From AudioFile
In a powerful memoir, a maverick manager tells how he overcame banking's rigid lending culture to create the electronic payment system we now know as VISA. His strategies for building trailblazing teams are illustrated by fascinating stories, all laced with insights that make the lessons vivid and understandable. The title suggests a broad, abstract agenda for the program--a history of how command and control organizations change into the organic systems required by today's non-linear organizations, organizations he calls "chaordic." But the program is more about the author's journey than the management transformation. It's a riveting story, read with profound understanding by one of today's best voices, a story of a well-lived life at the center of an important societal revolution. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine
In offering straightforward solutions to the looming environmental crisis, Bill McKibben has marched directly into the middle of a heated debate. Critics' personal beliefs and politics shaped their reviews, which described Deep Economy as, alternately, a "masterfully crafted, deeply thoughtful and mind-expanding treatise" (Los Angeles Times) and a "book-length sermon on what is wrong with the way we live" (San Francisco Chronicle). Some reviewers found McKibben's solutions practical and the author refreshingly unpretentious, while others considered his vision utopian and his attitude self-righteous. However, they did agree that McKibben writes compellingly—with warmth, sincerity, and a sharp sense of humor. His resolute hope for the future will resound with readers no matter where their loyalties lie. But will it change any minds?

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

Publishers Weekly
In the company The Republic of Tea, employees are "ministers" and its tea-buying customers are "citizens." Ministers Rubin and Gold (chairman and COO, respectively) bring the same quirky perspective to their new tome, a motivational handbook that wavers between cute and cloying. The main thesis is similar to that of any number of books designed to inspire budding entrepreneurs : people should be "one with their dream," and to achieve it, they must "sell the hell out of themselves." No surprises there, but at least the authors can write, and press ahead with their insistent brightness. The book briefly gets into more serious details-e.g., the relative advantages of setting up a sole proprietorship or a joint venture-but then returns to bland exhortations. The occasional jolts of Chinese philosophy (invoking classic texts like the I Ching and Tao Te Ching) and the authors' personal stories of their international search for fabulous teas are the (tea)pot's best ingredients. Other than that, the brew is somewhat weak.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Publishers Weekly
Eco-economic theory calls for harmony between our economy and natural resources. Our current, untenable, profit-focused economic model, says Brown (Building a Sustainable Society), depletes forests, oil, farmland, topsoil, water, atmosphere and species beyond a sustainable level. Brown, founding director of the Earth Policy Institute, uses the Sumerians as an antimodel: as the land was overworked, water sources eventually disappeared. And he uses forestry as a counterexample: forests secure land and store water, acting as natural dams. Logging delivers paychecks, but doesn't consider flood damage from tree loss. Eco-economists would say that the logger and the town, while temporarily profiting, pay more in the end in rising insurance costs, flood damage to homes and infrastructure, increased taxes and disaster relief funds. The goal, presented here in convincing detail, is to design a profitable economy that accurately reflects the social cost of abuse of resources. Brown suggests shifting "taxes from income to environmentally destructive activities, such as carbon emissions." Individuals and towns should receive tax breaks for deploying solar and wind-generated power. However receptive to Brown's excellent, sophisticated proposals, many readers will wonder how they can become reality; for eco-economics to work, all world leaders would need to agree on what makes practices environmentally unsound. (Nov. 5) Forecast: In light of the current administration's poor reputation for eco-concern and its withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol, Brown's book will do well among students, activists and the growing environmental movement. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Informatio

"Green Plans" provides an effective strategy to move from industrial environmental deterioration to postindustrial sustainability. Huey D. Johnson provides the first detailed and understandable examination of the theory, implementation, and performance of green plans in the Netherlands, Canada, and New Zealand. Plans being considered in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore, and the European Community are also discussed. Huey D. Johnson is founder and president of the Resource Renewal Institute in San Francisco.

From Library Journal
Financial consultant Brill and freelance writer Reder thoroughly discuss the concept of socially responsible investing, which involves the "channeling of personal, community, or workplace capital toward just, peaceful, healthy, environmentally sound purposes and away from destructive uses." Investments that can be considered for these purposes are discussed in detail; what is available, sources for information, and performance data for certain investments are provided. While Brill and Reder's investment philosophy is similar to Ritchie Lowry's Good Money: A Guide to Profitable Social Investing in the '90s ( LJ 5/1/91) , their book stands out because of its useful primer on investing and money management and glossary of terms. A good addition to any money management/investment collection.
- Steven J. Mayover, Free Lib. of Philadelphia
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher
The fact is that you can make money and make a difference at the same time! Now in paperback, this step-by-step guide answers all the financial basics and makes it easy to link your money with your values in a high-performance portfolio.

Includes:
- The philosophy and fascinating history that built SRI (socially responsible investing)
- An explanation of the visionary new framework of "Natural Investing"
- How to outperform the market and be a force for social change
- Shareholder activism and community investing
- Detailed information on socially responsible stocks, mutual funds, and bonds
- Stories, lists of funds and companies, worksheets, and scores of resources

Book Description
Written by two of the nation's leading experts on land conservation, Land Conservation Financing provides a comprehensive overview of successful land conservation programs -- how they were created, how they are funded, and what they've accomplished -- along with detailed case studies from across the United States.

The authors present important new information on state-of-the-art conservation financing, showcasing programs in states that have become the nation's leaders in open-space protection: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey. They look at key local land protection efforts by examining model programs in DeKalb County, Georgia; Douglas County, Colorado; Jacksonville, Florida; Lake County, Illinois; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Marin County, California; the St. Louis metro area in Missouri and Illinois, and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Book Description
Although an increasing number of organizations have embraced the idea of sustainability in the last decade, why do so many initiatives fail, leading to wasted resources, frustration and cynicism? Why have so few organizations successfully adopted more sustainable policies or practices? And when they do get launched, why do so many efforts plateau after a short time and fail to ascend to the next level of excellence? What process is required to create change within organizations to move them towards sustainability?

Because so few resources are available to answer these questions, Bob Doppelt spent three years researching how the leaders of both private and public organizations that have initiated and sustained significant sustainability programs designed and approached them. His findings, presented in this hugely readable book, will demystify the sustainability-change process by providing a theoretical framework and a methodology that managers can use to successfully transform their organizations to embrace sustainable development.

Book Description
Of value to business people, environmentalists, and educators alike, Mid-Course Correction is a business book about the enviornment that's written from a personal perspective. With passion and pride, Ray Anderson, Founder, Chairman and CEO of one of the world's largest interior furnishings companies, recounts his awakening to the importance of environmental issues and outlines the steps his petroleum-dependent company, Atlanta-based Interface, Inc., is taking in its quest to become a sustainable enterprise -- one that will never have to take another drop of oil from the Earth. Thought-provoking and thoughtful, Anderson's story is told from the heart.. .

Publishers Weekly
Hawken (The Ecology of Commerce) and Amory and Hunter Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, an environmental think tank, have put together an ambitious, visionary monster of a book advocating "natural capitalism." The short answer to the logical question (What is natural capitalism?) is that it is a way of thinking that seeks to apply market principles to all sources of material value, most importantly natural resources. The authors have two related goals: first, to show the vast array of ecologically smart options available to businesses; second, to argue that it is possible for society and industry to adopt them. Hawken and the Lovinses acknowledge such barriers as the high initial costs of some techniques, lack of knowledge of alternatives, entrenched ways of thinking and other cultural factors. In looking at options for transportation (including the development of ultralight, electricity-powered automobiles), energy use, building design, and waste reduction and disposal, the book's reach is phenomenal. It belongs to the galvanizing tradition of Frances Moore Lapp 's Diet for a Small Planet and Stewart Brand's The Whole Earth Catalog. Whether all that the authors have organized and presented so earnestly here can be assimilated and acted on by the people who run the world is open to question. But readers with a capacity for judicious browsing and grazing can surely learn enough in these pages to apply well-reasoned pressure. Charts and graphs, with accompanying CD-ROM. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

From Bookmarks Magazine
In The Botany of Desire (2001), about how people and plants coevolve, Michael Pollan teased greater issues from speciously small phenomena. The Omnivore's Dilemma exhibits this same gift; a Chicken McNugget, for example, illustrates our consumption of corn and, in turn, agribusiness's oil dependency. In a journey that takes us from an "organic" California chicken farm to Vermont, Pollan asks basic questions about the moral and ecological consequences of our food. Critics agree it's a wake-up call and, written in clear, informative prose, also entertaining. Most found Pollan's quest for his foraged meal the highlight, though the Los Angeles Times faulted Pollan's hypocritical method of "living off the land." Many also voiced a desire for a more concrete vision for the future. But if the book doesn't outline a diet plan, it's nonetheless a loud, convincing call for change.<BR>Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

"Paths to a Green World provides the most theoretically sophisticated and sustained study to date on the relationship between economic globalization and environmental well-being. Rather than write a diatribe, Clapp and Dauvergne present conflicting views on this relationship and, in doing so, call on each of us to appreciate the diversity of environmental thought and probe our own understandings to work humbly yet urgently for a more sustainable global future."
--Paul Wapner, School of International Service, American University

From the Publisher
A deep gap is growing between the promises of the new global capitalism and the reality of the social breakdown, inequality, insecurity, spiritual emptiness, and environmental destruction left in its wake. What went wrong, and why? In The Post-Corporate World, David C. Korten makes a well-documented case that the new global capitalism is delivering a fatal blow not only to life but to democracy and the market. But rather than simply presenting a doomsday scenario, Korten shows that it isn't too late for change. Drawing on the new biology and a growing understanding of living systems, the book argues that the most promising alternative is a world of healthy market economies that function as extensions of healthy local ecosystems to meet the needs of people and communities.

True to Our Roots sets forth the simple but powerful management principles that enabled Fetzer Vineyards under Paul Dolan to become one of America’s biggest and best-known wineries even as it was turning into a model for sustainable businesses everywhere. Today, Dolan and Fetzer are leading the California wine industry toward profound change in how wineries and grape growers preserve their environment, strengthen their communities, and enrich the lives of their employees, without sacrificing the bottom line. This is truly a management revolution in one of the most globalized, competitive industries on Earth.  

Filled with personal anecdotes and practical wisdom, this book offers inspiration and guidance to business managers who see the compelling need to build and grow healthy, sustainable organizations. For all readers, True to Our Roots provides both a fascinating glimpse into the California wine industry and heartening proof that business can do well by doing good.

From the Publisher
A deep gap is growing between the promises of the new global capitalism and the reality of the social breakdown, inequality, insecurity, spiritual emptiness, and environmental destruction left in its wake. What went wrong, and why? In The Post-Corporate World, David C. Korten makes a well-documented case that the new global capitalism is delivering a fatal blow not only to life but to democracy and the market. But rather than simply presenting a doomsday scenario, Korten shows that it isn't too late for change. Drawing on the new biology and a growing understanding of living systems, the book argues that the most promising alternative is a world of healthy market economies that function as extensions of healthy local ecosystems to meet the needs of people and communities.