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Blessed Unrest
How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
by Paul Hawken (Author)

From Booklist
*Starred Review* The profusion of good causes and the nonprofit groups that advance them can seem laughably overwhelming, but without altruistic grass-roots efforts, the world would be a far less merciful place. Environmentalist Hawken believes that we are in the midst of a world-changing rise of activist groups, all "working toward ecological sustainability and social justice." Rather than an ideological or centralized movement, this coalescence is a spontaneous and organic response to the recognition that environmental problems are social-justice problems. Writing with zest, clarity, and a touch of wonder, Hawken compares this gathering of forces to the human immune system. Just as antibodies rally when the body is under threat, people are joining together to defend life on Earth. Hawken offers a fascinating history of our perception of nature and human rights and assesses the role indigenous cultures are playing in the quest for ecological responsibility and economic fairness. Hawken also presents an unprecedented map to this new "social landscape" that includes a classification system defining astonishingly diverse concerns, ranging from farming to child welfare, ocean preservation, and beyond. Fresh and informative, Hawken's inspired overview charts much that is right in the world. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
 

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Deep Economy
The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future
by Bill McKibben (Author)

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.
 

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Dragon Spirit
How to Self-Market Your Dream--A Zentrepreneur's Guide
by Ron Rubin, Stuart Avery Gold

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.
 

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Eco Barons
The Dreamers, Schemers, and Millionaires Who Are Saving Our Planet
By Edward Humes

From Publishers Weekly

Pulitzer Prize–winner Humes (Mississippi Mud) profiles a band of idealistic environmentalists devoting their lives and fortunes to protecting nature, including such tycoons as Doug Thompson, the founder of fashion house Esprit, who now spends his millions buying up thousands of acres of land to create nature preserves, and Roxanne Quimby, creator of the cosmetics giant Burt's Bees, who is purchasing huge tracts of forests in Maine woods to trump the real estate investor's visions of resorts, golf courses and suburban homes on clear-cut lands. But other barons are more David than Goliath. The Center for Biological Diversity, a cash-strapped nonprofit founded by an owl expert, scientist and mystic and a former engineering student turned philosopher, is responsible for the recent campaign to fight climate change by protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act. Engineering professor Andy Frank has spent 20 years battling a recalcitrant [auto] industry and confused policy makers to produce an affordable, plug-in hybrid car. Readers concerned with conservation will appreciate this optimistic if starry-eyed introduction to these little-known giants of the environmental movement.  Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Eco-Economy
Building an Economy for the Earth
By Lester Brown

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 Information
 

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Ecology of Place, The
Planning for Environment, Economy, and Community
by Timothy Beatley (Author), Kristy Manning (Author)

The Ecology of Place, Timothy Beatley and Kristy Manning describe a world in which land is consumed sparingly, cities and towns are vibrant and green, local economies thrive, and citizens work together to create places of eduring value. They present a holistic and compelling approach to repairing and enhancing communities, introducing a vision of "sustainable places" that extends beyond traditional architecture and urban design to consider not just the physical layout of a development but the broad set of ways in which communities are organized and operate. Chapters examine:

• the history and context of current land use problems, along with the concept of "sustainable places"

• the ecology of place and ecological policies and actions

• local and regional economic development

• links between land-use and community planning and civic involvement

• specific recommendations to help move toward sustainability
   

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Fifth Discipline, The
The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization
by Peter M. Senge (Author)

From Publishers Weekly

A director at MIT's Sloan School, Senge here proposes the "systems thinking" method to help a corporation to become a "learning organization," one that integrates at all personnel levels indifferently related company functions (sales, product design, etc.) to "expand the ability to produce." He describes requisite disciplines, of which systems-thinking is the fifth. Others include "personal mastery" of one's capacities and "team learning" through group discussion of individual objectives and problems. Employees and managers are also encouraged to examine together their often negative perceptions or "mental models" of company people and procedures. The text is esoteric and flavored with terms like "recontextualized rationality," but the book should help inventory-addled retailers whom the author cites as unaware of their customers' desire for quality. Macmillan Book Clubs selection. 
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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The Great Turning
From Empire to Earth Community (BK Currents)
by David C. Korten (Author)

Danny Glover, Activist and Actor
"An epic work. Exposes the myths that divide us and frames the stories that can bring us together."

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Green Plans
Greenprint for Sustainability (Our Sustainable Future)
by Huey D. Johnson

"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.

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Inquiries Into the Nature of Slow Money
Investing as if Food, Farms, and Fertility Mattered
by Woody Tasch

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Investing From The Heart
The Guide to Socially Responsible Investments and Money Management
by Jack A. Brill

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.
 

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Investing with your Values
Making Money and Making a Difference
By Hal Brill, Jack A. Brill and Cliff Feingenbaum

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

Author Biography: The authors are dedicated financial activists who have had a long involvement with SRI. Hal Brill and Jack Brill have been values-based investment consultants for ten years. Cliff Feigenbaum is the editor of GreenMoney Journal. Hal Brill lives is Paonia Colorado; Jack Brill lives in San Diego, California; and Cliff Feigenbaum lives in Spokane Washington. All three authors have been interviewed extensively on radio, TV, and print
 

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Land Conservation Financing
by The Conservation Fund, Mike McQueen, Edward T. McMahon

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.

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Leading Change Toward Sustainability
A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society
by Bob Doppelt

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.

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Mid-Course Correction
By Ray C. Anderson

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.. .

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Natural Capitalism
Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
By Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins

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.
 

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Natural Step for Business, The
Wealth, Ecology and the Evolutionary Corporation
By Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare

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.
 

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Natural Step Story, The
Seeding a Quiet Revolution
By Karl-Henrik Robert foreword by Ray C. Anderson

Few organizations have been as influential as The Natural Step in empowering and inspiring people to design a more sustainable world. In The Natural Step Story, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt describes first hand the evolution of the Natural Step framework comprised of four system conditions essential for the maintenance of life on Earth, together with a robust methodology for how to apply them strategically. Adopted by a growing number of major companies, universities and municipalities, The Natural Step is about improving sustainable economic performance through more devotion to social and ecological sustainability than one's competitors - rather than in spite of it. The Natural Step Story will appeal to all with a passion for sustainability, including business leaders, academics, journalists, activists, and students.

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Necessary Revolution, The
How individuals and organizations are working together to create a sustainable world.
by Peter M. Senge (Author), Bryan Smith (Author), Sara Schley (Author), Joe Laur (Author), Nina Kruschwitz (Author)

Review
Review: A "Senge is best know for The Fifth Discipline ... this book is far better: it is better written and more powerful. On the evidence presented here, the case for business sustainability is overwhelming. Although the authors never say so directly, it seems clear that the business case for sustainability is so strong that the personal beliefs of the CEO and the board do not really matter. Even the most adamant climate-change denier must recognise where the market is going. Forget the environment: this is business. ... Their arguments are compelling and there are plenty of examples of businesses already leading the way. A "The Financial Times An interesting and important contribution to the burgeoning literature on the implications of climate change for business. Senge and his co-authors have produced an excellent volume, which deserves to find a place on the shelves of any thoughtful manager. The book is an example of what is is about, since it is both innovative and radical. "Lord Anthony Giddens, professor emeritus at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance and the London School of Economics writing in Management Today, August 2008

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Next Economy, The
by Paul Hawken (Author)

In clear vivid terms that we can all understand, Paul Hawken explains that today's economic chaos is basically the turmoil of change. We are in transition from a mass economy, in which cheap energy fueled massive production and consumption of material goods, to an informative economy, in which fewer goods contain more information in terms of their design, engineering, durability, and utility. This shift is evident everywhere and has enormous implications for everyone.

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 Omnivore's Dilemma, The
A Natural History of Four Meals
by Michael Pollan (Author)

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.
 

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Paths to a Green World
The Political Economy of the Global Environment
by Jennifer Clapp (Author), Peter Dauvergne (Author)

"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

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Post-Corporate World, The
By Lester Brown

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. .
 

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Right Relationship
Building a Whole Earth Economy
By Peter G. Brown (Author) Geoffrey Garver
 

In Right Relationship, Peter G. Brown and Geoffrey Garver use the core Quaker principle of "right relationship"--respecting the integrity, resilience, and beauty of human and natural communities--as the foundation for a new economic model. Right Relationship poses five basic questions: What is an economy for? How does it work? How big is too big? What's fair? And how can it best be governed? Brown and Garver expose the antiquated, shortsighted, and downright dangerous assumptions that underlie our current answers to these questions, as well as the shortcomings of many reform efforts. They propose new answers that combine an acute awareness of ecological limits with a fundamental focus on fairness and a concern with the spiritual, as well as material, well-being of the human race. And they outline what each of us can do to enable life's commonwealth.

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True to Our Roots
Fermenting a Business Revolution
by Paul Dolan

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.

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Walking the Talk
The Business Case for Sustainable Development
by Chad Holliday, Stephan Schmidheiny, Philip Watts

Book Description
Written by the CEOs of Shell, DuPont, and Anova, Walking the Talk: The Business Case for Sustainable Development is the most important book about corporate responsibility and yet it is written by business for business. For the first time anywhere, leading industrialists show than an integration of sustainable development goals -- economic growth, social justice and ecological balance -- into corporate strategy will provide lasting shareholder value and immediate bottom-line returns. Even more remarkably, the authors insist that a global partnership -- between governments, business, and civil society -- is essential, if moves towards globalization are to maximize opportunities for all -- especially the world's poor.

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What We See
By Jane Jacobs

A timely revisitation of renowned urbanist-activist Jane Jacobs' lifework, What We See: Advancing the Observations of Jane Jacobs invites thirty pundits and practitioners across fields to refresh Jacobs' economic, social and urban planning theories for the present day. Combining personal and professional observations with meditations on Jacobs' insights, essayists bring their diverse experience to bear to sketch the blueprints for the living city.

The book models itself after Jacobs' collaborative approach to city and community building, asking community members and niche specialists to share their knowledge with a broader community, to work together toward a common goal of building the 21st century city.

The resulting collection of original essays expounds and expands Jacobs' ideas on the qualities of a vibrant, robust urban area. It offers the generalist, the activist, and the urban planner practical examples of the benefits of planning that encourages community participation, pedestrianism, diversity, environmental responsibility and self-sufficiency.

Bob Sirman, director of the Canada Council for the Arts, describes how built form should be an embodiment of a community narrative. Daniel Kemmis, former Mayor of Missoula, shares an imagined dialog with Jacobs,' discussing the delicate interconnection between cities and their surrounding rural areas. And Roberta Brandes Gratz—urban critic, author, and former head of Public Policy of the New York State Preservation League—asserts the importance of architectural preservation to environmentally sound urban planning practices.

What We See asks us all to join the conversation about next steps for shaping socially just, environmentally friendly, and economically prosperous urban communities.

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When Corporations Rule the World
By David Korten

From Publishers Weekly
This well-documented, apocalyptic tome describes the global spread of corporate power as a malignant cancer exercising a market tyranny that is gradually destroying lives, democratic institutions and the ecosystem for the benefit of greedy companies and investors. Korten (Getting to the 21st Century) points out his conservative roots and business credentials?and then proceeds to finger such classic conspiracy-theory scapegoats as the Trilateral Commission and Council on Foreign Relations as the planning agents of the new world economic order he decries. Korten, founder of the People-Centered Development Forum, prescribes a reordering of developmental priorities to restore local control and benefits. Suggested reforms include shifting tax policies to punish greed and reward social responsibility, placing a 100% reserve requirement on demand deposits at banks and closing the World Bank, which he claims encourages indebtedness in nations that can't afford it.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.