The Tyranny of Good Intentions
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.
Releasing September 10, 2025. Pre-order for shipping on or before launch date.
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.
Releasing September 10, 2025. Pre-order for shipping on or before launch date.
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.
Releasing September 10, 2025. Pre-order for shipping on or before launch date.
“Jack Stilborn has written a very funny and thoughtful novel about people, politics, and the never ending quest to do the right thing. The narrator, Andrew Walmer, lurches from one crisis to the next doing his level best to keep his world from spinning right off its axis. I happily joined him for the joyride.”
“The Tyranny of Good Intentions is an engaging story of an absent minded political science professor navigating the conundrums of family and the condo board. An interesting cast of characters finds their homespun and humorous way through the shifting sands of one unexpected twist and turn after another. Small things matter in human connections as the condo board struggles portend what can happen in the larger political world. This book is for anyone with an interest in the anomalies of life and humanity.”
“This book is a readable and telling exploration of the ‘politics’ of contemporary living. For Andrew, the protagonist, life is like counterpoint—musical harmonies that are separate but interdependent—as he attempts to navigate the politics as a member of a condo board, a professor under siege and a partner in ‘coupledom’. The wry humour of Jack Stilborn’s prose provokes knowing chuckles as we read about the foibles of various human prototypes and of existence itself. Writ large, the book is a timely reminder for all readers of the personal impact of political life as well as a lesson for all would-be politicians of its potential pitfalls.”
“Stilborn has a singular author’s voice. With subtle wit he leads his characters through hefty issues with a light touch.”
“Jack Stilborn’s debut novel is a delight: funny, poignant and wise. His characters are real, and his writing reads effortlessly.”
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.
