Perspectives on Negotiations: Four Case Studies and Interpretations

For the edification and training of its diplomats, the State Department has been conducting studies in the art of negotiation, of which this volume is an example. The case studies, in which diplomats who were personally involved draw on their experience, include two negotiations that ended in agreements (the Panama Canal treaties and the independence of Zimbabwe) and two that did not (the Falkland Islands and Cyprus). The result is a valuable record, not just as history but as lessons for future negotiators. The second part of the book contains essays by scholars who have specialized in the study of conflict and negotiation. It gets a bit abstract but represents further progress in understanding the requirements of successful negotiation.