At a moment when the gulf separating our two dominant political parties seems never to have been wider, we are particularly saddened by the death of longtime West Tisbury seasonal resident Roger D. Fisher.

Even people who have never heard of the distinguished Harvard Law professor will nonetheless recognize the name of his popular book, Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. The perennial best-seller, co-authored with William Ury in 1981, became the bible of constructive negotiation for a generation.

The deceptively simple volume outlines ways for even the most hostile opponents to reach mutually satisfactory agreements by not just splitting the pie, but by looking for creative ways to make the pie bigger. The book also describes the importance of separating points of difference from personalities. “The basic approach,” Mr. Fisher wrote, “is to deal with people as human beings and with the problem on its merits.”

Foremost a teacher, his influence was international. Bruce Patton, who co-wrote the 1991 edition of Getting to Yes, in a tribute published by Harvard, offered an astonishing list of world conflicts Mr. Fisher played a pivotal role in resolving, from the Middle East to South Africa to Central and South America. He was involved in the Camp David summit that led to an Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty, in resolving persistent hostilities between Ecuador and Peru, in ending the Iranian hostage crisis in 1980, in reshaping the U.S. Soviet relationship and in working to end apartheid in South Africa.

His approach to dispute resolution, however, can be just as useful in forging a business deal or settling a family squabble. It does require some level of respect for opposing points of view and an understanding of the value in maintaining good relationships with people with whom you disagree.

We could all use a refresher course on this topic.