Essentially - this is a communications book, which I would have surmised had the authors not explicitly and repeatedly described negotiation as a form of communication. Much of the ground covered in the book is similar to the business communications course that I took earlier this year -- it covers perception, cognition, emotion, relationships and communication generally. Similarly, it covers cross-cultural communication or negotiations and includes information about high/low context and individualistic/collectivistic cultures and how those characteristics may impact negotiations (similar to all communications).
The new territory for me in this book is definition and discussion of distributive vs integrative negotiations. BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement) was a new concept for me -- and so clear and simple that it seems like common sense. Of course, many people go into negotiations without a sense of what their options might be and end up agreeing to something that they later regret. And - of course - planning and preparing for any negotiation as a way to avoid accepting a crappy outcome (if not a way to ensure a good one).
In the end - the best practices include:
1. Be prepared BEFORE the negotiation
2. Diagnose the structure of the negotiation - distributive or integrative?
3. Identify your BATNA(s)
4. Be willing to walk away!
5. Identify and master the paradoxes of negotiation: value claiming vs creating; principles vs concessions; sticking with your strategy vs being baffled by bullshit; over vs undersharing; over vs under trusting.
6. Don't forget the intangibles and try to understand what those might be for the other party.
7. Actively manage coalitions/support
8. Savor and protect your reputation
9. Remember that rationality and fairness are relative - be open to understanding the other party's perspective on those items!
10. Continue to learn from your experience - reflect, record, and continue to pursue training.
The book was pretty dense for 281 pages -- and tons of footnotes. I ended up with 33 pages of notes (!) for my own use.