A mess that can't be fixed? -- The board-centric imperative -- Revolt in the boardroom: the story of General Motors -- General Motors as catalyst -- Drexel: the most feared firm on Wall Street -- Dead broke: New York City's 1970s fiscal crisis -- Lights out: the Con-Ed blackout -- Shedding light on shadow government in New York State -- Planned Parenthood: a corporate governance success story -- Conclusion.