Book Description

Brings together the disciplines of economics, political science, law, and ethics to address a class ofmanagement issues of growing importance to the performance of companies.Provides conceptual frameworks for understanding issues in the environment of business and their development; strategy formulation; analysis of the news media; political analysis; the economics and politics of government intervention in markets (regulation, antitrust, and torts); the economics and politics of international trade; the political economy of countries; and ethical analysis and decision-making.For all business professionals, including managers looking to enhance their knowledge of an ever-changing, increasingly global field. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The book for dilettante readers
The author provided some good examples to demonstrate some business's environments. The book is very readable. You will get bored if you have exposed to industrial organization or some applications of game theory.

Pretty Easy Reading
I've read a good chunk of this book during a B-school elective on non-market strategies, and found it imparted some valuable information. It's not very prescriptive if that's what you're looking for. But it made me feel like I got something out of the class despite an unstellar professor. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?"

Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.

Reviews (101)

A Business Student's Perspective
Having spent the last four years of our lives being taught to think about every business problem in a particular way, it was great to read a business book that encourages you to "think outside of the box." We have read many textbooks in our time at University, and it was refreshing to read a book that expressed clear and simple ideas that we will remember after we graduate. "Built To Last" started off strong by 'shattering' the 12 well-known "myths" that they teach us in school. The book then continued with the author's model that is based around the premise of preserving the core ideology, and stimulating progress within the organization; it uses simple points that build on one another to create a first-rate framework. The authors make their points at the beginning of each chapter and then build on them with numerous examples of 'visionary' companies...Some of our favorite points were:
- The true definition of a core ideology; including the distinction between a core purpose and core values;
- Encourage trying lots of stuff and keeping what works;
- And, "The Genius of the And"...it is possible to have two things at once.
Although, this book was primarily targeted towards entrepreneurs and CEO's, we found that we could use this book for our future career search and within our daily lives. For example, the chapter titled Cults and Cultures outlined the extraordinary commitment employees have to their particular organization; Personally, we don't think we have what it takes to be a true "Nordie," but it gave us insight into what characteristics and traits to be looking for in an organization we would like to work for.
Some of the inferior traits of the book are that there were some parts in the novel where the authors seem to stretch their examples to fit within their framework, and they came across as being slightly bias to their own theories. We also found that they never mention the same company in every chapter, which made it harder to follow and also harder to believe that every visionary company fit all aspects of their model. However, overall, this book is an easy read, with a simple model that makes sense. It uses interesting companies and is backed up by 6 years of intense research. We recommend this book to any student who is looking to think on different terms than what we are being taught in school.

Unprecedented, Compelling, Well-Researched
"Built to Last" is one of those rare non-fiction books you just can't put down. Unequivocally the best "business" book I have ever read, "Built to Last" by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras is a compelling, thorough, well-written, unprecedented look at what it takes to "create and achieve long-lasting greatness as a visionary corporation." Unlike many current "trendy" management and "business success" books out on the market, Collins and Porras differentiate "Built to Last" by using their own six-year comprehensive, well-documented research study as the basis for further analysis.

What separates "Built to Last" is that each visionary company (3M, HP, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart...) is contrasted with a comparison company founded in the same time, in the same industry, with similar founding products and markets (Norton, TI, Colgate, Ames...). Perhaps what I found most intriguing were some of the twelve "shattered myths" they go on to counter throughout the book:

1. It takes a great idea to start a great company
2. Visionary companies require great and charismatic visionary leaders
3. Visionary companies share a common subset of "correct" core values
4. Highly successful companies make their best moves by brilliant and complex strategic planning
5. The most successful companies focus primarily on beating the competition

As a current business student with a summer internship in a "visionary company," I was amazed as their careful analysis rang true. This is one book I can highly recommend to any student, professional, or business educator looking for those not-so-subtle traits that characterize a truly visionary company.

The Perfect Business Book - A Must Read
The next time you see a book that casts a business leader as a mythical or heroic figure, go back to this book and see if the leader passes the 'Level 5 Leader' tests. Sandy Weill, for example, fails that test miserably, since he cares nothing for his company or its employees, and only about feeding his insatiable appetite for personal profit, self-aggrandizement, and great food, in that order. Weill is an example of the so-called celebrity leaders who are very reluctant to groom and name their successors, since they care far more about holding onto their power than for the longer-term welfare of the company and its employees. The last thing you'd see these quasi-leaders do is sacrifice their power or money for longer benefit of the company. Eisner is another perfect example of Emperor-CEO who got paid obscene amount of money and drove out top talents from Disney, while its business and stock prices languished badly.

A perfect business book - erudite, entertaining, and relevant - and a must-read for anyone who ever dreamed of becoming (or simply working for) the true business leader.

Easy to read & Shattered Myths
Overall, this is an excellent book about how to build a company that will stand the test of time. The authors present the information in a format that is easy to read for the senior executive or someone with no business experience. While the authors present detailed and informative examples of actions that businesses have taken to be successful, the number of examples can become cumbersome. If someone is looking for a quick reference of strategies to improve a company, this is probably not the book for them, but if an individual is looking for an in depth report on techniques used by companies, it would be a useful tool. This book's intent is to show you the cogs that matter and give you some framework by which to align them to drive a company constantly/relentlessly forward. Often managers get lost in the P&L of the day. While that is important, it may not be enough to keep the fiber of the organization together. This book can serve as a reminder to us all of what is important to maintain a business that is financially successful but more importantly keeps its employees and customers happy. This book's simple goal is to shatter two myths that many believe a visionary company is founded upon, the incredibly innovative product and the charismatic leader.

The genius of the "AND" -- use his book AND his web site
I listened to the audio version on my way to work. The bonus author interview at the end was the best part. It included a pitch for one of his other books "Good to Great". Jim Collins also has a web site, of the same name, that has an additional 10 non business books that he recommends. These additional resources have provided two of the next books I plan on reading.
As far as Built to Last goes, the following are some of his key concepts from this book.
1. Be a "Clock builder" instead of a "teller of time"
2. BHAGS (def in the book)
3. The "and" instead of the "or"
4. Preserve the core
5. Cult like corporate cultures
6. Stimulating progress
7. Alignment
8. All leaders die
Two other tid bits that caught my attention: The fact about how at the 18 visionary companies only 4 CEO's have ever been selected to the top spot in these organizations from outside the company. And finally the 3M example of how to effectively facilitate interaction between internal departments, by inventing a Technology Sharing Award and Technical Honor Society.
If you are a business type climbing the corporate ladder, it is worth a read. 3.5 to 4 stars ... Read more

Book Description

Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management, 5th edition employs a stakeholder management framework, emphasizing business' social and ethical responsibilities to both external and internal stakeholder groups. A twin theme of business ethics to illustrate how ethical or moral considerations are included the public issues facing organizations and the decision making process of managers.The text is written from a managerial perspective that along with the twin themes of stakeholders and ethics, shows how to identify stakeholders, incorporate their concerns into the organization's strategy and operations, and also integrate ethical wisdom into their decision making process.In addition, 35 case histories are included to help connect theory and practice through timely and interesting examples. ... Read more

Book Description

Every few years, a book is published about America's role in the world and the changing contest of global affairs that gets everyone thinking in a new way. Amy Chua's WORLD ON FIRE will have exactly that kind of impact on the debate of how the world has changed in light of the events of last September.

Apostles of globalization, such as Thomas Friedman, believe that exporting free markets and democracy to other countries will increase peace and prosperity throughout the developing world; Amy Chua is the anti-Thomas Friedman. Her book wil be a dash of cold water in the face of globalists, techno-utopians, and liberal triumphalists as she shows that just the opposite has happened: When global markets open, ethnic conflict worsens and politics turns ugly and violent.

Drawing on examples from around the world--from Africa and Asia to Russia and Latin America--Chua examines how free markets do not spread wealth evenly throughout the whole of these societies. Instead they produce a new class of extremely wealthy plutocrats--individuals as rich as nations. Almost always members of a minority group--Chinese in the Philippines, Croatians in the former Yugoslavia, whites in Latin America, Indians in East Africa, Jews in post-communist Russia--these "market-dominant minorities" have become targets of violent hatred. Adding democracy to this volatile mix unleashes supressed ethnic hatreds and brings to power ethnonationalist governments that pursue aggressive policies of confiscation and revenge. Chua further shows how individual countries are often viewed as dominant minorities, explaining the phenomena of ethnic resentment in the Arab-Israeli conflict and the rising tide of anti-American sentiment around the world. This more than anything accounts for the visceral hatred of Americans that has been expressed in recent acts of terrorism.

Bold and original, WORLD ON FIRE is a perceptive examination of the far-reaching effects of exporting capitalism with democracy and its potentially catastrophic results.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

Minorities vs. Majorities
The problems with Amy Chua's very interesting and original book are that 1. Even if most of the material is true, it fails so offer a solution (i.e. you cannot reverse democracy unless you substitute it by some kind of dictatorship, and then you would have most of Ms. Chua's readers crying foul too!)...And 2. that readers might take Ms. Chua's book too seriously and come to the conclusion, as Ms. Chua does herself (analyzing the Venezuelan case, for instance), that if you are dealing with a third world political crisis, it must necessarily be of ethnical nature, and democracy must have been imposed by "the west".

The Venezuelan case has nothing to do with ethnic wars. This country is a veritable melting pot and most presidents, since 1959, have been of mixed race as most Venezuelans are, anyway. President Hugo Chavez has appealed to the gullibility and ignorance of the concerned citizens of other countries (including America's black caucus) to portray his country's popular uprising against his inept and corrupt government, as a coup orchestrated by the white oligarchies...These white oligarchies, for Ms. Chua's information, all but disappeared in Venezuela after more than a century of civil wars during the 19th century...Oil provided later a fast track for people of all origins (and skin hues) into high degree education and opportunities (this land of opportunity stopped being so about 20 years ago due to a smothering statism that has arrived to its final crisis with Mr. Chavez)...Globalization, on the contrary, is what keeps the majority opposition alive and kicking in spite of the enormous resources (and the support of the army) at the disposal of this president in a country where the wealthiest entity, by far, is the State.

Ms. Chua does not seem to realize that the only way to better democracy is...more democracy!

A sobering view of capitalism & democracy
Prof Amy Chua's 'World on Fire' is an alarming and depressing read. She lists the intra-ethnic barbarisms that have arisen over the past century or so, from the Holocaust to Rwanda to Serbia, taking in Indonesia's anti-Chinese riots and the Los Angeles anti-Korean riots, and highlighting the common features they share: an aggrieved majority, stirred up to hatred by demogagues against a market-dominant minority. In many countries, some of the minority (Jews in Russia, Chinese in SE Asia, Asians in Kenya, Lebanese in Sierra Leone) have disproportionately benefited from crony capitalism, supporting corrupt political leaders who enable them to become rich while the majority of the populace remains in poverty - until there is a violent explosion. Prof Chua points out that the US' enthusiasm for encouraging unfettered 19th century capitalism in these evolving and unstable countries with no social safety-nets while simultaneously promoting democracy is a recipe for instability. (Her thesis helps to explain the current argument in Iraq between the majority Shia who seek immediate direct elections, and the market-dominant Iraqi exiles and Kurds, who prefer a more gradual transition to raw democracy.)

More alarmingly, she encourages us to see the USA as the market-dominant minority in the world, infinitely richer than most of its citizens, and increasingly seen by many as the reason for their poverty and humiliation. Her prescription for the market-dominent majority in unstable nations is that they should make conspicuous contributions to the well-being of the majority in order to stave-off violence. Considering the current US administration's tendency to unilateralism, protectionism, and its low level of international humanitarian aid, advice to apply the same prescription to the US may be timely.

Informative and Explanatory
It explains why things are the way they are throughout the world. The author describes how markets and democracy are not meant to be implemented at the same time in certain nations and regions. She approves the implentation of one of the above systems at a time.

Interesting examples, unnecessary and poorly written thesis
The problem with Chua's book is that the thesis can't really be tied to anything. The fact that whites are an upper class in South Africa isn't the result of globalization; it's the result of a lasting legacy of colonialism and apartheid. Her examples are good, but they don't really fit her thesis. The idea that free markets somehow lead to ethnic instability in any way which is more significant than other factors do isn't valid, and certainly can't be proven across borders. As in every situation where ethnic hatred against a powerful minority exists, economics is an issue.

Chua also seems to be bandwagoning on the phenomnenon of "globalization." It's not necessarily globalization that economically empowers these market-dominant minorities.

I would cautiously recommend Chua's book, but not if you're interested in globalization. It provides a fine outline for an understanding of some lesser-known ethnic problems, especially in the developing world. (Her chapters on Jews in Russia and Israel in the Middle East are absolutely ridiculous, as far as I'm concerned. As someone with a lot of experience in the Middle East, I'm never going to be convinced that Israeli Jews' wealth is the main reason for the conflict.) If you don't read it, you're not really missing out. If you do read it, take it with a grain of salt, and don't be afraid to laugh. Some of the examples are really a stretch, and the thesis comes together poorly.

Analysis encourages ethnic hatred and discimination
The basic argument here is simple. Globalization exported to non-western countries enriches minorities, forcing the majority to commit acts of genocide and therefore creating chaos. So basically the argument would be that if it weren't for globalization then the semi-fascist majorities would remain in power, dictatorships would be rampant, but at least their would be 'order' and no 'chaos'. This book is basically one long trilogy blaming the hard working victim who happens to prosper because of liberalized markets.

In most of the countries examined, from Russia to Rwanda to Indonesia, their were minorities who took advantage of the equality granted them under new laws and liberalized markets to branch out of the jobs forced upon them by tradition and in some cases did disproportionately well. According to this account the Chinese of Indonesia deserved to be attacked in race riots. Why? Because they dared to become middle class, and not be servants. And yet the book describes them as "suppressed indigenous majority.". Which indigenous majority? The Muslims who attacked Chinese owned businesses were new arrivals, since only a few hundred years ago their weren't Muslims in Indonesia, but their were Chinese. So basically this book is just one giant excuse for genocide, blaming the west because our evil ideas of 'equality of minorities' dared to allow the yoke to be taken off the heads of such disparate groups as the Jews of Russia or the Indians of Burma. Apparently western ideas like 'freedom of religion' created chaos and forced the majorities in countries like Lebanon to commit genocide, and here we have a whole litany of excuses as to why the majority Hutu had to go and slaughter their neighbors. Basically the reasoning is simple: how dare minorities ever break out of their ghettos and become independent, because if they do then they have to be crushed, and the excuse can be that they became western. The reality is that the Tutsi of Rwanda never became western and neither did the Chinese, rather they simply became economically successful, and to the majority who were racist, that meant they had to trampled.

This book blames the west where it should be blaming the cultures that produced such ethnic and religious discrimination. In the end this book leaves no real compromise, arguing that apparently the world would be better off if these cultures were allowed to just commit genocide, suppress religious and ethnic minorities and have rampant totalitarian dictatorships.

Seth J. Frantzman ... Read more

Book Description

Written from a sustainable perspective, this readable, yetrigorous, book provides comprehensive coverage of a variety of local, regional, national, and global resource and environmental issues from population growth to wetlands to agriculture to global air pollution. It emphasizes practical, cost-effective, sustainable solutions to these problems that make sense from social, economic, and environmental perspectives.Overall increased emphasis on international and global issues (includes many examples from Canada). New information on Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing—integrated GIS Remote Sensing boxed information appears throughout, including 12 case studies. Expanded coverage of ecosystem management and watershed management, global climate change, ozone depletion, wetlands protection, and policy—including new international treaties, new federal laws, and more.The friendly, approachable writing style makes the book accessible to a wide range of readers—from those who want an introduction in natural resource conservation and natural resource management to professionals in this field. ... Read more

Book Description

A groundbreaking how-to resource that addresses the gap between having your customers' voices, and being able to translate their voices into tangible results. Readers will learn how to engage in a process of getting to know their customers and learning their point of view so they can responsibly take action based on their customers' preferences, align the organization around the new insight they have acquired, gain buy-in for the resulting initiatives, and make the outcome of the initiative more successful. Voices into Choices captures the right balance between being a step-by-step method and offering the theoretical framework to understanding and using customer voices. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Practical, Self Explanatory and Impactful
This book captures a process we relied on heavily at McKinsey and Co. It is a step by step guide to helping project teams understand, interpret and act upon the customers' needs. This book is helpful to anyone running a project - whether it is an internal or external project. As the president of a large business, I am ready to buy this book for my entire staff. I would be thrilled if my employees ran projects in this manner and streamlined their communication with me. One of the most useful books I have read in the last five years and hopefully one that my staff will quickly adopt as their process they use to manage.

Customer Voices will change your business life - REALLLY!
As a Research Fellow with the Procter & Gamble I purchased over 200 copies of this to provide a training framework for our people in Product Development positions worldwide who have responsibilities for understanding, and more importantly effectively translating the consumer's desires into breakthrough products. This 'manual' demystifies this very human process in exciting -not boring- formats. The processes described are those that were once only understood by a limited number of professionals. Voices into Choices makes listening, gathering, digesting, and communicating consumer needs a fundamental new skill that can be learned and mastered by an infinite range of businesses, profit and non-profit.

I have used the skills learned to map needs for several new, global P&G products, and at the same time used it for my church long-range planning process. These are core skills that seem boundless; only limited by the imagination of the person who has learned them.

Although I have recently retired from P&G, it will stay as a primer that I will continue to use my consulting business.

A great handbook to get good decisions made in your company!
The principles used in this book are some of the most useful I have come across. In one book it allows teams to analyse a problem in a structured way, come up with solutions and make execution plans. All without the members of the teams killing in each other. The techniques allow people to do this because it is based on logic and fact instead of opinion.

Must reading to turn "Voices into Choices"
The Voice of the Customer is an emerging discipline in global business today. "Voices into Choices" is one of the best text I have read on the subject of how to go about obtaining, analyzing and turning customer data into innovative solutions. The book is laid out in easy to follow chapters that takes you through a simple step by step process. Each chapter starts out with a one page summary of that particular step. Additionally this page is very useful to go back to as a review. At the end of each chapter is a checklist that enables you to make sure you are ready to move onto the next step. The book is conveniently wire bound to keep it open to the page you need. If you are interested in optimizing your customer research, this book is for you.

One of the best management consultant handbooks available.
I found the book incredibly useful. I have used the method, and parts of the method, on numerous consulting engagements, and always found it generates results that are both informative and enlightening for the client.

I would strongly recommend this book as an important tool on any management consultant or facilitators desk. ... Read more

Book Description

Flowcharts teaches how to create and compare different flowcharts that outline the sequence of steps in a process.The information is presented in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner through a series of exercises and case studies.Users of Plain & Simple Series learn how to select the right tool for the task at hand, collect the right data, interpret the data, and take appropriate action based on their findings. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Simple yet very useful
There's almost no reference on the market today about flowcharting basics and their usage for different purposes. Since the basic information is vital for whom plan to begin process mapping, this book is a very good beginning to understand and teach the team the flowcharting basics and different types of flowcharts which can be selected according to your needs. Examples and hints are also very useful. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Good Book!
I first met the book in the uni library. Having been teaching natural resources and environmental economics, I find this intermediate textbook with is useful and worthy of recommendating for those postgraduates who have strong interests in theoretical exploration. Since almost all textbooks in the market are elementary and are not suitable for the advanced readers, this book with new approaches has been increasingly used in the uni. However, this book does not pay enough attention to environmental policy. This should be considered by the authors when the third edition is composed. ... Read more

Book Description

Corporations are often so focused on making short-term profits for theirstockholders that they behave in ways that adversely affect their employees, theenvironment, consumers, American politics, and even the long-term well-being of thecorporation, says Lawrence Mitchell in this provocative book. This is a significant issuenot only in the United States but also in the world, for many countries are beginning toemulate the American model of corporate governance. Mitchell criticizes this emphasison profit maximization and the corporate legal structure that encourages it, and he offersconcrete proposals to bring about more socially responsible corporate behavior.Mitchelldeclares that managers should be freed from the legal and structural constraints that makeit difficult for them to exercise ordinary moral judgment and be held accountable for theiractions. He suggests, for example, that earnings reports be required annually rather thanquarterly, that the capital gains tax be increased on stocks held for fewer than thirty days,and that elections of corporate boards of directors be held every five years rather thanevery year. Mitchell places the problem of corporate irresponsibility within the broadercontext of American life and demonstrates the extent to which contemporary corporatebehavior represents a corruption of our cherished liberal values of personal freedom andindividuality. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Suggestive But Too Theoretical
This fascinating and suggestive book makes a strong argument that an undue emphasis on financial performance has caused American corporations to shirk their responsibilities to workers, creditors, communities, or any other group except stockholders. To prove his point, author Mitchell, a business law professor at George Washington University, tackles a vast range of topics, from industrial sociology and shareholders' derivative suits, to Enlightenment individualism and comparative corporate governance. This makes for fascinating reading, and is designed to show that capital markets force corporate managers to focus on short-term financial results. However, it also left me with the sense that Mitchell's theoretical stretch exceeds his empirical grasp: none of the issues is really developed in any depth.

In particular, Mitchell fails to systematically compare the behavior of public and non-public corporations in the U.S., or to compare American corporations with corporations operating in less-individualistic legal and cultural environments abroad. Yet such comparisons would be crucial to testing his points about the harmful impact of financial markets on American corporate management. In reading the book, I also wondered whether the pressures to maximize short-term returns are less the result of "American individualism" and more the result of a business environment where hostile takeovers are easy and executive compensation is tied to stock prices. In any event, these issues can't be resolved by theorizing. Mitchell needed to interview some managers to find out what really makes corporations tick.

This is a pity since Mitchell writes well, has common sense, and cares about ordinary Americans who spend most of their working lives in large business organizations. His concerns about warped corporate priorities were entirely vindicated by the scandals at Enron (where shareholders as well as workers were screwed by corporate managers bent on boosting short-term share values), which were exposed only AFTER his book appeared in 2001. We need more books pointing out that American-style capitalism isn't the last word on business and can take a heavy toll on humane values. I just wish that Mitchell had crossed his T's and dotted his I's.

Learned but heavy
I found myself being frustrated by the convoluted nature of his arguments to prove - IMO - unnecessarily academic and esoteric points. The writing style, while reasonably light, does labour on some issues to justify and support his arguments to a degree that is a little too involved. While I fully appreciate that Mitchell needs to properly formulate and support his arguments (and he is right in most of what he says I must add) - the shear "readability" suffers from the overly-academic rigour present. I would happily accept less rigour for have more anecdotes of misbehaviour for a more "easy read". Nevertheless what he says is very important, solid and I agree wholeheartedly with it.

Superb.
The way Mitchell breaks down the corporate system in America today is outstanding. The way it practically predicts Enron is eventfully precise. His view for the future is one that is intricately complex, but at the same time simply logical. Great reading for those who are already knowledgeable about the subject or those newly acquainted with it.

Lawyer-Author-Reformist: Double Oxymoron Overturned

I just realized this is the third book by a lawyer I have absorbed in this month's reading, and that is somehow a scary thought. If lawyers are starting to write popular reformist tracts against unfettered capitalism and the export of the flawed U.S. approach to capitalism, something very interesting must be happening in the dark recesses of our national mind.

This is not an easy book to read but on balance it is a very important book and one that would appear to be essential to any discussion of how we might reform the relationship between the federal government with its 1950's concepts and regulations, corporations with their secularist and short-term profit and liquidation notions, and the people who ultimately are both the foundation and the beneficiaries (or losers) within the political economy of the nation and the world.

The author lays out, from a business law perspective, all the legal and financial reasons why our corporate practices today sacrifice the long-term perspective and the creation of aggregate value, in favor of short-term profit-taking. He makes a number of suggestions for improvement.

Toward the end of the book, citing Lipsett but adding his own observations, he digs deep and summarizes our corporate culture as one that threatens traditional forms of community and morality (Lipsett), while increasingly dominating--undermining--foreign governments and cultures. Elsewhere in the book the stunning failure of our form of capitalism in selected countries is explored.

Although there are adequate notes, there is no bibliography and the index is extraordinarily mediocre--not containing, for example, the references in the book to oversight, political, or regulation. One star is deducted for this failure by the publisher to treat the book's content seriously. ... Read more

Book Description

With in-depth analysis of past, present, and future issues in industrial ecology, this book seeks to meet the needs of the product-design engineers.Includes discussion of the environmental impact of common industrial approaches, with special emphasis given to the long-term effects.This book is good for product-design professionals seeking to attain information about sustainability and design techniques. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great reference for students in a wide variety of majors.
The book presents the main topics of environmental science in a clear, organized format, relating them to industrial production of goods. Full of visual aids, excercises, and suggested reading lists at the end of each chapter, could definetly be a text book for undergrads.

Humanity and Environment.Technology and Industry. Lyfe-Cycle Assessment. Process and Product Audits. Industrial Design. Materials, Packaging and Transportation. Recycling. ... Read more

Book Description

Miller's LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT, 14th Edition is the most comprehensive and up-to-date environmental science text on the market. It has the most balanced approach to environmental science instruction, with bias-free comparative diagrams throughout and a focus on prevention of and solutions to environmental problems.Tyler Miller is the most successful author in academic writing on environmental science because of his attention to currency, trend setting presentation of content, ability to predict student and instructor needs for new and different supplements, and his ability to retain the hallmarks on which instructors have come to depend. The content in the 14th edition of LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT is everything you have come to expect and more.In this edition, the author has added the "How Would You Vote?" feature, which is an application of environmental science-related topics in the news. Students apply their environmental science knowledge from the book to a Web activity, which helps them investigate environmental science issues in a structured manner. They then cast their votes on the Web. Results are then tallied.Also found at the Miller website is the much used "Updates on Line." Updated twice a year with articles from InfoTrac College Edition service, CNN® Today Video Clips, and Web links, instructors can seamlessly incorporate the most current news articles and research findings to support text presentations. This is a time saver for instructors and part-time teachers who can quickly determine what ancillary materials they want to utilize in just minutes.As with the last edition, this text is packaged with a free Student CD-ROM entitled "Interactive Concepts in Environmental Science." Organized by chapter, the CD gives students links to relevant resources, narrated animations, interactive figures, and prompts to review material and test themselves. ... Read more

Book Description

By the winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Economics,an essential andparadigm-altering framework for understanding economic development--for both rich and poor--in the twenty-first century.

Freedom, Sen argues, is both the end and most efficient means of sustaining economic life and the key to securing the general welfare of the world's entire population. Releasing the idea of individual freedom from association with any particular historical, intellectual, political, or religious tradition, Sen clearly demonstrates its current applicability and possibilities. In the new global economy, where, despite unprecedented increases in overall opulence, the contemporary world denies elementary freedoms to vast numbers--perhaps even the majority of people--he concludes, it is still possible to practically and optimistically restain a sense of social accountability. Development as Freedom is essential reading.
... Read more

Reviews (33)

Not just another economics book
The central theme of this book is that national development has to be seen in the context of the freedoms of the individual. These freedoms include, but are not limited to: freedom from hunger and disease, political freedom, and economic solvency. The measure of a nation's development stems from the extent to which its citizens enjoy these freedoms. One of Professor Sen's areas of expertise is the study of famines throughout the world. He demonstrates that famines do not occur because of a lack of food, but because of a lack of economic resources to purchase that food. In addition, he makes a strong case that famines do not occur in democratic countries, no matter how poor they might be. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in pondering a fresh perspective on the meaning of development. The only criticism I have of this book is that the prose is at times convoluted and does not make for particularly smooth reading.

valuable contribution to the dialogue on development
Development is a worldwide, ongoing dialogue, and Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen makes a valuable contribution to it. He argues for the position that development is ideally conceived in terms of building a society that in its social, political, and economic institutions allows the individual to maximize the exercise of "substantive freedoms--the capabilities to choose a life one has reason to value" (p. 74). In this view, individual agency is both the means and end of development. Means, in the sense that "greater freedom enhances the ability of people to help themselves and also to influence the world, and these matters are central to the process of development" (p. 18). End, in the sense that "the success of a society is to be evaluated, in this view, primarily by the substantive freedoms that the members of the society enjoy" (p. 18). He calls this conception "development as freedom."

It is not novel. Indeed, Sen squarely locates in the liberal tradition flowing from the eighteenth-century philosophes. However, Sen makes an eloquent case for his own uniquely nuanced interpretation. He recalls the finest traditions of the classical orator, drawing on his unquestionable economic expertise, broad knowledge, and warm humanity.

The crux of his argument lies in what he believes "substantive freedoms" consist. He defines freedom in a negative way, what he calls "unfreedoms," as "elementary capabilities like being able to avoid such deprivations as starvation, undernourishment, escapable morbidity and premature mortality" (p. 36). He also defines freedom in a positive way, giving examples of "freedoms associated with being literate and numerate, enjoying political participation and uncensored speech" (p. 36).

There is little dispute that "substantive freedoms" generally work together, synergistically, in advancing development, so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Sen cites very poor countries like India, Botswana, or Zimbabwe, in which he believes the establishment of democracy has successfully thwarted famine, while in Maoist China, in sharp contrast, massive famines arose in the fifties despite its superior economic performance vis-à-vis India. He also cites the well-known inverse correlation between higher female literacy rates and lower child mortality rates.

But there is some debate about whether the expansion of political freedoms, specifically, go hand-in-hand with the growth of economic benefits, that is, in Sen's framework, economic freedoms. Here is the real bone of contention. Sen argues against what is known as the "Lee thesis," meaning the claim that authoritarian regimes, with concomitant restriction of civil and political rights, purportedly have some advantage over democratic regimes in promoting economic advancement. He devotes two chapters--"The Importance of Democracy" and "Culture and Human Rights"--to rebutting this position, and in my opinion, they are the most important part of the book. But Sen is never entirely successful in his rebuttal because at one point he concedes:

...Systematic empirical studies give no real support to the claim that there is a general conflict between political freedoms and economic performance. The directional linkage seems to depend on many other circumstances, and while some statistical investigations note a weakly negative relation, others find a strongly positive one (p. 150).

Sen does not adequately account for the unusual success of the East Asian economies--we must include Japan here--as prospective models in the transition toward development. There may indeed be undisclosed factors operating among these cultures, perhaps even a communal ethos working in a manner distinct from the individualistic ethos on which Sen's conception of development is based.

Sen's objective is to contribute to the dialogue on development. In his words, his motivation is "to draw attention to important aspects of the process of development, each of which deserves attention" (p. 33). In this endeavor, he is eminently distinguished.

A brillant and provocative book
Amartya Sen, winner of 1998 Noble Prize in Economic Science, in this book, not only turns decades of economics on its head by arguing that economic development and individual freedom should go hand-in-hand, to counter poverty, but also lambastes Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew's "Asian Values thesis", also known as "the Lee thesis", that promotes economic development at the expense of freedom in the initial stage of development.

In a clear departure from the main stream of economic thoughts that concern with achieving economic well-being for individuals, Sen, however, contends that freedom of individuals - economic and political freedom and civil liberties, should not be divorced from economic well-being. In fact, he believes freedom should be the principal goal of economic development as well as as the principal mean to counter poverty and insecurity. Freedom and development, rather than being hostile to each other, actually reinforce and complement one another to achieve economic prosperity and ultimately freedom for all. Democracy is not a luxury whereby only rich or developed nations can splurge, but should be seen as an end per se as well as a guiding force to foster and promote economic development and individual freedom.

Clearly, Sen is up against most economists who confine themselves to only measuring individual well-being in economic terms like GDP per capita and neglect the non-economic factors like freedom of speech and press freedom. Sen, instead, attaches great importance to freedom. He believes the goal of achieving freedom need no justification and every society should also work towards achieving it regardless of whether it promotes economic development.

The book on the whole provides much insights to what we usually known as economic development and how we should see it in the light of freedom for individuals. Though I may not totally agree with his analysis, I am sure that I will not see the issue of development and freedom the same as before.

Sensible Economics for Everyone
I read this book because Sen had written the preface to one of my favourite books, Paul Farmer's "Pathologies of Power." I had absolutely no knowledge of economics when I went into this book, but a friend assured me that it was very accessible. It was fairly accessible: but perhaps my ignorance was just extreme. There were a few terms that I had to google, but overall it was a good introduction to some economic theories.

As to the economic theories themselves: just plain brilliant. Who says that economists have no common sense? This book just made complete and utter... sense! I just sat there shaking my head, because sentence after sentence was phrased in just a way to make it so obvious that I wondered why I had never thought of it... and why those who have the power to listen to this book don't do something about it.

I recomend this book to anyone who is interested in the state and the future of developing economies. Frankly, this should cover everyone who lives in North America and Western Europe because (as Sen shows) what affects horribly impoverished people on the other side of the globe affects us too. No knowledge of economics is required (though you might find Google helpful ;-) ), but an open mind and a modicum of common sense is necessary.

A Solid Effort!
Nobel Prize-winning economic scientist Amartya Sen attempts to popularize a series of lectures he presented to executives at the World Bank in 1996. He challenges traditional economic theories to justify a more aggressive, humane and generous funding formula to benefit the world's poorest nations. This goal is based on his theory about individual capabilities and functionings, and how they affect opportunity, both person by person and in a society. Even though this is aimed for general discussion rather than Ph.D. course work, it is an extremely daunting book to read, a mental maze land mined with quirky thoughts and a thick lexicon only an academic could love. More thesis than not, the text is 298 pages plus 60 pages of small type footnotes. The short version: the rich get richer and the poor remain deprived of abilities and awaiting enlightened development. We recommend this dense, challenging but, as they say, important book to insomniacs, liberal world bankers, economic policy makers, the Kofi Annan fan club and students of economic science. ... Read more

Book Description

Tackles the pressing issue of international security and its ramifications on the health of our planet.

Since September 11, 2001, many governments have reasserted the centrality of traditional, military-focused security. Yet the aftermath of the ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq underlines once more that lasting security is not found in soldiers, bullets, and tanks.

"Security" concerns are only in part about violent conflict, a worst-case outcome that results from a broad range of underlying vulnerabilities. Worldwatch offers a broader perspective on these issues by reaffirming the importance of other, less-publicized threats to global stability and security: the complex interactions between environmental degradation, poverty, and inequity; growing human populations; and the international proliferation of deadly weapons. Emphasizing the opportunities for creating a less vulnerable, more secure world, State of the World 2005 addresses a broad range of needed reforms, including those related to governance, economics, ethics, and education.

With easy-to-read charts and tables, this volume presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting, but with a big flaw
What is it about the state of the world that ought to concern us now?Oil?Food?Water?Infectious diseases?Gratutitous terror?

This book tries to answer some of these questions.

The first main issue is the connection between population and security.Overpopulated countries with high birth rates are at risk of getting into wars.They also have potential worries about employment, as well as food and water shortages.

What about infectious diseases?Many people in Western nations can expect over 70 years of healthy life.But life expectancies in Africa are much less.How much less?Less than 30 years of healthy life in Sierra Leone, and under 35 years in six other African nations!We see some horrifying statistics on the effects of HIV/AIDS in many of these nations.

Food security has many aspects.The main one addressed here is defence against climate changes.

What about water?The problem here is not so much of not having enough to go around.It is that arguments about water can escalate into warfare.This is a good example of where environmental cooperation is important and achievable.

As for oil, there are three obvious concerns.First, if we keep doing what we've been doing, eventually we'll run out.Second, oil's value as a commodity is undermining efforts for peace in some areas of the world.Third, burning oil threatens the stability of our climate.The first suggestion here is demand-side management.Now, what about burning hydrogen?That looks like a technologically tricky idea.We may need to look at other options.Hybrid cars will help a little, but that still means using gasoline.I happen to favor an intermediate idea: cutting way back on gasoline and trying to make use of alcohol as a fuel.

The next chapter is on disarmament.That idea has not had a good history.People simply rearm.I think the whole topic needs a great deal more thought.

The final chapter is on laying the foundations for peace.Is the United Nations up to this task?My answer would be a clear no.This book strongly disagrees, although it does feel that some new ideas are needed.

I think the biggest weakness of the book is in addressing terrorism.The claim is made that terror can not be defeated by military means.Well, obviously more is needed than occasional use of force.But if the terrorists win militarily, the game is over.Unless our civilization can avoid being defeated militarily by terrorists, it may not have a chance at a future.I think defeating terror requires imposition of an authority that values truth and insists on teaching it to those who would otherwise be educated by terrorists.

What does this book say about that?Just that "terrorism is a path chosen by protagonists who tend to be politically desperate and militarily weak."And that "acts of terror are not going to disappear as long as the roots of extremist violence are not tackled."

This sort of stuff lowered my rating of this book.Terrorists are often simply aggressors and bullies whose goals are so unjust and extreme that they know they can not achieve them peacefully.The roots of extremist violence do need to be tackled.But they are quite different from what this book implies.

I found most of the book interesting, but this one flaw is very serious.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Business of Heart
This is an incredibly inspirational book that all should read.I personally related to the story about Becky Simpson, because I just returned from spending the week at her survival center in Cranks Creek, Kentucky.She does wonderful things for all who will accept them.Therest of the stories in the book also have inspired me to continuevolunteering for those in need.A list of addresses in the back of thebook is helpful in finding out more information about the individuals andorganizations discussed in this book.Thank you very much for making thisinformation available!**Susan ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Book to Reinvent Our Goals
Alan Weisman, a journalist hired by NPR to investigate solutions for environmental crises, spent years collecting information in a tiny, remote village at the eastern edge of the war-torn country of Colombia. That village was Gaviotas; this book is his result.

I read this book on a recommendation from Daniel Quinn, author of "The Story of B" and "Beyond Civilization." Quinn's entire philosophy rests on two ideas: living in a sustainable manner, and allowing the reader to come up with their own solutions for doing so. Gaviotas is a community where people did just that - through ingenuity, creativity, and hard work, the residents of this planned village created a place where water is pulled from the ground using pumps attached to children's see-saws, heat is provided by the sun, and electricity by the wind.

It's a progressive's dream come true, and an experiment that has succeeded in all possible ways. This book lays out the history of Gaviotas and its unique founder, Paolo Lugari, and places it within the context of the ongoing struggles in Colombia. In the wake of the World Trade Center attack, I decided to re-read Gaviotas to remind myself that not only is there hope for humanity as a whole, but hope that individuals will begin to take responsibility to begin freeing ourselves from the confining forces of our self-imposed prisons called "civilization," but still manage to retain the good things, too.

Every person on earth should read and re-read this book. If you haven't, buy it now or start hoofing it to the library.

Wonderful, Inspiring, Hopeful!
It was one of the best books I've ever read.
Go get it right now!

Gaviotas is an inspiring story of hope and success
Gaviotas the place is amazing! I can't believe how many good ideas were put into practice in one community! Incredible. All working/aspiring engineers, city planners, architects, etc. should having a working knowledge of the theories and practices Alan Weisman describes in this book.

Humans CAN be part of a non-destructive, even a positive, productive relationship with their surroundings. We CAN prosper without decimating everything with which we interact. Gaviotas is a good start--a good example for the rest of the world.

READ THE BOOK! BUY THE BOOK!

Hope Floats
I read this book after one of my Colombian friend recommended it. I could not put it down once I started reading it. It is not an easy reading and it requires you to think about how everybody in the western world takes life and facilities for granted which people in countries like Colombia strive hard to achieve.

This book is a fantastic tale of individuals who don't take no for an answer, who had a dream and they worked to achieve it and in the process created an outstanding example of the fact that 'life and nature can co-exist' because that is how they were before we made discoveries and inventions to conquer nature.

The book ends with a final message...If you have a dream then pursue it...you will meet people along the way who share your thinking...Hope floats.

A vision of humanities existence
Gaviotas

I can honestly say that this book completely changed the way I look human existence and relation to nature. Not only are the people of Gaviotas innovators, but visionaries aided by the studies past and present technologies. While reading this tale I was not only amazed by the resourcefulness of a few people, rather what the implications are to the human family as a whole. It seems that the people of Gaviotas have given themselves an education that no classroom can offer. In fact quite the contrary, they are scholars of the laws of nature.
One thing that I learned from this book is that it is easy to get stuck thinking within the parameters of modern society. It seems that every technology around us is based purely on the short term and hard resources. However it is the natural dynamics of Earth which run the resource base for the natural world, the wind, hot, cold and ultimately the sun. ... Read more

Book Description

Ecotourism is defined as "responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people." Many see it as a panacea for developing nations-a source of clean development that can bring wealth to rural communities while simultaneously helping to preserve pristine environments. But has the reality lived up to the promise? And is that even possible.

In Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, Martha Honey presents an overview of the ecotourism industry and a first-hand account of ecotourism projects around the world. Based on interviews and visits to ecotourist hotspots in Latin America and Africa, she offers a vivid description and analysis of projects that meet the goals and standards of ecotourism as well as those that claim to be ecotourism but in reality fall short. She presents in-depth case studies of seven destinations (Galapagos, Costa Rica, Cuba, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa) that serve to illustrate the real world of ecotourism. For each, she offers an ecotourism scorecard, grading it on its adherence to the enumerated principles of ecotourism and sustainable development.

Honey addresses topics such as the evolution and principles of ecotourism, where profits go, and the mechanics and politics of the tourist industry as a whole. The case studies highlight the economic and cultural impacts of tourism development on indigenous populations as well as on ecosystems. Honey also surveys current thinking and policies of environmental groups, and looks at how political situations, human rights records, and natural resource management influence travel decisions.

Ecotourism and Sustainable Development provides a unique and compelling look at the promise and pitfalls of ecotourism. It is the only such account of worldwide ecotourism available today, and is an important guide for students and researchers involved with international development, geography, or tourism, as well as for anyone interested in becoming a more environmentally sensitive traveller. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Highly recommended, most detailed overview available
The release of Martha Honey's book investigating ecotourism marks the end of a 10-year era of gestation and growth in the field. Honey, who began research on the book in the early 1990s, does genuine investigative journalism on the many issues haunting the ecotourism field, from its definition to its sustainability, and provides honest assessments. This book offers the most detailed overview of the evolution of the ecotourism field available today. Highly recommended for ecotourism professionals, foundation officers, bank and multilateral investment specialists and others deeply involved in applying ecotourism as a sustainable development tool, this book is an advanced analysis. In the academic world, it will provide invaluable background information for all students performing research on the issues of ecotourism and sustainable development. Ecotourism and Sustainable Development gives context and history, but it does not offer applied solutions. On a philosophical note, Honey states that ecotourism should be "transforming the way modern, conventional tourism is conducted." This is a point of healthy debate within the field, but not a universally accepted goal. Ecotourism's role as a political instrument of change on the international scene is not its strong point, as Honey points out. But should this be the measure by which the ecotourism field is judged? Honey's book offers a wide variety of fascinating points for debate, and provides an excellent baseline of discussion for all those involved in the development of the ecotourism field. However, less sophisticated readers should be warned that Honey's assumptions need to be carefully debated, not simply accepted.

Megan Epler Wood, President, The Ecotourism Society.

Highly-recommended investigation of the ecotourism industry
Martha Honey's experience as an investigative reporter serves her well in this exploration of ecotourism. She asks probing questions that traditional travel writers would not, and even describes why this type of journalism is so rare in the travel industry. (Because travel writers are usually the guests of the hotels and agencies they are reviewing, and they are afraid to bite the hands that feed them.). The reader learns about the "greenwashing" that some segments of the travel industry use to mislead travelers with the best intentions, for example the Green Globe awards in which companies can "earn" a green globe award just for signing up with the program and paying the $200 fee! But Honey is not completely unconvinced that true ecotourism can exist. In her seven chapters on individual receptor countries, she describes ecotourism projects that were designed by conservationists with conservation rather than personal profit as a motive. This book provides quantitative and qualitative information, and its fluid prose is a pleasure to read. The book is useful for both the lay traveler and those in the travel industry striving to offer responsible ecotourism opportunities.

Not so good
Disappointing tome with numerous factual mistakes and a lack of understanding of those the author is interviewing. The book is far too dependent on paper sources and fairly clueless on the ground.

First-hand account of ecotourism projects around the world
Martha Honey argues that the responsibility of ecotourism operators stretches far beyond their physical impact on the land. She argues that real ecotourism must involve seven vital and interrelated characteristics: travel to nature destinations; minimizing negative environmental impact; building environmental awareness; direct financial benefits for conservation; financial benefits and empowerment for local people; the respect of local culture; and the support of human rights and democracy. Her book is an excellent account of worldwide ecotourism.

Snoozer
I cannot believe I paid money for this book. We need information about ecotourism, particularly in the developing world. But the author shows no first-hand knowledge. She includes a lot of reports and obviously attends many policy meetings. But outside of the classroom, I do not think this book is of much use. ... Read more

Book Description

The Harvard Business Review Paperback Series brings managers and professionals the fundamental information they need to stay competitive in a fast-moving world. Gathered in a highly accessible format are the leading minds and landmark ideas that have established the Harvard Business Review as required reading for forward-thinking businesspeople worldwide.

With concern for environmental issues growing, defining the controversial relationship between business and the environment has become even more essential. Harvard Business Review on Business and the Environment brings together the latest management thinking on the role of the environment in business, and offers a general management perspective that will help outline the critical environmental issues your organization may face. ... Read more