The Power of Nice: How to Conquer the Business World with Kindness

145 Pages·2006·0.56 MB·English

by  Linda Kaplan Thaler

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More advance acclaim for
The Power of Nice
“In a dog-eat-dog world where so many seem prepared to
do whatever it takes to get ahead, Linda Kaplan Thaler and
Robin Koval point out that it is truly the quiet, kind gesture
that speaks most loudly. ‘Please,’ ‘Thank You,’ and ‘No,
You First’ really are key words that should be a part of
every go-getter’s lexicon. The Power of Nice should become
the new bible for those looking to hit the top.”
—Deborah Norville, host of Inside Edition,
the longest-running newsmagazine
“In negotiation, the cheapest concession you can make is
to be nice. And the returns can be high, as Linda Kaplan
Thaler and Robin Koval show in this delightfully readable
primer packed with practical advice and entertaining
stories. I recommend it with pleasure!”
—William Ury, co-author of Getting to Yesand
the author of The Power of a Positive No
“The Power of Nice is a wonder drug! It could literally save
your career and your life ... And let me suggest a first act
of kindness: buy some extra copies for your enemies. I’ll
bet they need The Power of Nicemore than you do.”
—Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone, the bestselling
book on building relationships for success.
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The
Power
of
Nice
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The
Power
of
Nice
How to Conquer the World
with Kindness
Linda Kaplan Thaler
and Robin Koval
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First published in Australia and New Zealand by Allen & Unwin in 2007
Copyright © Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval 2007
This edition published by arrangement with Currency/Doubleday, a division of
Random House, Inc.
This book is not to be confused with the previously published The Power of
Nice: How to Negotiate So Everyone Wins, Especially You!, by Ronald M.
Shapiro and Mark Jankowski. And see www.Shapironegotiations.com.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior
permission in writing from the publisher. TheAustralian Copyright Act 1968(the
Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is
the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational
purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it)
has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under
the Act.
Inspired Living, an imprint of
Allen & Unwin
83 Alexander Street
Crows Nest NSW 2065
Australia
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.allenandunwin.com
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:
Kaplan Thaler, Linda.
The power of nice : how to conquer the world with kindness.
Includes index.
ISBN 9781741750959.
1. Leadership - Psychological aspects. 2. Success -
Psychological aspects. 3. Kindness. I. Koval, Robin.
II. Title.
658.4092
Printed in Australia by McPherson’s Printing Group
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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To my parents, Bertha and Marvin,
for teaching me the value of kindness.
—Linda Kaplan Thaler
To my sister, Joyce, a woman born with
the power of nice in her heart.
—Robin Koval
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Acknowledgments
First, a heartfelt thank-you to Tricia Kenney, Managing
Director of Corporate Communications at The Kaplan
Thaler Group, for giving us the perfect title for this book.
How fitting for Tricia to have made such a critical contribu-
tion, because she is, in fact, one of the nicest (not to men-
tion one of the smartest) people we know. Tricia, your
passion and dedication to making The Power of Nicea reality
was truly remarkable.
Thanks to Richard Abate, our brilliant literary agent at
ICM. You have amazing insight and impeccable taste, and
can always be counted on to be our staunchest advocate.
Words alone cannot express the depth of our thanks to
Sara Eckel, an amazing and talented writer, without whom
this book would still be a dream in our hearts. Sara was
always able to find the insightful quote, the illuminating
story, and the imaginative phrase that would perfectly
weave all our thoughts and experiences together. A very
special thank-you to Mark Holcomb, for always being
there for Sara.
A special thanks to our talented and dedicated editor,
Roger Scholl at Doubleday. Roger, your additions (and
deletions) always have the perfect touch. Every page in The
Power of Nicehas benefited from your talent and passion for
this project. We would also like to thank the entire team at