From Publishers WeeklyUry, coauthor of Getting to Yes and Getting Past No, takes on a global issueAhow people can live at peace with one another. Citing last spring's shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., as an example of horrible violence, Ury examines the myths about violence and offers some surprising insights and solutions. Using his anthropological fieldwork, Ury describes how the African Bushmen solve conflicts: no violence, whether it be raised voices or hitting children, is permitted; instead, there must be a dialogue until a solution to the problem is achieved. Anyone who is unwilling to work on a resolution verbally ends up leaving. Ury reports that Bushmen speak of a "third side," a point of view that represents not the interests of one of two parties to a conflict but rather the interests of the community as a whole. Ury then enumerates 10 "third side roles" that can be brought to bear on a conflict. These include mediator, arbitrator, equalizer and healer. Though filled with intelligent insight into the nature of human conflict, Ury's ideas are based on the premise that "humanity is in the midst of a social, economic, and political transformation just as far-reaching as the Agricultural Revolution ten thousand years ago." Skeptical readers will find that Ury comes close to asserting that human nature itself is changing. The book is full of good advice about conflict resolution, even if its more sweeping generalizations about the future eradication of war appear to be based more on optimism than on observation. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.From Library JournalAnthropologist, prolific author, and mediator Ury believes all citizens should play an active role in conflict as the "third side." Citing many cultures where community members facilitate conflict resolution, Ury suggests that it is in our best interests to learn how to "prevent, resolve, and contain" conflict. "No dispute takes place in a vacuum," he insists. In the heart of the book, Ury discusses ten "third side" roles--the Provider, for example, enables people to meet their needs; the Mediator reconciles conflicting interests; the Peacekeeper offers protection. He then puts these strategies in an interesting historical context. In the knowledge age when information, not money or land, is the new power source, he argues, society experiences an "equalizing of power" independent of traditional political or geographical confines. In a world where "pyramids of power" collapse, everyone has knowledge, and with it some degree of power, the role of the "third side" in new "networks of negotiation" becomes critical. For public and academic libraries, especially those with business collections.-Julie Denny, Alliance for Mediation Conflict Resolution, Amenia, NY Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Ury, coauthor of Getting to Yes and Getting Past No, takes on a global issue on how people can live at peace with one another. Citing last spring's shooting at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., as an example of horrible violence, Ury examines the myths about violence and offers some surprising insights and solutions. Using his anthropological fieldwork, Ury describes how the African Bushmen solve conflicts: no violence, whether it be raised voices or hitting children, is permitted; instead, there must be a dialogue until a solution to the problem is achieved. Anyone who is unwilling to work on a resolution verbally ends up leaving. Ury reports that Bushmen speak of a third side, a point of view that represents not the interests of one of two parties to a conflict but rather the interests of the community as a whole. Ury then enumerates 10 third side roles that can be brought to bear on a conflict. These include mediator, arbitrator, equalizer and healer. Though filled with intelligent insight into the nature of human conflict, Ury's ideas are based on the premise that humanity is in the midst of a social, economic, and political transformation just as far-reaching as the Agricultural Revolution ten thousand years ago. Skeptical readers will find that Ury comes close to asserting that human nature itself is changing. The book is full of good advice about conflict resolution, even if its more sweeping generalizations about the future eradication of war appear to be based more on optimism than on observation. --Publishers Weekly how can i get kindle books for free Getting to Peace
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great eye openerBy John ReuwerUry clearly states his reasons why violence is not inevitable and backs them up with evidence. Then he gives directions how to get to peace in almost every conflict. Everyone who thinks violence is the final word would do well to consume this easily readable book.It's a shame this title is out of print. It is available as The Third Side, in paperback.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A hopeful, broad look at the steps toward peaceBy Mike TelferAn anthropologist and expert on negotiation takes a look at violent conflict, both interpersonal and international, and optimistically describes what we can do to prevent, resolve, and contain it. The book is divided into three parts:1. a description of the importance of the "third side" in a conflict2. an examination of the history of violent conflict and speculations about its future3. explanations of ten ways the third side can help to avert violenceUry argues for the importance of what he calls the third side in a dispute, separate from the two conflicting parties but active in resolving conflict. He writes that violence is the ultimate arbiter when there is no other authority to decide an issue between people or groups. When left only to themselves, therefore, disputants tend to spiral into violent conflict to resolve their disagreements. The presence of a third party, however, changes the nature of an argument. Ury contends that a strong third side can go far toward keeping quarrels from becoming battles.One of the book's big ideas is that, although conflict is inevitable (and even helpful), war and violence are not. By taking a historical and anthropological perspective, Ury questions the widely held assumption that war is an inherent part of human nature. He examines the archaeological evidence formerly used to "prove" our violent nature and argues that peace was the norm for the overwhelming majority of the time humans have existed. Ury contends that it was only with the shift from being hunter-gatherers to a settled agricultural and then industrial existence that war became feasible. He then holds out the hope that with the increasingly horizontal relationships and "expanding pie" of the knowledge age, we can return to peaceful coexistence.Finally, the book describes ten different roles that the third side plays to prevent conflict from going out of control, resolve disputes that threaten to escalate, and contain fights that do break out. Ury uses numerous examples to illustrate these roles and show how individuals, organizations, and nations can fill them.The book includes a "road map" outline of the main ideas and an extensive index, both of which help greatly in reviewing its contents.I was impressed by the breadth of Ury's understanding. He brings not only a great deal of academic knowledge but practical experience ranging from resolving union-labor disputes to improving U.S.-Soviet relations during the Cold War to studying how African hunter-gatherer tribes resolve conflict. His optimism about the feasibility of conflict without violence caused me to reevaluate my notions about war and peace.Getting to Peace was published in 1999, before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and America's subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. I found it interesting to interpret these events using Ury's framework and to see how the conflict in Iraq might have been handled differently. If the European nations that had objected so vociferously had sent peacekeeping troops to Baghdad, would the U.S. still have invaded? If there had been more bridge building between the Islamic world and the U.S. and a more equalized distribution of power, would the terrorist attacks even have occurred?My questions and reservations about Ury's ideas revolve primarily around his hopes for a peaceful future through the knowledge economy. While it is true that most of the value of products created today comes from scientific knowledge, the way it is currently being applied is ecologically unsustainable. Will the pie continue to expand if the life support mechanisms of the planet begin to fail or if key resources become even scarcer? Despite these doubts, I found Getting to Peace thought provoking and readable, with both a comprehensive philosophical/historical framework and numerous down-to-earth examples and suggestions.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Conflict is not the norm, peace is!By Harold McFarlandIn "Getting to Peace: Transforming Conflict at Home, At Work, and In the World" William Ury, a world famous negotiator, brings his years of experience to the average person. The book takes the view that conflict always has three sides, the two opposing sides and the third side which is that of a peacemaker. Contrary to what most people might think, William Ury takes the position that conflict is not a normal part of human nature, so destructive conflict is not inevitable. He proves his point well by pointing out that while conflict and strife make news, the basic human condition is peaceful conflict resolution punctuated by periods of strife and not strife punctuated by periods of peace. Peace is the norm.The ability to resolve conflict gives us the ability to choose peace in all aspects of our life, at home, at work, at school or anywhere else. By discovering the ten roles of the peacemaker, everyone can learn to mediate destructive conflicts. A highly recommended read.