E
ver since it was released in 1995, An Introduction to ESOPs has been our most popular book. It explains the rules, uses, benefits and other aspects of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Service providers buy it in quantity to give to contacts who are considering an ESOP, decision-makers at ESOP companies, board members, etc. Companies buy them and give them to ESOP committees, managers, board members, or even every employee (but mind you, there is a lot of detail in the book). We periodically allow our members to order it in bulk, often with a customized cover, before we go to press. We are doing that now for the 22nd edition (pictured here), which will go to press in December. Only NCEO members can preorder this; if you want to do so but aren't a member, then join first.
Pre-Publication Offer
If you order by Monday, December 1, you can preorder the 22nd edition as follows:
- The mimimum quantity is 100.
- The offer is open only to NCEO members.
- The per-book price is $3.50, discounted from the retail price of $9.99 for the nonmembers and $5.99 for members.
- You also will pay shipping (whatever the printing plant charges us to ship to you).
- We will invoice you after the books ship to you directly from the printing plant.
- You optionally may customize the cover with your logo and/or contact information, etc., in full color (see below for details). We charge an additional $295 for this, which covers the additional costs this incurs for us.
For details on the 22nd edition and on customizing your cover, see below.
How to Order
Contact Scott Rodrick at srodrick@nceo.org by December 1, and by sometime before that if you want to customize your cover. Scott will need:
(1) the quantity (100 or more);
(2) a shipping address (no PO boxes) with phone number; and
(3) the name, address, and email of the person to invoice after the books ship.
If you want a custom cover, Scott will need (4) your text and/or logo, as explained below.
You will not pay upfront because we will not know the exact quantity or shipping charge until the printing plant sends Scott the bill after the books ship in the first quarter of 2026 (probably by the end of January). We will bill you after that.
Need fewer than 100, or need some immediately?
You always can order the current edition at any time (so that would be the 21st edition at this time, and the 22nd edition after it is released in early 2026) without a customized cover. Just order from our website.
About the 22nd Edition
An Introduction to ESOPs has evolved over the decades from a stapled booklet to a perfect-bound 112-page (as of the new edition) book with an index. It is 6x9 inches in size. The 22nd edition has been revised and expanded for 2026, including various updates and additions to the text as well as a new section detailing the types of rules and guidance governing an ESOP and where they come from. As before, it features a detailed table of contents as well as an index.
Excerpts from the 22nd Edition
For a PDF of the entire cover, click here.
For a PDF of the title page, table of contents, chapter excerpts, and index, click here.
Customizing Your Cover
Please note: We must go through the entire process of obtaining your logo, producing a PDF of the proposed cover, and obtaining your approval before the December 15 order deadline, so if you want a custom cover, please email Scott Rodrick as soon as possible at srodrick@nceo.org.
You can have your name, logo, etc., printed on the front cover for an additional $295. Your information (text and/or logo) will appear under the heading Compliments of (see the image below). The cover is printed in full color (CMYK), so your information can be in full color.
If you want your logo printed on the cover, you must provide the logo (1) as a separate file (not placed in a Word document or pasted into the body of an email, for example) and (2) in high resolution, suitable for commercial printing (not a logo from a website, for example, or a JPEG, PNG, or GIF file, or such a file simply resaved in another format). Preferably, it will be a CMYK AI (Illustrator) or EPS file (or a CMYK TIFF in certain situations). Any AI or EPS file must have all text converted to curves/outlines. If all you have is a high-quality, high-resolution PNG, etc., file, we can work with that.
If you order a customized cover, we will email a PDF of how it looks, and we will not go to press until you are satisfied with the cover and have emailed your approval.
Custom cover quantities may vary slightly because the printing plant may, e.g., print 102, hoping to get 100 usable ones, and end up shipping, e.g., 99 or 101 usable ones; this is a standard printing practice. We will bill you for whatever the actual quantity is.
Table of Contents for the 22nd Edition
Introduction
Chapter 1: What Is an ESOP?
Chapter 2: Types of ESOPs and Their Financing
Chapter 3: ESOP Tax Incentives
Chapter 4: Uses of ESOPs
Chapter 5: Valuing the Company Stock
Chapter 6: ESOPs for S Corporations
Chapter 7: Contribution and Allocation Limits
Chapter 8: Employee Coverage and Entitlement to Benefits
Chapter 9: Distributing Proceeds to the Participants
Chapter 10: Fiduciary and Trustee Matters
Chapter 11: The Rights of ESOP Participants
Chapter 12: Is an ESOP Right for Your Company?
Chapter 13: Implementing and Administering an ESOP
Chapter 14: ESOP Sustainability: Keeping Your ESOP for the Long Term
Index
About the Author
About the NCEO
Questions?
Contact Scott Rodrick at srodrick@nceo.org.