Ditch the scripts and tricks for a smarter approachKirk Kinnell is a hostage negotiator and counter-terrorism expert with decades of experience. Jim Houghton has conducted complex M&A deals worth hundreds of millions.

Despite their dramatically different backgrounds, they share the philosophy that negotiation is not a zero-sum game and that trust, integrity and fairness are essential to achieving a successful outcome. This book combines their vast knowledge to show you how to prepare for and conduct negotiations in almost any environment.

What holds true for ending a siege or keeping a hostage alive could be the key to getting your toddler off to bed or agreeing a pay rise with your boss. Their invaluable advice will help you be resourceful and calm amid the stress and volatility of real-world negotiations.

In business, this equates to winning repeat business and making more profit. In our personal lives, it means family harmony and better communities.

If you are booking a wedding caterer or finding a builder for that long hoped-for renovation, it means seeing eye to eye and helping everyone get what they need on terms acceptable to them. And in hostage situations, it means saving lives.

These techniques work at the highest level, and they will work for any situation you might face. The Work Smarter series:The 'Work Smarter' series of books provide shortcuts, tips and life-hacks for the development of essential business skills.

The books bring together accomplished industry experts who have learned their trades at the coalface. They teach the skills ambitious businesspeople need in order to tip the playing field in their favour.

It is the pirate equivalent of business advice; the antidote to conventional wisdom; 'smarter' practice over 'best practice'. .