Merrett and Walzer, both of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, argue that individuals in rural communities can achieve economic and social objectives as a group that they could not achieve as sole producers, workers, or consumers. They collect contributions reviewing classic texts, current literature, and case studies relevant to co-ops and community-based economic development. Contributors in law, agricultural economics, agribusiness, and consumer science trace the history of cooperatives, describe various approaches involved, and examine the effects that cooperatives can have on local development.