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Prudence Bowman Kestner is president of the Institute for Organizational and Personal Transformation, Inc. (I-OPT). Formerly she was the associate director of the American Bar Association's Section on Dispute Resolution (ABA/ADR).

Larry Ray is an attorney in private practice. He served as executive director for the National Association for Community Mediation (NAFCM) and for the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Dispute Resolution. He provides training for the American Management Association (AMA), the Maryland State Highway Administration, and the Graduate School, USDA. He arbitrates for the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and United States Arbitration and Mediation (USAM). He mediates for the World Banks Group, the United States Postal Service, the National Archives, and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. He serves as a senior instructor for the George Washington University School of Law and Keller Graduate School.

Kestner and Ray have conducted trainings in communication, conflict management, mediation, and negotiation.
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"We are fortunate to have available in this book the fruits of Kestner and Ray's long experience and thoughtful insights from training hundreds of individuals and organizations."
— Frank E. A. Sander, Bussey Professor, Harvard Law School

"This book is valuable to anyone who is training or teaching in dispute resolution."
— Terry Wheeler, executive director, Center for Dispute Resolution, Capital University Law School; and vice president, Association for Conflict Resolution

"As a manager and former instructor in the areas of team building and instructor training, I find the material in this manual, especially the interactive exercises, to be both engaging and effective in promoting open communications within teams. The book encourages dynamics that result in building trust, effective communications and commitment within teams. One of the best features is the flexibility of the presentation-trainings can be customized to suit a particular team's characteristics and needs."
— Robert Griscavage, manager, division of training and employee development, Social Security Administration

"Experienced trainers Kestner and Ray provide a clear and well-reasoned approach to training students in the art of dispute resolution."
— Theresa Meehan Rudy, program director, HALT— An Organization of Americans for Legal Reform, Washington, D.C.

"Kestner and Ray greatly enhance the range of dispute-resolution options by providing an amalgamation of exercises that they have tested successfully."
— Bradley Peterson, Social Security Administration