The Mediator's Handbook | Jennifer Beer | God is in the details, and vice versa

The Mediator's Handbook | Jennifer Beer | Recommended for beginners and experienced mediators alike

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The Mediator's Han...

	The Mediator's Handbook Jennifer Beer New Society Publishers, 1998 - 176 pages average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The field of mediation has expanded dramatically since Friends Conflict Resolution Programs published the original Mediators Handbook in 1982, the first "how-to" mediation manual available to the public. Since then, mediation has evolved from an alternative approach to conflict resolution for community activists to a process that has become part of our everyday landscape.

Continuously in print for fifteen years, The Mediator's Handbook provides a time-tested, flexible model for effective mediation in diverse environments and situations. Completely revised, the new edition provides a clear overview of mediation and conflict; a section that walks through each step in the mediation process; a large "Toolbox" section that details the skills and approaches used by professional mediators; and a final section that looks at informal mediation. Whether new to the art of mediation or an experienced professional, people working in corporations, government agencies, community organizations, schools, and any other situation where there is a need to build bridges between diverse perspectives will find The Mediators Handbook a valuable resource.

Jennifer E. Beer is the author of the original Mediator's Handbook and helped develop Friends Conflict Resolution Programs' well-known mediation training course. She is the founder of JB Intercultural Consulting. Eileen Stief created FCRP's mediation program and training course 20 years ago. She is now a partner in PennACCORD Associates, a firm specializing in dispute resolution and conflict management. She is co-author of FCRP's School Mediation Trainer's Manual. Friends Conflict Resolution Programs is a program of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and is one of the longest-running mediation programs in the United States.

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God is in the details, and vice versa

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) has received lots of attention over the last decade or so, and I'd like it to receive more. Here's a good place to start.

As an [ahem] older law student, I recently signed up to participate in a mediation program through a local courthouse. As I looked around for helpful references, my eye fell naturally on this modern classic by Jennifer Beer. Continuously in print since 1982 and now in its third edition, it's probably _the_ book that did most to teach the American public how to "do" mediation.

It's full of nuts-and-bolts advice on everything from what to say to where to put the chairs. And it's got something some other mediation books lack: a sense of the "spirituality" of mediation.

For the techniques in this volume grew out of the Friends Conflict Resolution Programs (FCRP). And the Religious Society of Friends ("Quakers") is pretty good at conflict resolution.

(It's those "meetings." Some readers may know that in the early days of the United States, a half-century of so before the Emancipation Proclamation, the Friends unilaterally, voluntarily, and unanimously freed every last one of their slaves -- and paid them to boot, if I'm not mistaken. And anybody who has ever attended a Quaker meeting will understand why, even if they've never heard of John Woolman.)

I've got quite a few Quakers in my family tree, so I'm pleased by this approach. But it's very understated and mostly behind the scenes, so the casual reader will notice only that the book has a certain mood or tone.

What's really going on is that the mediation advice herein is implicitly predicated on the presumption that people are competent to settle their own disputes because each of them has "that of God" within. And the extraordinary sensitivity of the advice is based firmly on Quaker sensibilities: namely, respect for the individual conscience as the very voice of God, and a profound belief in the power of _listening_ both to others and to oneself.

The result is a book of advice on mediation that looks an awful lot like a book on how to grasp the "sense of a meeting." Even beyond the nuts and bolts, the "flavor" of the book will itself help the reader get a feel for what mediation is all about. That's a nice feature in a book on ADR, and it's no wonder Beer's book has been in print for so long.

Allan Goodman's _Basic Skills for the New Mediator_ is a good companion volume, by the way. His book is more aimed at people who do mediation in "courtlike" settings, whereas Beer's is for pretty much any context (including workplace and family, both of which she discusses). The two together are a powerful combination of resources, arguably surpassing many more expensive books on the subject.

And for a good history of the subject of ADR, see Linda Singer's _Settling Disputes_, which I've also reviewed.

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Recommended for beginners and experienced mediators alike

As a trainer of community mediators, I am often asked to suggest books on the subject. One book I definitely recommend is Jennifer Beer's Mediator's Handbook -- and it is also a book I often go back to myself. It's like having a smart, experienced and helpful colleague available whenever I want, whether for specific problem solving or for more general inspirational conversation!

A Welcome Addition to My Library

I am a mediator, arbitrator, and trainer. The Mediator's Handbook is a welcome addition to my library. It is filled with practical advice,theoretical information, wonderful charts, and the nuts and bolts of mediation. I am sure every mediator, new or experienced, will benefit from this book. I recommend that every mediator skim the "Mediator's Handbook" as well as "Basic Skills for the New Mediator" by Allan H. Goodman (which I purchased at the same time) before every mediation.

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Couldn't Be Better

As a mediator and one who trains others how to mediate, I highly recommend this clearly written,comprehensive mediation handbook. I have yet to see a more practical book on mediation skills.

Great Introductory Text

This was used as a course textbook in an introductory ADR class, and I think it serves that purpose well. A great book for those new to ADR and mediation that clearly outlines the purpose and procedures of mediation. This text does not really discuss the psychological motivations behind party behavior except for briefly touching on cultural patterns. The focus is on the process.

The topics are dealt with step-by-step, and while the illustrations aren't necessary, especially for university-level courses or professionals, this is still a great textbook that adequately covers the role of the mediator and all the steps in mediation as well as tips for how to move the process along and recognize problems.

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reviews: page 1, 2

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