The purpose of this book is to introduce you in considerable detail to what we call the 'co-operative enterprise', and to explore with you the broader question of why co-operatives are important in today's world. This is not a "how to" book, in the normal sense. It is however (we hope) an excellent foundation upon which to broaden your understanding and appreciation of co-operative forms of enterprise, not only in your country - but around the globe. You will learn why co-operation works and also see why sometimes it may not work, and you will learn about best practices and success factors within co-operatives. If you are an employee, a manager, or an elected official within a co-operative, you will also learn about why and how leadership and management effectiveness are different in co-operative forms of enterprise. Terry MacDonald, currently a Managing Director of the Global Co-operative Development Group Inc., began his co-operative career in a credit union as a teller. Since that time he has held a variety of positions within the Canadian credit union system ranging from Head of Research for Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan, to General Manager of CULease Financial, a national Canadian credit union system leasing business which he helped to create, to Africa Region Director for the Canadian Co-operative Association. Gregory Wallace ("Greg") has served within and across the credit union and co-operative systems in Canada and internationally for more than 40 years. His career has taken him from managing a local credit union to serving as the Chief Financial Officer of a 15 billion dollar national financial co-operative. He has served on numerous second-tier co-operative boards and committees across Canada. Ian MacPherson, Professor Emeritus of History, is a former Department Chair, Dean of Humanities, and Director of the British Columbia Institute for Co-operative Studies at the University of Victoria. He has written, edited, and co-edited twenty books as well as some 150 articles. keywords: Co-Operatives, Development, Management, Governance, Strategy, Risk, Philosophy, Policy, Future, Success.