Order Out of Chaos cover art

Order Out of Chaos

A Kidnap Negotiator's Guide to Influence and Persuasion

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Order Out of Chaos

By: Scott Walker
Narrated by: Scott Walker
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About this listen

 Shortlisted for The Business Book Awards and the Fingerprint Awards

The indispensable Sunday Times bestselling guide to succeeding in negotiations where failure is not an option, from one of the world's most experienced kidnap for ransom negotiators.

Scott Walker has probably one of the most difficult jobs in the world. When pirates have hijacked a ship, when a criminal gang has kidnapped someone, when an entire company's future is being held to ransom from a cyber-attack, Scott is the person who gets called in. He has successfully negotiated more than 300 such incidents using the principles in this book.

His methods, centred in empathy, active listening, trust-based influence and emotional control, will help you achieve the outcome you want. Regardless of whether you're an executive in a multi-national organisation, the owner of a small business, a local sports team coach or running the family household, you're negotiating every single day, whether you realise it or not.

Learn the skills Scott uses to resolve life or death kidnappings all over the world ­- from the Niger Delta, China and the Philippines to the Middle East, Europe and Latin America - and how to apply them to your own life, at work and at home.

Order Out of Chaos provides tools that cut straight to the most effective way of communicating, particularly in times of crisis, change and uncertainty.©2023 Scott Walker (P)2023 Hachette Audio UK Business Communication Career Success Management & Leadership Negotiating Business Disappearance

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Critic reviews

What a brilliant book! Encouraging, practical, enjoyable, helpful. I'm left feeling determined to harness my inner red centre and to no longer be taken hostage by my own negative mindset (Cathy Rentzenbrink)

Scott has spent years honing his negotiation skills in some of the most high stress situations imaginable, times when people's lives are on the line. This book captures all his wisdom and shows you how to apply it to everyday life. It is a step-by-step masterclass in communication excellence (Andy McNab)
Scott Walker's Order Out of Chaos is a manual for navigating modern life. The lessons within hold the key to harmony and influence in business and relationships (Colonel Tim Collins OBE)
All stars
Most relevant  
A little repetitive at times. Hard to put into context with the work situation until you get further into the book. However, overall an interesting read and should have possibly made notes along the way.

Not bad

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Starts slowly but after that was very well structure points and recaps well to enable more sticking of the key points

Clear and well summarised

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Good grief, this is dull. I’ve tried really hard to like this book as the subject matter interests me but the tone, strange intonation and too many lists is just so boring. Just pay an profession voice artist for a few days and have them read it for you! Please!!!

I’m half way through Chapter 6 and have just lost the will to live…

Dull as dishwater

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Reading by the author was ok but not the most engaging.
Content was a lot of regurgitation of existing theory’s with in my opinion not enough examples or use cases to bring it to light in the context of hostage negotiation.

Some useful tips. Not very insightful.

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An interesting listen and a great perspective on self reflection, self awareness and regulation and how to prepare and maintain a healthy conversation with positive outcomes.

Learn how to manage the conversation and to use empathy to improve the conversation.

Compelling and thought provoking

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Yes the voice is a bit odd but that is the point. He is communicating in a calm and measured way as per the instructions in his advice.

If you deal with situations that are stressful or get you stressed these words and techniques are invaluable! Will be listening through again and maybe buying the print version so I can copy the key points out and stick them on my monitor, back of my hand or on the wall to keep me in control and calm in difficult discussions!

Very useful information

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This is the book i would be reading again, and rereading later. It describes techniques of managing difficult conversations and reasons why is this or another way is better or worse. Unique information I haven’t heard of in a numerous workshops I participated in.

Negotiation is an art

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I must confess to being disappointed with this audiobook. Although I haven’t finished it yet so there’s always hope it will improve.

So far there’s too much padding and not enough information. Loads of time is spent on telling me what I’m going to learn and how helpful that will be to my life. The actual useful, sexy stuff on negotiation skills is buried beneath mounds of build up.

I’ll persist with it though as it may improve.

Sadly what won’t improve is the audio read - it’s so very slow and colourless.

I don’t like being negative about someone’s work but I guarantee if this book were read by a professional voice over artist - someone with a bit of energy and spark - it would be transformed.

That all said, Scott Walker’s job sounds fascinating

Slow slow read

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First, the narrators delivery comes straight out of a 6th form drama lesson, overly emotive and patronising when I would prefer to be treated as an adult and learn something

Second, the author begins by making the usual claims to transform you into a negotiating demi god, impervious to mortal attack etc.

I got as far as managing your emotions which is a step by step account of western mindfulness techniques and gave up.

If the narrator had been less hammy I might have persisted in the hope of hearing something new but Im left feeling conned out of a few quid.

I don’t like denigrating people as a rule so if anyone wants to open a dialogue with me, the doors open.

A patronising self help manual

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I had to return this audiobook, I lost patience when he was describing the effects of serotonin, dopamine and cortisol in the body. I mean, don't most people know this already? It seems like a lot of filling the book up with other people's material and 'advice' one can get off the internet with a google search.

Rehashed material from other authors

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