Board Overboard: Laughs and Lessons for All but the Perfect Nonprofit (Jossey Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series) [Hardcover]

Brian O'Connell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 12, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0787901792 | ISBN-13: 978-0787901790 | Edition: 1

O'Connell draws on forty years of camaraderie and affection to offer this hilarious spoof. Presented in the form of one organization's board meetings' minutes, Board Overboard is a witty sendup of a world that is too seldom treated with humor.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Anyone who has ever been on the board of a nonprofit organization will get a chuckle from this book. O'Connell, the founding president of Independent Sector, has spent decades attending board meetings. Now safely in the bosom of academia, he pokes gentle fun at well-meaning but often inept board members. Instead of telling us what transpires at board meetings, O'Connell allows the official minutes of an unnamed charity to speak for him. Each month, the board of the fictitious charity has a meeting and the faithful secretary takes it down (errors and all). At the end of the year, the board has accomplished very little, but the reader has had some good laughs. Recommended for public libraries.?Andrea C. Dragon, Coll. of St. Elizabeth, Convent Station, N.J.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

If you think your board is a shambles, wait until you read about the board portrayed in Brian O'Connell's hilarious book.Brian O'Connell draws on forty years of camaraderie and affection to offer a hilarious spoof of the world of volunteer organizations. Presented in the form of one organization's board meetings' minutes, Board Overboard is a witty sendup of a world that is too seldom treated with humor.Mrs. Jeffrey (Effie) Black, the recording secretary and narrator of this lampoon, makes few editorial remarks in her note-taking, most often allowing her colleagues to incriminate themselves in their own words. Other board members include Rodney Russell, chairperson; Penelope Mitchell, vice-chairperson; Louella Buckminister; and the Reverend Bryant Horsinger. In his disclaimer, O'Connell says, "Any resemblance to any board or board member I have ever worked with is an unbelievable coincidence." You are sure to find some delightful resemblances, however, to people you know.This book is a perfect gift for all board members and nonprofit executives, who after reading it, will be glad they work with your organization, and not Brian O'Connell's.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 221 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (October 12, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787901792
• ISBN-13: 978-0787901790
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,347,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Board Overboard, June 8, 2009

By 

Diana R. Sieger (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Board Overboard: Laughs and Lessons for All but the Perfect Nonprofit (Jossey Bass Nonprofit & Public Management Series) (Hardcover)

While this is a book published over a decade ago, it is still quite relevant. It is written as an account referencing a year's worth of minutes of a nonprofit board of directors and it is very funny! While it is humorous, it does take into account all of the pitfalls of governance and how NOT to do it! It is a book I have given to many people over the years as a good guide for nonprofit boards and the importance of governance. My entire career (35 years) has been in nonprofit leadership positions and I have witnessed all the things noted in this great book. Don't delay order it today! However, it is hard to find copies!