Preface, Overview of the Contents: Part One provides an overview of the entire process of mediation and dispute resolution. Chapter One describes the broad field of dispute resolution and details how mediation fits in as an important means of handling conflicts. In this chapter, I present a spectrum of conflict management approaches, identify when mediation is appropriate and when it has a high probability of success, and describe the history and range of mediation practice in a number of cultures around the world. Chapter Two examines the mediation process in more depth. I explore variations of mediators, introduce the twelve stages of the mediation process, and survey several variables that determine how directive the mediator should be in his or her interventions.