Culture-along with many other variables-often affects international negotiations. Culture and Negotiation offers a unique contribution by focusing on the distinctive impact of culture, both in creating unexpected opportunities for dispute settlement and in imposing obstacle to agreement. Part I presents expert views on the nature and limits of culture's influence on negotiation. Part II comprises the core of the book, and contains a wealth of case studies and analysis of international disputes regarding water resources. Each case asks the following key questions: What are the different cultural components that made a difference in the outcome? How did culture play a role in the negotiation process? What are some specific illustrations of culture's contributing role, both to the dispute and to the ways in which it was handled? Part III includes implications for practitioners and policymakers, along with new directions for future studies.

"It's much too late but this is the book we should have had in Paris during the five-year effort to get a political settlement of the Vietnam War. . . . Thought provoking."

"An important contribution to a better understanding of international relations . . . with reflective discussions as well as thorough case studies."