A brisk, readable book on a serious and prickly topic: Making corporate boards live up to their full, strategic potential.

For nepotism, lethargy, and plain old misguidance, few corporate entities can top the board of directors. And that's a shame, because engaged, knowledgeable boards can make a world of difference, setting an organization's strategic direction, infusing it with valuable expertise, and rendering the company attractive to investors.



THE BOARD BOOK is the most succinct, reader-friendly guide available to recruiting and managing on-track, top-notch corporate boards--the kind that serve as pivotal success factors for companies of every size. Packed with both real-life success and horror stories, this fast-paced book explains the 11 guiding principles for transforming a board, exploring issues such as:



* Using insiders, consultants, and friends on a board * Interlocking directorships * Conflicts of interest * Diversity * Information flow * Complacency * Board overload * Groupthink * Turnover, and more.