John Forester is Professor of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. A community mediator for 20 years, he has also served as Department Chair and Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell. His earlier books include The Deliberative Practitioner and Planning in the Face of Power. Using oral histories revealing the micro-politics of planning and mediation, he has lectured recently in Seattle, Chapel Hill, Sydney, Seoul, Tokyo, Helsinki, Palermo, Johannesburg, Sheffield, Milan and Amsterdam.

Intended as a 'guide' to tackling complex social issues, Forester's book will serve as a very useful starting point for mediators and organizers alike. Many readers will benefit from reading it carefully to savor the message and reflect on the lessons, then looking for advice and inspiration, returning to it again and again.

• PART ONE: WHEN PARTIES CONFLICT, EXPECT THAT MORE'S POSSIBLE THAN ANYONE SAYS ; PART TWO: RESPECTING VALUE DIFFERENCES AND ACTING PRACTICALLY TOGETHER TOO ; PART THREE: FROM VENTING AND POSTURING TO LEARNING AND PROPOSING ; PART FOUR: FROM ARGUING TO INVENTING, FROM PRESUMING TO ENABLING ACTION

John Forester is Professor of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. A community mediator for 20 years, he has also served as Department Chair and Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell. His earlier books include The Deliberative Practitioner and Planning in the Face of Power. Using oral histories revealing the micro-politics of planning and mediation, he has lectured recently in Seattle, Chapel Hill, Sydney, Seoul, Tokyo, Helsinki, Palermo, Johannesburg, Sheffield, Milan and Amsterdam.

Intended as a 'guide' to tackling complex social issues, Forester's book will serve as a very useful starting point for mediators and organizers alike. Many readers will benefit from reading it carefully to savor the message and reflect on the lessons, then looking for advice and inspiration, returning to it again and again.

• PART ONE: WHEN PARTIES CONFLICT, EXPECT THAT MORE'S POSSIBLE THAN ANYONE SAYS ; PART TWO: RESPECTING VALUE DIFFERENCES AND ACTING PRACTICALLY TOGETHER TOO ; PART THREE: FROM VENTING AND POSTURING TO LEARNING AND PROPOSING ; PART FOUR: FROM ARGUING TO INVENTING, FROM PRESUMING TO ENABLING ACTION

John Forester is Professor of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University. A community mediator for 20 years, he has also served as Department Chair and Associate Dean in the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell. His earlier books include The Deliberative Practitioner and Planning in the Face of Power. Using oral histories revealing the micro-politics of planning and mediation, he has lectured recently in Seattle, Chapel Hill, Sydney, Seoul, Tokyo, Helsinki, Palermo, Johannesburg, Sheffield, Milan and Amsterdam.

Intended as a 'guide' to tackling complex social issues, Forester's book will serve as a very useful starting point for mediators and organizers alike. Many readers will benefit from reading it carefully to savor the message and reflect on the lessons, then looking for advice and inspiration, returning to it again and again.

• PART ONE: WHEN PARTIES CONFLICT, EXPECT THAT MORE'S POSSIBLE THAN ANYONE SAYS ; PART TWO: RESPECTING VALUE DIFFERENCES AND ACTING PRACTICALLY TOGETHER TOO ; PART THREE: FROM VENTING AND POSTURING TO LEARNING AND PROPOSING ; PART FOUR: FROM ARGUING TO INVENTING, FROM PRESUMING TO ENABLING ACTION