Not for the Faint of Heart

Lessons in Courage, Power, and Persistence

Few people have sat across from the Iranians and the North Koreans at the negotiating table. Wendy Sherman has done both. During her time as the lead U.S. negotiator of the historic Iran nuclear deal and throughout her distinguished career, Ambassador Sherman, the incoming Director of Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership and a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, has amassed tremendous expertise in the most pressing foreign policy issues of our time.

In her new book, Not for the Faint of Heart, Ambassador Sherman takes readers inside the world of international diplomacy and into the mind of one of our most effective negotiators―often the only woman in the room. She discusses the core values that have shaped her approach to work and leadership: authenticity, effective use of power and persistence, acceptance of change, and commitment to the team. She shows why good work in her field is so hard to do, and how we can learn to apply core skills of diplomacy to the challenges in our own lives. Not for the Faint of Heart is a revealing and practical guide for any woman or man who wants to improve their negotiation game. 

Selected Reviews

"A powerful, deeply personal, and absorbing book written by one of America's smartest and most dedicated diplomats. This tale of courage and persistence will inspire readers of all backgrounds, while giving them unparalleled insights into some of the most critical issues of our time."―Madeleine K. Albright, 64th U.S. Secretary of State

"Wendy doesn't just write about the value of courage, power, and persistence, she lives it. She's an example that a strong negotiator can also be a humane mentor. Her work helped prevent a war and a stop a nuclear arms race. As someone who has been privileged to be Wendy's teammate and even more grateful to remain her friend, I know every reader will learn much from her story but even more from her example."―John Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State and author of Every Day Is Extra

"This is an indispensable insider's account of America's negotiations with Iran and North Korea and a timely reminder of the importance of diplomacy. Sherman and her colleagues' struggles to make peace underscore how recently expertise and careful strategy were tangible realities of foreign policy, rather than lost arts. This book is also the personal saga of a woman navigating a generation of change in American politics. At an inflection point in our national conversations about diplomacy and gender, this book is illuminating on both fronts."―Ronan Farrow, contributing writer, New Yorker, and author of War on Peace

"Wendy Sherman draws on childhood lessons of equal justice forged during the civil rights era to pioneering experiences navigating a professional world dominated by men to illustrate invaluable negotiating skills for women in all aspects of life. Interwoven with revelations about the historic Iran negotiations, hers is a compelling narrative, never needed more than today."―Andrea Mitchell, chief foreign affairs correspondent, NBC News anchor, MSNBC