作者之一道格拉斯•斯通為美國知名的溝通專傢。曾先後服務過波音、埃森哲、IBM、JP摩根、優尼柯等世界知名企業。他還曾深入參與1980年美國伊拉剋人質衝突談判，結束南非種族隔離談判，並被哥斯達黎加總統奉為座上賓。

布魯斯•佩頓也是暢銷書《Getting to Yes》（中文版書名為《談判力》）的作者之一。

希拉•漢身兼數職，她既是三一谘詢集團的閤夥人，又是哈佛法學院的一名法學講師，同時，她也是哈佛經理人教育係列課程的授課教師，為律師及各大公司的行政主管教授相關課程。《高難度談話》一書的成功讓她成為瞭一位如同奧普拉一樣炙手可熱的節目明星，她應邀參與瞭多項關於《高難度談話》節目的錄製，其中包括G•戈登•利迪秀，美國國內廣播電颱的“黛安•瑞姆秀”、“連綫剋裏斯托佛•林登”、福剋斯新聞以及CNBC的“名人午餐”節目。此外，她所撰寫的關於談話的文章也被刊登於《談判月刊》（Negotiation Journal），《奧普拉雜誌》（Oprah’s O Magazine），《財富》，《美國周刊》以及《簡單》（Real Simple）等多本書刊雜誌上。

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