a sign told them to. Meanwhile, the savvy traveler who asks for late checkout often gets it-simply because they understood what others missed: almost everything is negotiable.
The Three Pillars: Power, Time, and Information
The Soviet Style: When Nice Guys Finish Last
The Collaborative Path: Creating Win-Win Solutions
Opposition, Bureaucracy, and the Power of Personalization
Practical Tactics: From Refrigerators to Phone Calls
The Negotiator's Mindset: Transforming How You See the World
Quick Summary Mode - Read or listen to You Can Negotiate Anything Summary in 9 Minutes
Break down key ideas from You Can Negotiate Anything into bite-sized takeaways to understand how innovative teams create, collaborate, and grow.
Flash Card Mode - Top 7 Insights from You Can Negotiate Anything in a Nutshell
Distill You Can Negotiate Anything into rapid-fire memory cues that highlight Pixar’s principles of candor, teamwork, and creative resilience.
Fun Mode - You Can Negotiate Anything Lessons Told Through 18-Min Stories
Experience You Can Negotiate Anything through vivid storytelling that turns Pixar’s innovation lessons into moments you’ll remember and apply.
Personalize Mode - Read or listen to You Can Negotiate Anything Summary in 0 Minutes
Ask anything, pick the voice, and co-create insights that truly resonate with you.
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
Get the You Can Negotiate Anything summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.