How to sweet-talk a shark: strategies and stories from a master negotiator

Introduction: Bill Richardson, undersecretary for thugs

The Clintons: a cautionary tale

North Korea: hang on to your hats

Saddam Hussein and the Egyptian torturer: it's all about the shoes

Sudan: get in , get on with it, get out

Fidel Castro: our Cuban missile crisis

The Congo: and the Lord said, "Let's do this!"

Hugo Chávez: aló presidente

Russia: an imbalance of power

President Barack Obama: a hard sell vs. a soft touch

Billy the Kid: outlaws, Roswell, and how to keep the dead from getting the last word.