Beyond Dispute

Daniel Taub has written a book that is erudite, insightful and unexpectedly hopeful.
It’s part Malcolm Gladwell, part Talmudic essay and completely compelling’
Jonathan Freedland, author of The Escape Artist

Do you shy away from disagreements for fear they’ll create division?
What if arguments weren’t about winning or losing, but about discovering something new together?

In our age of seemingly irreconcilable differences, argument is increasingly seen as a plague to be avoided or a contest to be won. Daniel Taub, an experienced peace negotiator and diplomat, argues that ancient Jewish wisdom offers a third way.

This approach sees argument not as a combat zone but as a joint enterprise, and its disputants not as jealous custodians of competing truths, but collaborative explorers. It seeks to create safe spaces not by outlawing controversial opinions but by welcoming them, and it offers a set of practical tools to rethink our own preconceptions. In fractious times it charts a way to build communities and societies that are resilient enough to face new and challenging ideas without fear.

Weaving ancient insights with contemporary research in conflict resolution, as well as behind-the-scenes personal stories of diplomacy and negotiations, Beyond Dispute is a passionate call to rediscover and harness the vital and surprising power of a good argument.