The Book of Agreement

Praise

“We all want agreement. Here’s how to get it and keep it and work it.”
—Mark Victor Hansen, Co-creator, The New York Times #1 bestselling series, Chicken Soup for the Soul®

“Buy this book. I know systems for creating wealth. The systems in The Book of Agreement will help you create the kind of agreements that will generate much more financial and emotional wealth in your life.”
—Robert Allen, author of four New York Times bestsellers, Crating Wealth, Multiple Streams of Income, Multiple Streams of Internet Income, and the phenomenal Nothing Down.

“The Book of Agreement contains all the models you’ll ever need to protect questionable relationships and nurture strong relationships. It puts some iron in the handshake.”
—Alan Weiss, Ph.D., Author, The Ultimate Consutlant

“The day after I read Stewart Levine’s The Book of Agreement, I was able to put his principles and prescriptions to the test. They worked for me, and I know they’ll work for you! Levine’s approach is so straightforward and so sound that you just can’t miss. It was like a whack on the side of the head when I read Levine’s simply profound and sensible notion that we’d all benefit from embracing the idea of creating agreements for results instead of negotiating agreements for protection. Putting that concept into practice in all our relationships is what this book is about, and the pages are full of very explicit advice on how to do it. My prediction is that you’ll be consulting The Book of Agreement before engaging in any new negotiation, and you’ll be very glad that you did. In fact, I bet you have one tomorrow, so what are you waiting for? Buy this book right now!”
—James M. Kouzes, Co-author, The Leadership Challenge and Encouraging the Heart; Chairman Emeritus, Tom Peters Company

“Every year, in law schools across the country, each new generation of future lawyers learns to reproduce the mistrust that is the great tragedy of our individualistic and isolating society by learning that
the purpose of legal agreements, or contracts, is to protect you from the Other, that stranger at arm’s length who is out to exploit you for his or her own self-interest. Stewart Levine begins from the exact opposite premise—that the purpose of agreement is to build a bridge to the Other and to realize your common aspiration for connection. Writ large, this idea would revolutionize the study and practice of law and help realize our spiritual nature as social beings in pursuit of mutual affirmation.”
—Peter Gabel, Professor of Contract Law, New College Law School; Associate Editor, Tikkun Magazine; President of the Board, New College of California; Director, Institute for Spirituality and Politics

“A wonderful, comprehensive look at the potential for agreement in the world. Stewart describes the agreements we aspire to and tells you how to avoid the calamities you fear and how to get the results you want. This is good stuff!”
—Geoff Bellman, Consultant; Author of Getting Things Done When You Are Not in Charge

“Now, more than ever, we need to learn how to work toward agreement rather than let conflict tear us apart. Stewart Levine’s new book is an important step in the right direction.”
—B. J. Gallagher Hateley, author of What Would Buddha Do at Work? and A Peacock in the Land of Penguins

“Stewart Levine, where have you been all my life? And why did it take you so long to write The Book of Agreement? But now that you have—Thanks! I can’t promise to reform my errant ways, but now at least I will understand how I got there and what might be done in terms of extrication. And I think all other similarly challenged individuals will find the book a godsend. Try it!”
—Harrison Owen, author of Open Space Technology

“Stewart Levine has managed to bring his years of considerable experience, plus his wit, charm, and clarity, to a book that will enable the reader to come to true agreement. While this book is useful to any- one, it can be especially helpful to the business leader and the world leader. Bravo!”
—Robert Fritz, author of The Path of Least Resistance, Creating and The Path of Least Resistance for Managers

“Agreements that serve everyone well help us create a cooperative civilization—one that can creatively include competition and conflict, as well as love and community, even among strangers. Stewart Levine provides some sensible tools to build that civilization together, piece by piece, as the need arises in our own lives and work.”
—Tom Atlee, Founder, The Co-Intelligence Institute

“Most books on legal subjects are efficient, dry, and erudite. Stewart’s book uses the heart to inform the mind. What results is an enduring work that teaches a commonsense process for reaching sustainable agreements in our business lives and personal relationships.”
—George Kaufman, Esq., author of The Lawyer’s Guide to Balancing Life and Work; Vice Chair, Omega Institute; formerly of counsel, Arnold & Porter

“This book shows us how horribly deficient our current agreement process is and how to create new agreements that result in real performance and satisfaction. Can we eliminate misunderstanding and conflict? Maybe not entirely, but this book comes as close to showing a way as ever before.”
—Peter B. Grazier, President, Teambuildinginc.com and author of Before It’s Too Late and Power Up for Team Results

“Stewart’s book helps readers to size up each opportunity to reach an agreement and maximizes the chances that each new agreement will culminate in mutually satisfying results. If you’re trying to double the number of agreements you reach, and double the outcome from those agreements, Stewart’s Book of Agreement is an invaluable guide.”
—Tom Brown, Editor, Management General

“In this wise and humane book, Stewart Levine makes it clear once and for all that our standard approaches to building agreements must change. More than that, he provides the tools—both philosophical and practical—for individuals and institutions to transform their approaches and in so doing build a better world.”
—Steven Keeva, Assistant Managing Editor, American Bar Association Journal; and author, Transforming Practices: Finding Joy and Satisfaction in the Legal Life

“Stewart’s book reminds us how agreements pervade every aspect of our lives and provides the reader with a clear road map to more effective agreement making. After practicing law for 25 years, both as a trial lawyer and a general counsel, I never imagined that a book about agreements could be such a refreshing and enjoyable read! I recommend this book to all lawyers seriously interested in obtaining greater insight into and understanding of how to turn conflict into agreement.”
—Shelby Rogers, COO and General Counsel, State Bar of Texas; former Chair, Law Practice Management Section, American Bar Association

“Lawyers will find this a how-to manual for practicing law in the new paradigm. Non-lawyers will find it a breath of fresh air that inspires them to put their visions on paper—not just for their business deals but also for every relationship in their lives! The Book of Agreement shows how to build a foundation of integrity in all areas of our lives and work.”
—J. Kim Wright, President and founder of Renaissance Lawyer Society; President, The Conscious Coach, Inc.; Author of Legal Toolkit for the Conscious Coach; Principal, www.jkimwright.com

“Levine provides very useful tools for lawyers and clients who want to prevent and manage future conflicts by addressing present differences. His models will help people forming new collaborations deal more effectively with differences of perspective, and the many unknowns of a partnership, so that they can work together to create a stronger partnership, prevent hostility, and better manage conflicts that surface.”
—Frederick Hertz, Esq., Attorney, mediator, Adjunct Professor, Golden Gate University School of Law; Author of Legal Affairs (Henry Holt, 1998)

“Stewart Levine’s The Book of Agreement provides a useful and effective model to help us reach agreements that live up to our hopes and expectations. He has synthesized a wealth of wisdom and experience into a simple and elegant approach to agreements. The process of creating this kind of agreement can deepen relationships, strengthen commitment to goals, and nurture the spirit of cooperation and partnership. These are simple and powerful tools all children and adults should learn.”
—D’Arcy Lyness, Ph.D., Child psychologist; Adjunct Professor, Saint Joseph’s University; Editor, Human Diseases and Conditions: Supplement 1: Behavioral Health (Scribner’s, 2001); Contributing Editor, KidsHealth.org