I should have listened to the other reviewers when they said that it was filled with a lot of fluff. It's a lot of stories and telling us what we can expect to learn instead of actually teaching us. It's also obnoxious how he keeps saying where a word derives from. I'm not sure knowing where a word derives from is important in effective communication. I'm only giving it 3 stars because from the little bit of actual tips that there are, it was useful. I just wish it got to the point quicker and focused more on helping the reader.

Okay book. Has some good advice, some of the most useful stuff are related to samurai mindset. My main criticism comes from the fact the like many other books, this one could be written in 50 pages or less, although I concur that a book with 50 pages or less raises a suspiscious eyebrow from potencial customers about being thorough and/or comprehensive so if you buy it keep in mind you will read the same stuff many times throughout the book.

My feedback to the Author:

Sir, much like many law enforcement professionals, you've fallen victim to your own ego. I'm confident you read these reviews so I wanted to give you some helpful feedback.

You start the book with your qualifications and generally badassery. This is ok and expected. As a reader, I appreciate your qualifications.

Yet, as the book goes on you simply overdue it. Chapter after chapter you recite your: education, martial arts expertise and physical prowess. My god man! We get it!

As a reader, I'm skipping over these sections constantly. I think, ok, he is that guy in law enforcement (we all know that guy). It takes away from the gem of a book you have created.

To reiterate, we get it man! You're Chuck Norris times two. You created Giraffes by uppercutting a horse. You can hear sign language. You are so bad ass, you make onions cry. You don't shake hands, you make them tremble. You play Russian roulette with a fully loaded gun and win!

For the love of all that is holy, please have a serving of humble pie! Whew....rant over. Excuse my candor.

Hopefully this sufficiently illustrates my point. One smart ass cop to another. Otherwise, this is a great book. Godspeed.

The concepts in the book make quite a bit of sense and the techniques will certainly help me at home and at work. I like that the book focuses on a principle and gives specific examples and techniques to use that principle in real life. Sure, the evidence is anecdotal, but that's what makes the principle stick.

I had two small annoyances with the book. First, the first few chapters are a sales pitch for why you should read the book. Spoiler alert: I already bought the book; no need to sell it to me. Second, the book can be a bit more repetitive than I like. I understand that the author is driving home a point but it seems that, sometimes, he goes too far.

Overall, I'd use it again as reference and recommend it to others (it went to my personal library at work and was immediately borrowed). Worth your time.

this book contains simple, memorizable, practical advice for dealing with difficult situations and people, at times under high pressure and/or with large potential consequences.

1) people want to feel respected and want to preserve their dignity as much as possible
2) ask rather than tell
3) explain why when asked, if it would aid compliance or calm someone down
4) give options rather than make demands; people want to feel in control of their lives
5) leave open the possibility of a second chance; if you leave no exit then you may provoke desperate actions

the remainder of the book discusses a variety of examples and particular applications in specific contexts. it is told from the perspective of a police officer, but I have found it to be helpful advice in business negotiations and management as well.