Books

Be Your Own Mediator is a practical guide for those who find themselves in a conflict and want to resolve it effectively, without relying on the courts alone. The author — a practicing mediator — argues that the most important decision in any conflict is the shift from emotional reaction to rational calculation. The book is grounded in the Harvard model of negotiation: in place of positional bargaining, the search for genuine interests; in place of escalation, the instruments of de-escalation and of breaking through deadlock. The book sets out the mechanics of the mediation procedure from the inside: how to use the caucus, confidentiality, and voluntariness as real levers of influence; how to recognize and neutralize manipulation; how to draft an agreement that will be honored voluntarily. A separate chapter is devoted to structural inequality between the parties and to the strategy of the weaker side. The book draws on years of legal and mediation practice, on doctoral research into conciliation procedures in civil litigation, and on a comparative analysis of contemporary mediation legislation. It is intended for everyone who wants to think about conflict as a problem — and to solve it with the best possible result.