Robert's Rules of Order in Brief: The Simple Outline of the Rules Most Often Needed at a Meeting, According to the Standard Authoritative Parliamentary Manual, Revised Edition

In a club, a condo association, or a board of overseers, how is business carried over from one meeting to the next? How is a meeting best kept on track? Who keeps the order and who decides what the agenda will be in the first place?

The answers to these concerns of assembly can be found in the rulebook of orderly meetings: Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised 10th Edition. But weighing in at over 700 pages, at least 80 percent of its content will be needed less than 20 percent of the time. Those not well versed in parliamentary procedure can find themselves lost while trying to get guidance on the everyday basics.

The solution? Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised Concise. Written by the officially sanctioned Robert's Rules of Order authorship team, this short and user-friendly "cheat-sheet" of a guide briefs readers on the rules most often needed at meetings--from debates and amendments to votes and nominations. With sample dialogues, helpful references to the "big" book throughout, and handy tips for elected or appointed officials, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised in Brief is the essential abbreviated meeting rulebook.

Somehow these experts figured out what the rest of us would need to know and how we would be looking for it. Maybe they had a panel of non-experts to critique.

There are chapters detailing what the words are that you use to make something happen and how to use those words. Best of all, everywhere you look there are copious examples.

In the back are succinct tables of those same words and there is also a chapter on how to find the completely complete information on the topic in the big "Robert's" book

Most of the book is concerned with what you need to know as a member of the group. There are separate chapters for an officer of the group, which contain the things that most of us don't need to know.

This is not a book you'd save for a winter evening curled up in front of the fireplace. It's to tell you all sorts of things you'd really rather not have to know, but that you really need to know. I've already decided that mine is mine alone. Nobody is going to borrow it because it would never come back to me.


Buy this one first   November 24, 2004
David Wallace Croft (Carrollton, TX USA)
59 out of 62 found this review helpful

Even though I have both the "in Brief" and the unabridged editions, it is only the "in Brief" edition that I take with me to my meetings. I recommend that you buy and read the "in Brief" edition first.


Everyone should read the unabridged version ....   September 25, 2005
ConstantReader (Alaska)
32 out of 32 found this review helpful

... but let's be realistic about it; most people won't. For the 95% of us who just want our PTA, Condo Association, or other group to run an efficient meeting, this is the book to read. It tells you the most important parts about Robert's Rules -- the stuff that comes up regularly at meetings. I'm on several non-profit boards, and this is the most useful book on running meetings I have found.


Perfect tool for the job!   July 28, 2006
Lois M. Mauk (Louisville, KY)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful

I was really impressed by the simple and concise manner in which Roberts' Rules of Order was explained. Perfect tool for the person newly responsible for running a meeting.



Concise, well written   July 13, 2006
Richard D. Simon Jr. (Walla Walla)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful

A nice, concise, well-written summary which should be useful for all members of organizations which hold meetings.