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The Tyranny of Good Intentions
Political science lecturer Andrew Walmer thought he could help out by serving on his condominium board. Instead,...
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Political science lecturer Andrew Walmer thought he could help out by serving on his condominium board. Instead, he finds himself trapped in an endless saga of petty disputes, bizarre rules, and increasingly desperate attempts to escape - all while trying to repair his relationship with his estranged wife Francine, a passionate law professor fighting for social justice, and save his career following an offensive classroom joke that could end his teaching days.
When the board's iron-fisted president launches a crusade against potted plants, Andrew sees his chance to finally break free. But in the dysfunctional world of condo politics, where every decision is made "in service to the community," nothing is ever simple. As new crises emerge and board members start dropping like flies, Andrew discovers that getting off a condo board may be even harder than earning forgiveness from Francine - and that his deeper question haunts him still: if people can't make small organizations work, what hope is there for the big ones?
Warm and witty, The Tyranny of Good Intentions captures central challenges of politics: it involves people, and the people need to agree about decisions. It's a story about second chances, the complexities of democracy at its most grassroots level, and finding hope in life's unexpected detours - even if that detour leads straight to the president's chair.
Author: Jack Stilborn
Publisher: Chicken House Press
Published: 09/10/2025
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.79d
ISBN: 9781990336973
About the Author
Stilborn, Jack: - Jack Stilborn showed early promise with a comic story that made a cousin laugh so hard she threw up. He was then deflected by life. Careers included part-time academic (political science); intergovernmental affairs advisor (Ontario government) and research analyst (Parliament). Outside work, he has raised three children with spouse Linda and enjoys eclectic reading, volunteer work, cycling, kayaking (no white water please) and cross-country skiing. Following a period of writing about parliamentary government, he returned to fiction with a short story that received Honourable Mention in the 2024 Alice Munro Short Story Contest, and this, his debut novel. His short stories also appear in literary magazines such as Blank Spaces.
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