作者之一道格拉斯•斯通为美国知名的沟通专家。曾先后服务过波音、埃森哲、IBM、JP摩根、优尼柯等世界知名企业。他还曾深入参与1980年美国伊拉克人质冲突谈判，结束南非种族隔离谈判，并被哥斯达黎加总统奉为座上宾。

布鲁斯•佩顿也是畅销书《Getting to Yes》（中文版书名为《谈判力》）的作者之一。

希拉•汉身兼数职，她既是三一咨询集团的合伙人，又是哈佛法学院的一名法学讲师，同时，她也是哈佛经理人教育系列课程的授课教师，为律师及各大公司的行政主管教授相关课程。《高难度谈话》一书的成功让她成为了一位如同奥普拉一样炙手可热的节目明星，她应邀参与了多项关于《高难度谈话》节目的录制，其中包括G•戈登•利迪秀，美国国内广播电台的“黛安•瑞姆秀”、“连线克里斯托佛•林登”、福克斯新闻以及CNBC的“名人午餐”节目。此外，她所撰写的关于谈话的文章也被刊登于《谈判月刊》（Negotiation Journal），《奥普拉杂志》（Oprah’s O Magazine），《财富》，《美国周刊》以及《简单》（Real Simple）等多本书刊杂志上。

Members of the Harvard Negotiation Project--which brought you the mega-bestseller Getting to YES --show you how to handle your most difficult conversations with confidence and skill.

Whether you're dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with your spouse about money or child-rearing, negotiating with a difficult client, or simply saying "no," or "I'm sorry," or "I love you," we attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day. Based on fifteen years of research at the Harvard Negotiation Project, Difficult Conversations walks you through a step-by-step proven approach to having your toughest conversations with less stress and more success. You will learn:

how to start the conversation without defensiveness

why what is not said is as important as what is

ways of keeping and regaining your balance in the face of attacks and accusations

how to decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation

Filled with examples from everyday life, Difficult Conversations will help you on the job, at home, or out in the world. It is a book you will turn to again and again for advice, practical skills, and reassurance.

"Does this book deliver on [its] promise of an effective way through sticky situations, whether 'with your baby sitter or your biggest client'? It does."-- The New York Times

"These talented communicators blend a daunting array of disciplines into highly readable and practical advice."-- Booklist

"Brilliant. . . . I've already re-read most of it. I'm using it. What more could a reader ask?"-- Tom Peters

"Emotional Intelligence applied to life's tough moments."-- Daniel Goleman