ATTENTION If you need to write a paper on cooperatives (co-ops), then this is the perfect reference. It's simple, easy to understand, and right to the point. This book focuses on the function of cooperatives as organizations. It defines the principles behind the establishment of co-ops, analyzes the different types of co-ops for individuals and businesses, explores the advantages and disadvantages of membership in co-ops, suggests methods for improving co-ops in general, and discusses the future of this collaboration-based organizational concept. The text is informational and educational, and it is written for easy reader understanding at all levels. If you are interested in learning about co-ops as organizations, then this book is for you.
While a pretty good minimal very basic over view of cooperatives, the author should've been either more objective or have become more informed. He has no understanding of the history or philosophy of worker cooperatives. This over view is most useful for its explanation of the 6 Basic Types of Coops and the section on the advantages of credit unions.