Jim Beatty, Bernard Kamoroff, and Peter Honigsberg explain the ins and outs of co-ops and employee-owned ventures. "Cooperative (and its abbreviation "coop" which some people spell "co-op") has different meanings to different people", they explain. And most "coops are organized legally as either corporations or partnerships".

The book is outstandingly thorough; it's only caveat being that it is a bit dated as it is 20 years old. The introducton section of the book covers the history of cooperation, the principles of the International Cooperative Alliance, and terminology. Section two covers types of cooperatives ranging from consumer cooperatives to producer co-ops to worker co-ops. Section three tells how to organize your co-op, including sole proprietorships, partnerships, joint ventures, associations, trusts, joint stock companies, corporations (profit and non-profit), and no legal structure at all. Section four explains how to incorporate your co-op. Section five is subtitled "Starting and Operating a COOP", including permits and licenses, employees, legal liability, insurance, bookkeeping, government forms, and how and where to obtain financing and professional help.

The book contains interviews with co-op directors, sample articles and bylaws, a state-by-state Cooperative Corporation Laws listing including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and a sizeable Resources section for further information.

This is very thorough book that explains how to start and manage a cooperative. It will be valuable to entrepeneurs, economic historians, and organizational sociologists.