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How to Disagree Better
In this "brilliant" (Arthur Brooks) and "both timely and timeless" (Adam Grant) book, pioneering Harvard Kennedy School professor and behavioral scientist Julia Minson reveals the counterintuitive secret to a life of less drama and more impact.
We are in a disagreement crisis. The average person would rather go to the dentist than have a twenty-minute conversation with someone that they strongly disagree with. Yet disagreement is both inevitable and essential for everything from navigating decisions at home to running innovative and agile companies to governing democratic societies.
In How to Disagree Better, Minson brings to bear her decades of research into understanding the psychology of disagreement and its relevance to negotiations, conflict resolution, and decision-making, revealing the hidden skill that all the best mediators and negotiators displaying receptiveness to opposing views.
The science shows that receptive individuals don’t just fight less, they also get more done—they are better decision-makers, better peacemakers, and yes, better influencers than the rest of us. Through original research and case studies, How to Disagree Better will show you why traditional persuasion strategies don’t work as well as you think they do, how you can bridge division and reach better outcomes simply by utilizing receptiveness strategies, and that disagreeing better is a skill all of us can learn to apply at home, at work, and with our neighbors.
We are in a disagreement crisis. The average person would rather go to the dentist than have a twenty-minute conversation with someone that they strongly disagree with. Yet disagreement is both inevitable and essential for everything from navigating decisions at home to running innovative and agile companies to governing democratic societies.
In How to Disagree Better, Minson brings to bear her decades of research into understanding the psychology of disagreement and its relevance to negotiations, conflict resolution, and decision-making, revealing the hidden skill that all the best mediators and negotiators displaying receptiveness to opposing views.
The science shows that receptive individuals don’t just fight less, they also get more done—they are better decision-makers, better peacemakers, and yes, better influencers than the rest of us. Through original research and case studies, How to Disagree Better will show you why traditional persuasion strategies don’t work as well as you think they do, how you can bridge division and reach better outcomes simply by utilizing receptiveness strategies, and that disagreeing better is a skill all of us can learn to apply at home, at work, and with our neighbors.
- GenresNonfiction
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 24, 2026
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April 4, 2026
My Nonfiction recommendation was thanks to @prhaudio with 𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑻𝑶 𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑨𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹 𝒃𝒚 𝑱𝒖𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒐𝒏, out March 24th.
This book gave me a little reset in tools that I either knew I had, felt fresh in a nuanced way, or gave me deeper insight into why it is important to develop this skill.
Listening to Minson describe both these tools and the reasons behind them helped me gain a better foothold into why I get frustrated and also how to better facilitate and lead in better discussions. I may have taken some notes.
I think it is easy to fall into the echo chamber and feel like I am justified in my responses, but I also want to grow and learn and be a better human.
This book gave me a little reset in tools that I either knew I had, felt fresh in a nuanced way, or gave me deeper insight into why it is important to develop this skill.
Listening to Minson describe both these tools and the reasons behind them helped me gain a better foothold into why I get frustrated and also how to better facilitate and lead in better discussions. I may have taken some notes.
I think it is easy to fall into the echo chamber and feel like I am justified in my responses, but I also want to grow and learn and be a better human.
Displaying 1 of 1 review