Never Split the Difference
Never Split the Difference by Chris Vossby Chris Voss and Tahl Raz
Hacker ApprovedRanked 5 of 24 business books by recommenders
People recommend it for practical negotiation and listening skills they use in everyday life.
People recommend it for practical negotiation and listening skills they use in everyday life.
15 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 13
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 87%
Recommended in 6 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 13 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 6.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 6 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Tactics seen as not manipulative
“Please read the actual book, it's kind of the opposite from manipulation.”
Comment from 17 Jun 2026 in “Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?” “it's kind of the opposite from manipulation”
Comment from 17 Jun 2026 in “Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?” “The tactics themselves are morally neutral.”
Comment from 17 Jun 2026 in “Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?” Focus on others' wants and views
“Shifting focus outside of yourself is covered in a lot of areas but Never Split The Difference stuck with me”
Comment from 23 Sep 2026 in “I don't want the details” “is about hearing and understanding other peoples's wants and opinions”
Comment from 17 Jun 2026 in “Has AI already killed self-help nonfiction books?” Practical skills used in daily life
“it teaches negotiation skills that you will use almost every day in life”
Comment from 28 Aug 2026 in “Ask HN: If I am 16 what should I learn? Which books should read?” “Works well in practice based on my own personal experiences”
Comment from 21 Jun 2026 in “Ask for no, don't ask for yes (2022)” “I found it to be very useful in many other ways”
Comment from 1 Dec 2025 in “Advent of Sysadmin 2025”
Other business books people recommend
The four most recommended other business books, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gervais Principleby Venkatesh Rao | 32 | 6 | 84% | 7 | — | Approved |
| The Lean Startupby Eric Ries | 32 | 6 | 84% | 5 | 10 yrs5 owners | Approved |
| Incorruptibleby Eric RIES | 23 | 11 | 68% | 4 | — | Approved |
| The Goalby Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox and Ensemble cast and Dwight Jon Zimmerman | 21 | 3 | 88% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Never Split the Differenceby Chris Voss and Tahl RazThis page | 13 | 2 | 87% | 6 | — | Approved |
What people said
16 of the 19 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“is a great read on hostage negotiations”
“Shifting focus outside of yourself is covered in a lot of areas but Never Split The Difference stuck with me”
“it teaches negotiation skills that you will use almost every day in life”
“he'd gotten so cocky to the point he'd start meetings with”
“Works well in practice based on my own personal experiences”
“It's not my cup of tea, so I remembered only the good parts of it”
“He also teaches you things like give gifts to instill a sense of reciprocity.”
“The tactics themselves are morally neutral.”
“is about hearing and understanding other peoples's wants and opinions”
“Please read the actual book, it's kind of the opposite from manipulation.”
“it's kind of the opposite from manipulation”
“Its pure manipulation technique.”
“it’s very suitable for communication with parents as well”
“There's a lot more information than it seems on first reading”
“I found it to be very useful in many other ways”
“I would HIGHLY recommend Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.