"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." So said author Douglas Adams - but what if there was a way to make deadlines work in our favor and use them to ensure that others provide us with what we want, when we want it? In his brilliant new book, Christopher Cox examines the impact deadlines have on us and how we can use them to achieve the best results for all sides. Social scientists have revealed that most negotiations last until the deadline before an agreement is finally reached. What they also discovered was that this "deadline effect" often leads to a worse deal for both sides. Cox shows how the "deadline effect" can be used to bring about success rather than failure. The truth is that most of us think about deadlines in the wrong way. They are not immutable laws of nature; they are a game we can play - and win. This book will show you the strategies that various workplaces have developed to achieve this. These are the businesses and individuals who reclaim the "deadline effect," taking the urgency it provides and rejecting the last-minute chaos. Based on his personal experience as a magazine editor, where getting writers to submit on time is an art, he also integrates into other businesses, such as a ski rescue team before the first day of the winter season, to see how they tackle deadlines that cannot be missed. Above all, this book is an argument for embracing the power of deadlines. When time is limited, people are less wasteful, more strategic, productive, and creative. It is a liberating realization: excellence and timeliness are not at odds, and the "deadline effect" can be highly effective.