5 comments about Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry.

1. This is a great book. It talks about the Photovoltaics industry in a way that avoids traditional cliches. The authors approach the subject from a strictly economic point of view, preaching the inevitability of "the Solar Revolution," and supporting it with a series of logical arguments. Props to the authors.



2. Great book. The problem is this technology requires fossil fuels in silicon raw materials and production. While newer solar thermal power may be better, cutting edge technology from companies like Nanosolar which use printing techniques and lighter thin surfaces for broad commercial use, will likely take lead.
   
   The simple economics and lower capital cost make it like to dominate alternative energy options.



3. What is unique about this solar proponent is that even without the usual social/environmental arguments, the author still makes a poignant, richly data-assisted projection that the paradigm energy shift from fossil fuel to solar power will be inevitable based on economic rewards and fossil fuel supply. In addition to the economic aspects he gives an overview of the main alternative energy sources.



4. This is a great read. Unlike many authors who've written about solar in relation to other forms of energy generation, Travis thoughtfully analyzes why solar will be a big part of the solution. He considers issues of changing energy costs, cleanup costs (carbon), and solar's declining costs in parallel with those. He explains why distributed generation will be increasingly important for energy delivery compbatibly with centralized generation. A compelling and thought-provoking book.



5. I think what sets this book apart from other literature about solar energy (or renewables in general) is that it seems the author has managed to separate emotion, political bias, environmental guilt-trips, and ulterior motives from the argument he's trying to establish - that solar energy dominance is inevitable. And no wonder - the author is said to have been a fund manager and corporate buyout specialist, which require discipline from one's own emotions to be successful. He manages to do this strictly on the principle of economics and self-interest, which if you think about it, are the primary drivers for market acceptance and policies.
   
   The book is very insightful, especially about the history of civilization and how energy figures into the picture (e.g. environmental problems forcing the Roman Empire to expand, Germany and Japan forced to make moves based on the lack of oil [I always wondered why Hitler chose to go for Russia when he nearly had Western Europe taken over and why Japan bombed Pearl Harbor when the US was mostly on the sidelines], etc.).
   
   I felt the author never strayed from the principle of economics and self-interest to establish his arguments throughout his book. Moreover, Bradford was very meticulous in providing references for the inquisitive reader to follow up on where there may be some doubt about where certain claims came from or who said what. I'm sure such details would've detracted from the main arguments of the book had they been explicitly integrated, which is why I suspect he had put in all those annotations in the first place.
   
   Indeed, all things considered, it's no wonder why I found Bradford's case for solar very convincing (and personally reassuring somewhat for our future).
   
   As for criticisms, I'm sure this book may have some flaws regarding certain assumptions that were made (though the author seemed to have done his best in being worst-case for solar by being very conservative with solar numbers while being very optimistic for status quo energy), but such is the nature of predictions. Besides, if all the information was readily available to make a bullet-proof argument for solar, it would've already been done. But we all know that there are political forces (mainly from Republicans) wanting to keep the status quo to protect their wealth, and they're stopping at nothing to ensure that's the case from misinformation, delays, or even going to war!
   
   I've read some of the critical reviews, and I question whether they're written by fossil-fuel apologists or Republican sympathizers who want us to remain dependent on some monopolizable form of energy (if not fossil fuels, then maybe nuclear, or some other centralized contrivance; all of which Bradford debunked, by the way).
   
   But seriously, read the book and see for yourself. And if you're real skeptical, follow up on his references and annotations of which there are plenty!

5 comments about Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying.

1. The book is very good and gives a lot of ideas to improve our lives and our planet in the process.



2. The book is a great addition to your library of David Bach books or as a stand alone book for anyone that is unfamiliar with David Bach's advice. I do not know of any other book on the market that combines environmentalism with creating personal wealth. Mr. Bach pulls it off nicely showing how living "green" causes one to quit over consuming and save money that can be invested for growth over the years. The book shows fifty quick and easy ways that living more simply will save you money while saving the earth. Whether it is saving $884 a year by getting a car with better gas mileage or $2,250 a year by bringing your lunch to work, you will be reducing Co2 emissions and trash into landfills. He also believes that green companies will be great investments in 21st century the way tech stocks were for the late 80's and 90's. I am an avid investor and stock trader but he introduced me to green mutual funds and ETFs that I had never heard of. His final piece of advice is to start your green business if you have a million dollar idea of how to do something better to save the earth. I am by no means an environmentalist or "Green", but I love to live frugally and simply, this book really made me think in ways that I have not in the past. I highly recommend reading this book to people interested in wealth building and to environmentalists (this is a new spin, a convenient truth:going green saves money). I am looking forward to David Bach's next book.



3. from the 3 books that I purchased is the one that I let a friend borrow so I have not see it jet, sorry



4. First I have to admit I did NOT purchase this title from Amazon. I bought it at a local used bookstore - where I buy most of the books I read. (If I can get it used I don't buy "new." - That's "green" ...right?)
   
   Now about the book. "Late to the party, much?" I can't believe the publication date on this is 2008. Where has the author been until now? Is he just cashing in on the most recent "green" movement? All the info in the book should be common knowledge by now...? Or have some people really not gotten the memo yet? Or perhaps this is aimed at the crowd who swallowed the line (promulgated by Limbaugh, et al) that climate change was a liberal myth? Now they're finally waking up to the new reality. Better late than never I suppose. The info is good - it's all (been) available elsewhere.
   
   One thing the author "could have" included on his list of green behaviors: Guys, get a vasectomy... all the environmental problems we face today (all of them) stem from one simple fact: over population, and American kids consume a vastly disproportionate share of global resources.



5. In the past 50 years we have lived a wasteful lifestyle. We throw lots of stuff into the landfills and use a lot of energy and fossil fuels. There has been a movement in favor of using our resources in a more thrifty manner, with the color green applied to this movement because it is the color of vegetation. We hear of all kinds of ways we can save the environment.
   
   Here is another one, with David Bach's "Go Green, Live Rich". He presents 50 different ways of living life in a more earth-friendly manner. Some examples include "Grow a Greener Lawn", "Switch to Compact Fluorescent Bulb", and "Upgrade to a Hybrid". Further, he provides a way you can calculate your planetary footprint.
   
   The biggest advantage of this book is the large number of references it gives. Everywhere you look there is a URL that you can access to find more about the subject. There is a list of references at the end of the book. Mr. Bach provides references for many of the statistics he provides us, so the book is well documented.
   
   I think the book would be improved if it had a table of contents so you can go quickly to the area you want. Some of the statistics tend to be hyperbolic. For example, Americans use 800 million gallons of gasoline in lawn mowers. Don't use huge illion numbers when a percentage gives a truer picture. In this case, 800 million gallons is around 19 million barrels of oil; since Americans use 8 billion barrels a year, this is 0.23% of the total. Although gasoline-powered mowers do use fossil fuels, they pale in insignificance compared to the usage in automobiles.
   
   Like most green endeavors, this book does not go far enough. In the future we simply will not have all these resources to use. His emphasis is on driving cars, maintaining lawn and so forth with less fossil fuels, even though we may not be able to drive at all when impending oil shortages occur. He talks in terms of pollution and global warming, when the running out of fossil fuels is by far a worse problem. Further, he advocates driving hybrids, using solar panels, and using CFLs without considering the possibilities of shortages of lithium, nickel, tellurium, indium, and other resources this might cause and the possibility of mercury pollution from CFLs. He does mention "Grow your own food", which some peak oil experts say will become necessary in the years ahead. But I think a slant towards living within our resource means and a warning about the impending fuel shortage would improve the book.
   
   This is an elementary book. He does not go into the details of solar panels, for instance, as to whether you have southern exposure, the dimensions required and so forth, for example.
   
   I still think this is a good book to get if you want to get started with living more within our planet's means.

3 comments about Strategies for the Green Economy: Opportunities and Challenges in the New World of Business.

1. With more than a dozen previous books, including "The Green Consumer", already on corporate and small-business bookshelves, Joel Makower has become a master green business analyst. This book draws on his knowledge and analytical skills, with market research assist from Cara Pike, and his talent for clear writing to provide business executives a set of insights they need in planning green strategies.
   Makower came onto the scene at about the same time that business was being shocked into dealing with stratospheric ozone damage from CFC emissions, and he has come to know the movers and shakers from all the communities engaged in greening over the years. This book looks forward, to show why corporate greening will endure (even if media's attention wanes), citing climate change as a major spur. He notes a parallel shift: the environmental movement morphing into the climate movement and business coping with carbon constraint linked to climate change.
   Problems for greening companies include a lack of standards by which to judge "how good is good enough", leaving the bar free to drift higher; an escalating investor intensity for companies to acknowledge, reduce and report on environmental risks (which I would connect with corporate governance influenced by climate change activism); and the erosion of "sustainability" as a green leadership characteristic.
   As he has done in his Greenbiz.com commentaries, Makower makes business choices easy to grasp. On energy use and climate change, he makes it simple: reduce the amount of energy used, buy more renewable-source energy, and remedy climate impact of even the renewables by moves such as carbon offsets.
   Business opportunity -- starting with GE's "green is green" -- and communications are focused through the perspectives of context, relevance and good, plain talk. Easy to read, well organized, with nearly 40 short chapters, this is Makower's best book yet for corporate C-suite green strategists.



2. Makower continues his leadership in the green business community with a terrific contribution in "Strategies". What I like best about Makower is his ability to make sustainability real and relevant. Real world examples from large companies help to elucidate some of the sustainability strategies, and why many companies are pursuing them, that help companies save money while doing well by the ecosystem at large.
   
   One of the most insightful and helpful contributions Makower makes in this book is his exploration of the green consumer. My feeling is that this has been one of the missing links for many companies in terms of going green. The green consumer segment, as Makower describes it, is incredibly diverse, with varying levels of commitment. Makower makes it easy for CEO's and middle managers alike to understand this growing, powerful, and sought-after target market. The group is well-connected, intelligent, skeptical, and highly loyal to their brands once their trust has been earned. Makower gives golden advice in terms of soliciting to this market but also stern warning against the types of activities that can alienate this group.
   
   Makower is brilliant and shows it throughout the book.



3. If you want to understand the challenges facing companies trying to sort out what it means to be "green" as they attempt to make sense of the competitive threats and opportunities at the intersection of business and the environment, Joel Makower's "Strategies for the Green Economy" is the right place to start. In this highly readable and engaging book, Joel chooses to not push an agenda but instead to expose just how difficult it is for businesses to devise a green strategy and execute against it. Rather than stepping away from the challenges, the book provides a foundation from which every business can consider their strategy and what it would mean for them to be green. With a wide array of examples from diverse industries, there's something for everyone to take away. If you're looking for an effective way to start the green dialogue at your company, this is a great place to start.

5 comments about The Coming Economic Collapse: How You Can Thrive When Oil Costs $200 a Barrel.

1. The investment advice is based on the assumption that the "coming economic collapse" will be like the recession in the 1970s. Pretty unlikely, given that the causes are totally different. He just wants us to buy gold - who needs his book to hear this?
   
   This is a simplistic book with little to recommend it.



2. This book has a lot of great info, particularly about economy and aspects of history that may be misunderstood, or may have been completely misrepresented to us. The book is also a relatively easy read. I read it about a year ago, which was actually a little late, but even now it is still a worthwhile investment.



3. I wish he saw the credit market collapse and subsequent bailout. I'm off topic, i know, sorry. Regarding oil, hind sight is 20-20. After reading the book i in summer '07 i went off to my CFA and got this take: oil prices are being fueled by speculators, in inflation adjusted numbers it's still less (even at $100 plus) then the spikes in the early 80's, Not to worry the price will come done. Now with oil at 90 plus (10/08), my CFA has proven correct at least in the short term.
   
   The book takes good sources, references, common sense, and some marketing license with the title and makes a good case. The author still sounds shrill. During the period of $140 plus, i went to the authors site expecting to get the i told you so and the get ready here it comes and here's what you can do...but NOTHING! So much for committment.
   
   Don't get me wrong, if nothing he has heightened my senses and i will keep a diligent eye towards the oil industry, international economies, government action and inaction. I think it has elevated everyones thinking and the should be the sole reason for reading this book.



4. I read this book based on a recommendation by someone who was bullish in investing in Gold. The financial crisis (2008) has also catapulted the author to a series of media interviews. As others have already observed, the actual investment advice came only in the last three chapters. Much of the book devoted to building up the author's credence in analysing past periods of high inflation and volatile investment environment in the 1970s. In light of the current financial crisis, some of the author's observation makes interesting reading.
   
   Here are some of the them,
   
   "Most authorities continue to reassure the public that today's soaring energy prices are temporary, that oil reserves are virtually limitless."
   
   "Most people don't realise how close the dot-com crash came to destroying the economy, the society, and the very fabric of our civilization came close to disintegrating."
   
   "... our leaders did the right thing and saved us from disaster by the rapid response from the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates to nearly zero."
   
   And these are just the first 10 pages from the book. Leeb made a big thing about not falling into "group think" and he was the lone voice in spotting the finite nature of oil reserves. The problem is, there is no evidence that national leaders or company CEOs think oil is limitless. That is a strange concept. To put things in perspective, the dot-com crash induced recession lasted only around 6 months and mostly limited to the US. The general market and the rest of the world escape relatively unscathed. The Feds' interest rates policy directly linked to the sub-prime crisis is even harder to defend. Interestingly, the author think because real estate was a sound investment in the 1970s, and think it will remain sound for some time.
   
   On the different in investment strategy during a volatile market, the author wrote, "a far more rewarding strategy in the 1970s was to sell shares at the market tops and buy them again at the start of the next rally." Oh, now I get it .... buy low and sell high. ;-)
   
   I am also uncomfortable with some of the scientific assertions in support of alternative energy investment. Leeb doesn't think nuclear energy has a future because nuclear waste management is a problem. Ignoring France is 75% nuclear powered, and waste management has been effectively managed for the past decades. Wind energy is the preferred solution to the energy crisis by the author. However, no base-loaded electricity requirement was mentioned. Wind energy can not provide base-loaded electricity. For readers interested in different energy alternatives, I recommend Beyond Oil: The View from Hubbert's Peak by Prof. Kenneth Deffeyes.
   
   Gold investment actually makes a lot of sense. However, the rise and fall of gold price goes beyond the law of Supply and Demand. The strength of the US dollars used in paying for commodity, including oil and gold. And the influence of hedge funds. Even accepting the soundness of gold investment as a long term strategy, the lack of inclusion of any debate of the US dollars and hedge funds diminishes any serious recommendation.



5. I bought the audio book version and was only able to listen to about half of it. I couldn't finish it as it repeated itself constantly.
   
   Basically what I have taken from the author is that every civilization and empire that has failed did so because of energy supply problems. Forget corruption, forget fiscal irresponsibility or anything else just chalk it up to energy supply issues. Conclusion is the collapse of the American Empire will be the result of energy supply issues.
   
   The author constantly repeats himself throughout the book and it makes it really hard to finish.

5 comments about The Clean Tech Revolution: The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity.

1. Hi,
   Please, i have not received the book i ordered, so can not offer any review now. Meanwhile, i leave in Stockholm,Sweden and want to buy books on Amazon and send to my friends on Nigeria, do you ship to Nigeria? I have to pay 50USD to ship the books(BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY) i bought last time and is not funny, to spend twice the cost of the book to send it home.
   
   Benjamin
   Reference 7788490



2. As a co-founder of the California Clean Tech Open and clean-tech marketer, I've spent significant time analyzing business plans for clean tech ventures. In "The Clean Tech Revolution", Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder do a good job at providing a summary overview of the current state of this very broad space,in terms of VC funding main themes. I found the "Smart Grid" and "Clean Tech Marketing" chapters particularly well done. However, the role of "Cleaner Coal" technologies shouldn't have been ignored. Indeed, coal remains a very important source of power generation in the US, China and India and its impact on GHG is extremely significant!



3. Excelente atención de parte de Amazon y el libro se observa bastante interesante. Hasta la lectura que llevo lo recomiendo ampliamente. Saludos
   
   José



4. I hope we do not attempt to abandon altruistic appeals and implement sin taxes as this book recommends. Sin taxes will cause backlash. Cap and trade - yes, carbon taxes - maybe, but sin taxes - no way.
   
   On the other hand Pernick and Wilder have compiled a nice reference for green investors.



5. This is a decent book with a useful catalog of the major activities and the major players in the clean-tech space. However, I was less than satsified with the quality of the research and the writing. I am willing to believe that the author's premise (when they introduce the potential of various technologies that they talk about) is true. But, because the premise is backed by little or no "solid" research that clearly draws out a defendable cause-and-effect relationship, I am not willing to believe that the authors' premise is true.

5 comments about The End of Food.

1. I agree this is among the very best of this century's "Declinist Literature". Although the author covers a lot of problematic ground, from avian flu to bioengineering to obesity, what sticks with me the most is his urgent Cassandra alarm about the looming danger of worldwide famine.
   Those who poo poo Roberts as "Malthusian" should read more carefully the section with Malthus, who was writing his doomsday predictions at a time when the whole New World still lay there rich in topsoil, ripe for takeover by millions of starving European farmers. Sure, Malthus was proven wrong - at that time - but he would've been correct if the New World hadn't been quickly deforested/deprairied and farmed to feed teeming Europe. There is no frontier left, (the Amazon is the last big frontier left on Earth to be cleared and farmed, and we all know about that grim scenario),everywhere soils are massively depleted and threatened by flood, pests and drought from climate change, while our addiction to natural gas derived fertilizer is a recipe for major famines when the pipelines are cut off by war or peak oil. There is little water left in China, India and many other regions, which - as Roberts shows - import water indirectly in the form of grain from those that still have water. But anway, how is it "Malthusian" to point out rationally that fecund soil has peaked all over the Earth?
   Recommended to go with it is Eating Fossil Fuels: Oil, Food and the Coming Crisis in Agriculture
   Perhaps Roberts was hastily edited or not edited(for example, "eighteen hundred years ago" instead of "eighteen thousand years" in the section on Cro Magnon diet. Yet readers should realize that many major publishers no longer use copy editors and sometimes agents without training in editing are now asked to do the job without pay, so get used to errors and typos).



2. This is a most thoght-provoking book. I was introduced to it through an interview with the author on NPR and was intrigued because he had written The End of Oil a few years ago and was pretty much spot on about what has transpired. Food - its production, consumption, history, etc. - is so well-covered in this book that I can never, ever think about food in the same light, or not think about it for that matter.



3. The End of Food follows on Paul Roberts' End of Oil. Ok, so this guy seems to be finding a lot of ends of things, so isn't this just an exaggeration? Sadly, no.
   
   With the same comprehensive, reportorial style as his fantastic The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World, Roberts delivers a compelling and chilling view of where things are headed in the world of the food all of us eat every day. Nuances, details, linkages and causalities are all explored dispassionately and fairly.
   
   You might think of this book as just another apocalyptic view of the world. There are plenty of dark views to be had on the bookshelf, to be sure. But End of Food is as complete, solid and factual as End of Oil.
   
   I read End of Oil when it came out in 2005. Many of its observations, predictions, and revelations, were dismissed by many as overblown and sensational. Some were difficult to understand and accept. But three and a half years later, his observations are widely accepted.
   
   End of Food has the same quality -- one can hardly complete this book without having a deep and important understanding of one of the most basic elements of the human race. This is a must-read book for anyone who would like to peek into the future -- and take some actions now that will benefit not just the environment, but your health and well being.
   
   Roberts has done it again.



4. Just to echo other reviews. Food has been too easy over the last few decades. Be prepared for the problems in the near future.



5. This book is an investigation of the modern industrial food economy. Roberts came to the topic with a long-standing interest in economics, which is reflected throughout the book. The book is divided into three sections, covering the history of industrial food production, the problems that such a food system brings about, and possible alternatives or improvements for future food production. Roberts considers a wide range of topics, from rising populations in need of more food to environmental degradation to genetic engineering. Sources are cited with endnotes listed by chapter at the end of the book.
   
   Roberts takes the history of our food economy all the way back to Australopithecus, and he argues for the evolutionary advantages of adding meat to the diet. He traces the development of agriculture and seed selection, and compares improvement in agricultural yield to increases in population, noting that population growth always outstrips growth in agricultural yield, which results in declining nutrition. In the modern food economy, he notes that producers now need to resort to added value in order to increase profitability, and he examines the changes this approach has brought about in our relationship with food.
   
   Roberts' description of the problems brought about by our global food economy is quite chilling. He comments "the cheapness of Chinese food is a reflection of the billions of dollars that have yet to be spent on improved safety." He goes on to write "Because our global industrialized food system is now so tightly integrated and interdependent, so reliant on the constant flows of material between regions and the ceaseless transactions among input industries, producers processors, and distributors, there is no longer the possibility of discrete failure: a collapse in one part of the system will have extraordinary ramifications for everyone else."
   
   Roberts considers both sides of the genetically modified foods, discussing some of the problems with genetically modified seed escaping into the wild and the loss of genetic diversity that goes along with the concentration of food seed suppliers, but he also argues that measures as extreme as genetic engineering may be necessary in order to supply food for future populations. He examines the local foods movement and finds it unrealistic as a solution for addressing environmental problems, since he feels it is unrealistic for concentrated urban areas to rely on solely local food suppliers, or potentially unhealthy if animals are raised in close proximity to crowded urban centers (because of the risk of potent viral diseases jumping species). Roberts sees the food economy as being endangered, at risk of catastrophic collapse from a variety of stresses. Even after reading the book, I'm not quite convinced that a food disaster is looming, but the issues he explores are well worth being informed about.

5 comments about The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability.

1. The ideas presented are excellent, logical, and thought provoking!!!
   The book was sometimes hard for me to follow due to less than complete information. It is dull at times. The author is no Thomas Friedman.



2. The Bridge at the Edge of the World, by James Gustave Speth, is begins with an excellent review of the depth and immediacy of the environmental crisis that faces humanity. The initial graphs give a clear and sobering pictorial representation of the the growing calamity. Paper use, water consumption, species extinction, ozone depletion, CO2 concentration - all of these are on the rise along with our increasing population.
   
   Speth lays out the argument that our overuse of the finite resources of the planet is driven by our increasing population and our economic systems which reward expansion. His descriptions and explanations are solid and well-referenced.
   
   After laying out the problems, Professor Speth reviews some potential solutions. I was intrigued to read about "Promoting the Well-Being of People and Nature" rather than a continuing along our current paradigm of promoting the interests of huge corporations.
   
   Speth proposes changing the fundamental legal frameworks that regulate corporations, thus making them more accountable to the long-term needs of the citizenry and generations to come. This is a fairly radical idea, but the author lays out his arguments very clearly and with deep support.
   
   Still furthering his discussion of solutions, Speth discusses "a new consciousness" that we could achieve to view each other and our planet's resources in a whole new way. This discussion could have turned into new-age drivel, but Speth manages to keep the discussion rational and he reviews several examples of movements which have succeeded - e.g. the antislavery movement of the mid-1800s in the US and the civil rights movement in the same country.
   
   In summary, this is a dense and far-ranging book. Unlike many other current environmental books, Speth points an accusing finger at capitalism as a major contributor to our crisis. He ends, though, with a thoughtful review of some potential solutions and pathways to avoid our drift into the abyss.



3. The view from the Bridge at the Edge of the World is inspiring. Dean Speth offers hope if you are willing to work hard to make the world a better place for humans and all other life. He challenges the cultural values that lead us to avarice and greed and insists that we can do better, we can do much better. We can rise up to become proper stewards of the Earth.
   
   As a four decade environmentalist he is disappointed with the limited successes of the environmental movement. The movement has not even held its ground though it has won a few hard-fought battles. Dean Speth is a lawyer and educator who is dedicated to keeping humans from fouling the planet so that it is no longer viable to life as we know it. His foes have been greedy capitalists and corrupt politicians. He raises an important question about America, are we more in love with democracy or more in love with capitalism. The United States Constitution honors democratic rule but does not place the capitalist dogma above democracy.
   
   I agree with Dean Speth that this is a tough battle facing those who desire to change our values so we again love democracy as much as we did during the Revolutionary War. Speth suggests that those who cannot see the view from his imaginary bridge are unable to see the best future available for humanity. Those who cannot see this view are destined to continue along the path that is now destroying the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil that grows our food. Those without the vision to see from this bridge are taking us down a dangerous path that spells catatrophic results.
   
   Purchase this book. Study the extensive footnotes. Give a copy to a friend who also loves democracy more than capitalism.



4. Speth provides a critique of western social, economic and political models. While explaining the very real dangers of sustaining the present trend what is even more important is his ability to convey hope and a vision of what we might be able to achieve rather than mere doom-saying and. This is an important lesson critics of all political stripes need to learn - its not enough to warn of the impending disaster, its a vision of the future and how to get there that is the stuff that political change is made of. Martin Luther King Jr. nailed this when he offered up the phrase: "I have a dream ..." Speth also has a dream and he provides a rational, workable way to achieve it.



5. An Ivy League dean trained as a lawyer, James Gustave Speth lays out evidence to show that life on this planet is being pushed to an end. Marshalling sobering facts, he illustrates how humankind has taxed the Earth's resources beyond its capacity to regenerate. By creating a culture that worships consumption, capitalism has combined with political self-interest and misguided policies to hasten the environment's demise. An international community of scientists has provided staggering proof of global warming, yet U.S. political leaders have denied the problem and delayed action. Speth worked to protect the environment within the bureaucracy's sanctioned processes for years, but he now concludes that the environmental movement launched in the 1970s is a failure. He urges citizens and leaders to readjust their priorities. He also advocates public policies that provide financial incentives for sustainable practices, and says governments should hold corporations accountable for the true environmental costs of their products. getAbstract recommends this book to readers who are interested in economics and social trends, and who want their great-grandchildren to live here - on this planet.

5 comments about The Ecology of Commerce.

1. This isn't an easy read. Lot of technical info but read it and re-read it. It may just be what America needs.



2. I don't even know how to begin describing how great this book is. It should be required reading for EVERYBODY on the planet. I learned about this book while watching the documentary, "The Corporation," and I'll have to admit, I wasn't expecting anything revolutionary in this book. I thought I'd be getting some interesting pictures and statistics relating to consumption, recycling, landfills, global warming...pretty much your standard environmental rhetoric (of which I'm a subscriber) to complement what I already know. What I got, however, was so much more. This book is not only about the environment, but about how the environment integrates with global business and economics. For some reason, the 'developed' world has created a disconnect between the environment and business. Hawken shows how the two are inextricably connected, and in order to guarantee a successful future for us, our children and all life on earth, business and the environment must work harmoniously and each stop being the bane of the other.
   
   His metaphor for business IS the environment: everything in nature is cyclical, which brings maximum efficiency. Nothing is more efficient than the natural world: one organism's waste is another organism's life source. If business would approach operations and resources from this perspective, waste would not be 'waste' and the benefits of increased efficiency would permeate throughout all life and systems. His metaphor is very simple but exceedingly beautiful, and only becomes more so as Hawken goes in-depth with concrete examples and further exploration of all issues from both sides. Throughout reading this book, I was continuously floored by his analysis, his insight and his prescription for the future.
   
   And a note about his prose: every sentence reflects structurally the economies and efficiencies it conveys ideologically. This man is concise and his style is powerful - every word packs a punch. He says so much with so little, maximizing the time spent in our reading investment. Clearly, I have nothing but the highest praise for Hawken and this book - it is truly visionary.



3. Looking for a book to explain how capitalism and environmentalism can coincide? This is it.
   For years we've been led to believe that if we want progress and technology advances we should learn to accept there's a price---> pollution. Mega-Corporates keep polluting our world, poisoning the water we drink and the air we breathe, destroying habitats so thoroughly that our children will probably only see wild animals at Zoos. And it's all done in the name of progress.
   Paul Hawken proves the concept of progress=pollution to be very wrong. He demands that companies cut their energy consumption by 80 percent and then use the money they save for research to help find better clean sources of energy. He demands companies reduce their waste and not simply dump it. He demands companies think of what they're doing to our world and not just the bottom line. He even thinks they can make money this way. He suggests a new, more moral way of doing business.
   A very thought provoking book raising many very tough questions about the way companies today run their businesses. A must read for anyone interested in environmental issues and the business world.



4. Paul Hawken's book "The Ecology of Commerce" is one of those books one never forgets because it changes the way you think. I first read this book back when it came out in 1994 and just re-read it.
   
   The author doesn't squawk about how bad humans are, but rather offers a sensible, deliberate perspective on how we can change our economic systems to accommodate our relationship with the rest of Nature.
   
   To avoid being an ignorant, knee-jerk reacting activist ( or at least deciding to go down that route) read this book!



5. I'm pretty sure that after you've read this book, you'll feel the way I do: that this in the one book that everyone in the world should read. If there is a more eye-opening book on the same topic than this one out there, I have yet to read it, but it doesn't matter. That's because this book will do a sufficiently good job at shedding our ignorance about the most important, most dangerous issues of our time. It shows the very roots of the problems surrounding our treatment of the environment, not only from a scientific perspective, but from the perspective of what is fundamentally, intrinsically wrong with how our whole society is arranged, on a multitude of levels (not only commerce as the title implies). It shows exactly why inaction has been the status quo until now. It also shows the real nightmare-inducing dangers of continuing business as usual regarding how we treat the environment, on a scientific level. This doesn't mean that it's a book purposely architected to incite fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is simply one of the most profound, honest, right-to-the-point accounts of the problem facing us.
   
   How do I know this? I don't. Therefore I'll now set off on a mission to read all of the other books by Amory Lovins and Paul Hawken, and possibly other books of the same caliber and on the same topic, and then decide if I want to revise this review, but I'm rather confident I won't have to :-)
   
   I don't really want to allude to the content of the book in further detail, since anything not akin to stellar praise would not do it justice. What I can merely tell you is that you won't be disappointed by reading it. In fact, you will be enthralled by coming across a such an excellent verbalization of what has been bothering you all along.

5 comments about Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History Is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World.

1. Some of my friends found this book really inspiring. I tend to look for things like detailed and balanced analysis of issues, in-depth descriptions of the work of political groups, and sophisticated understanding of the way in which voluntary organizations interact with elite politics and economic factors. This book is weak on all of those - but it DOES have a lot of inspirational rhetoric.



2. First, the book promoted me to think about what the social change would have been in the past for different cultures if it was carried out in peace.
   
   To help you understand what I mean, let me elaborate a little. With technology breakthrough, the whole planet is becoming smaller and thus different cultures come closer to each other. A lot of collision happened when different cultures "discovered" each other. In reality, it had been a very bloody history. In the past, you won if you were better at killing people. The history of mankind was mostly driven by this force. Because this destructive force was so dominant, other peaceful forces (for example the force of knowledge or skills) cannot be fully functioning. That is why we don't need any war, and we should live by peace. Thus I try to imagine how the history would have been if people had dealt with each other peacefully when different cultures came closer to each other.
   
   In peace time, history is driven by the real essential human needs. And it is from grassroots level, instead of being dictated by a few people (who get the power by being better at killing people). Imagine how different cultures (the Native Americans, the Africans, the east, the west) might have communicated and learned from each other if all the changes are happening during peace time. (The Native Americans' agriculture society don't have t be totally destroyed.) It is too bad that we went through a very bloody period when different cultures encountered each other. I believe it is possible for different cultures to learn from each other and adapt for its own interest if people are empowered (instead of letting the direction of the history being dictated by a few people who are just better at killing other people).
   
   In this sense, Internet and web are helping making the peaceful force more powerful.
   
   How this implies for China's current social change? China is now going through a process of modernization. This process, for a large part, is also a process of westernization. Although you can say the process is mostly happening under peace (for example, there is no war), in reality non-peaceful force is still dominant in the society, thus preventing real peaceful forces from functioning. For example, let individuals decide what is best for themselves, what they want to learn. In this sense, it is not about eastern or western. It is about how to live better as a human being.
   
   Other than these thoughts this book provoked, here are some good things I noted down about the book when I was reading along.
   
   The book takes a more holistic view, treating the whole planet as an organism. This is very right. And I regard this as a self-reflection of the western culture.
   
   The book uses biology as its major inspiration and draws a lot of analogies between human society and biology. This certainly should be appreciated. When I was studying biology, I was always fascinated by the wonder of nature and its implication for human being's social life. For example, there are many kinds of cells in the body. What kind of cell a cell becomes is totally dependent on the environment it is in and all the stress and stretch that is applied to the cell.
   
   The book pointed out the PLAYING is what this is about. (page 187). "Play is infinite game. Competition is finite game." It is a weird way to put it, and really not very logical. But anyway.
   
   It also points out LOVE too, saying this should be what human life is about.
   
   I think he should add BEAUTY too. Playing, love, and beauty are the kind of forces that I referred above as the peaceful forces.
   
   In general, I don't feel this book is deep enough. It is kind of a mess in its logic. There are a lot of numbers, but not much making sense of the numbers. However, it would be useful to get to know some events that happened in each movement and some names of the people. The book is more like a summary of thoughts and ideas instead of providing something new, a coherent view or framework. I had expected more.
   
   For people who work in the same field, this book should provide a lot of info that you can look into to help build a complete picture. There are a lot of useful information in this book, and this book shouldnot be overlooked.
   
   I would give this book 3.5. But considering it touching such an important topic, I will give it 4 to encourage more people to read such kind of books.



3. Really a three minus... I have a good vocabulary but still found I required a dictionary close at hand to make it through this book. Although there is much good information here, it can be read in a number of other books that are more accessible and deliver the data in a more concise manner. I love exact words and have no problem with learning more, but when used more to impress than elucidate, as it seems here, I am underwhelmed.
   
   And who said "no one saw it coming?" I find that underwhelming hyperbole - maybe Paul failed to see it coming, and maybe he is in the majority, but it is preposterous to slam those who toil in these fields with that broad brush. Some activists have worked consciously to support and even create the blessed unrest that Paul purport's to announce to us as invisible. This problem continues through the length of the book: what Paul describes as a hidden phenomena and unabashedly rips away the veil for us, the supposed blind, might be HIS epiphany, but it is not universal. Paul has discovered a true thing of beauty, it's just several years after the fact. (Do not misread me: This IS a beauteous and wonderful thing and it IS exciting and we DO need to acknowledge we are on the very lip of an abyss that needs our attention NOW. I do not quarrel with this.)
   
   I review books for Touch the Soil magazine (touchthesoil.com) and so I wade through a number of books in this general genre monthly. Blessed Unrest is the kind of work that belongs on reference shelves everywhere because the catalog of organizations he has compiled is a marvelous snapshot in time. But it is not 'required reading.' Nor did I find it compelling reading.
   
   The web of connections made in this book IS lovely. He does have some points to make; it is not a worthless book, nor do I believe the author consciously misleads. I believe however that you can find the same information in other books (which are authored by writers who presumably saw 'it' coming) and are a much better read.
   
   If you want vocabulary, however...
   
   david



4. All that is good, all that is kind, all that brings about social progress: these are recounted in Paul Hawken's latest book. The stories of activists, alone, in groups, scattered over the world, are fascinating and well told. Who can argue with Hawken's view that "the world is a system, and it will soon be a very different world, driven by millions of communities who believe that democracy and restoration are grassroots movements that connect us to values we hold in common"? Hawken impressively lays out his case that "grace, justice and beauty" are advanced by humans who are, in the publc good, directly and indirectly attacking establishments. Especially impressive is his version of the Rachel Carson story, presented by the author as a morality tale--the intelligent, focused, painfully suffering, ultimately dying woman, a lone writer, a crusader, a quiet scientist who takes on the chemical industry to save wildlife and humans from pesticides. It's a moving story. My problem with the book is that the salient theme running through these stories is that economic enterprise (especially industrial enterprise) is the bane of human existence.
   At one point in this slim volume (half the book is an Appendix of terms and scattered thoughts), Hawken provides two lists. The "list of companies and agencies that legally or illegally impose their will on indigenous cultures" runs for four pages. A listing of "organizations promoting environmental and social justice" covers another couple of pages. Climate change, poverty, disease, and environmental degradation are cited as threats ignored by enterprise and "the secret intelligence community." Bad versus good. Cold cases rewarmed by Hawken, whose earlier works (Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution--done with the Lovins--or The Ecology of Commerce) were less morally pedantic, fresh and so much better than this book.



5. 
   The book arrived in a very timely fashion and in very good condition. Thanks!

5 comments about The Better World Shopping Guide - 2nd Edition: Every Dollar Makes a Difference.

1. Anyone who is working on being a better consumer with a social conscience will benefit from this very helpful book. After I read and used it, I gave copies to three friends. Two of them now take the book shopping with them as they try to make better purchasing choices.



2. Easy to use guide. I gave away 5 as gifts. Small enough to have in your purse or pocket when you want to make a conscious decision on buying from companies that do a better job of improving the way we live. It does not have everything I shop for but it proved to be helpful. The A-F grading of companies is helpful and the book has links to doing more research if you are interested.



3. I have to admit I'm feeling a little bit evil and trecherous for not giving such a great book and excellent concept a five-star review, but I will explain.
   
   I am a long-time vegetarian and long-time environmentalist. I have been following Dr. Jones' "vote with your wallet" concept for many, many years (more than I care to admit), and I firmly believe that our voice is most greatly amplified when we speak daily from our role as consumer.
   
   The GREAT thing about this book is that it is a concise, easy-to-carry, easy-to-consult-on-the-fly score card for most everything you might want to buy, from just about every company you can buy it from, and even from most of the places you'd be buying it. If you're already a well-informed green shopper and you have some experience with the politics of responsible consumption, then this is, indeed, a five-star book.
   
   The downside to the book is that in order to make it a "pocket guide," it contains very little background information or explanation for why a particular company received the score they did. If you're new to the concept and find lots of your favorite products are getting Ds and Fs, then you are left almost on your own to find out why. (Of course, I'm all for doing your own research!) There are SOME explanations, but it's just not possible to detail the myriad reasons for corporate irresponsibility in a 177-page pocket-sized book.
   
   There IS a web site for the book, but I don't think it's been updated for the second edition of the book, and it has very limited functionality. There is no search function, for example, and if there are details about specific company scores, I couldn't find them.
   
   An example: I need some new pajamas. I have always liked shopping at Marshalls, not only because of the good prices and selection, but because I feel like my consumer dollar means less there---whatever I buy is usually past-season and is no longer part of the mainstream consumer chain. However, I checked my Better World Shopping Guide (page 134, Retail Stores) and find, much to my dismay, that Marshalls ranks a D minus! However, because they aren't the worst company on the page (that dishonor goes to Wal-Mart), there's nothing on the detail page to explain why Marshalls did so poorly.
   
   I went to the web site and looked for nearly 15 minutes, and I still couldn't find anything to explain what a retail store had to do to rank a D minus. In fact, the listing under Retail Stores is from the first edition of the book, and Marshalls isn't even on the list. The small-print explanation beneath the chart discusses only how the data is collected and processed, and not WHY the companies received the grades they did. Since there's no search function, either, I couldn't simply type in "marshalls" and hope to find the answer to my question.
   
   We NEED books like this, and we need people and organizations who can help us, the average consumer, understand how large corporations operate in relation to our world.
   
   Big companies like Philip Morris (the world's largest tobacco company, who owns Kraft, Nabisco, and a few hundred other brands) don't make it easy for consumers to link their brands with the parent company. Lots of people, even you maybe, would be surprised to know that something as seemingly innocent as buying an all-American favorite like Kraft Mac & Cheese helps Big Tobacco's bottom line.
   
   Even the grocery manager at my local Whole Foods didn't know that Back To Nature was a Kraft Foods holding when I asked him why Whole Foods Market even carries it and currently has the whole brand on store-wide sale. I've got the same question in to Whole Foods' corporate customer service, but I haven't gotten my answer yet.
   
   I LOVE this book and will continue to carry it in my purse every time I go shopping, and will continue to consult it before every shopping trip (like today). However, what's missing is adequate back-up information for new users and for those of us who want to know WHY we're doing what we're doing. I wouldn't mind if the back-up was on the web site and not in the book itself, but it's not easy to find anywhere, and I don't think that's a good idea when your goal is to educate consumers to make better decisions. I also think that most people who buy a book like this are, by nature, the kind of people who ask the same questions I'm asking, and who want to know the facts.
   
   I'm looking into The Better World Handbook to see if that is a recommended companion, so maybe the answers to my questions are there.



4. This book is awesome! It is extremely helpful for becoming a smarter, more conscious shopper. I have used it many times already and have learned things about retailers and manufacturers that I never knew! Like how many of the major ones are "corporate" villains! I recommend this to everyone.



5. A fabulous concept, gives some lowdown on MAJOR name brands and companies, but really lacks most of the brands and companies I typically shop. Although it does give a website to visit to find more reviews, I don't carry an internet connection in my pocket, although I'm sure a lot of people do. Also some of the content seems almost contradictory... such as listing Burt's Bees as an A- brand for "body care" even though it is owned by Clorox, which is rated as an F, and tagged as a corporate villain. This would be a great gift for someone JUST entering the "green" mindset.