What’s worth reading this month? Here’s Ethical Corporation’s guide

The Ecological Hoofprint: the global burden of industrial livestock

By Tony Weis

Paperback: 200 pages, £14.99

ISBN: 978-1780320960 

Publisher: Zed Books

Published: November 2013

Tony Weis, author of The Global Food Economy, narrows his focus to look specifically at the global livestock market. The implications of increasingly intensive production practices and the “meatification of the human diet” carry major implications for the health of the planet, as well as growing economic inequality, Weis argues.

Grounded: how healthy leaders stay rooted in an uncertain world  

By Bob Rosen

Paperback: 368 pages, £16.66

ISBN: 978-1118680773

Publisher: Jossey Bass

Published: November 2013

Chronic uncertainty, cynical employees, personal burnout – the list of hazards facing modern leaders is mounting. Today’s obsession with delivering on short-term results leaves most ill equipped. Rosen presents a more “human and sustainable” model for leadership, focusing on five core dimensions: emotional, intellectual, social, vocational, and spiritual health.

Junkyard Planet: travels in the billion-dollar trash trade 

By Adam Minter

Hardcover: 304 pages, £18.99

ISBN: 978-1608197910

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: January 2014

In this reportage-style account, journalist Adam Minter offers a first-hand account from inside the global recycling industry. From back-alley computer recycling operations in China to high-tech facilities with huge recycling capacity, this frank account takes the reader through the profitable – but often messy – world of commercial recycling.

Rethinking Food Systems: structural challenges, new strategies and the law 

By Nadia Lambek et al (eds)

Hardcover: 250 pages, £90

ISBN-13: 978-9400777774

Publisher: Springer

Published: November 2013

This closely researched book examines how law shapes global food systems and how it dictates their ongoing transformation. Rich in case study material, the book looks at how new approaches can be institutionalised, such as the principle of food sovereignty. The remaining sections cover regulating for change and food governance systems. A well-argued and timely contribution to the debate around food and human rights.

Driving Impact: value creation in the world of tomorrow 

By Sven Marlinghaus and Christian Rast

Hardcover: 208 pages, £39.55

ISBN: 978-3868801408

Publisher: Mi-Wirtschaftsbuch

Published: November 2013

An insightful examination of the megatrends shaping today’s global economy, this book interrogates the intrinsic role that supply chain management now plays in the global production system. Procurement managers will find a useful list of recommendations for adapting corporate supply chains to current and future challenges.

Beyond the Limits to Growth: new ideas for sustainability from Japan

By Hiroshi Komiyama

Hardcover: 150 pages, £44.99

ISBN: 978-4431545583

Publisher: Springer

Published: December 2013

A lot is packed into this slim volume. Komiyama gives special attention to the role of tri-partite partnerships (between business, government and civil society) in generating “new creative demand”. An inspiring and optimistic read from one of Asia’s leading sustainability thinkers.

Sustainability: how the cosmetics industry is greening up 

By Amarjit Sahota

Hardcover: 368 pages, £90

ISBN: 978-1119945543

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Published: December 2013

Touching on everything from ingredients and formulations through to ethics and certification systems, this book offers an overview of sustainability advances in the cosmetics industry. Case studies help illuminate critical issues for the industry such as ethical sourcing of raw materials, biodiversity, sustainable packaging, and marketing green brands.

A Primer on Sustainability 

By Ronald Whitfield and Jeanne McNett

Paperback: 180 pages, £29.99

ISBN-13: 978-1606496343

Publisher: Business Expert Press

Published: December 2013

A comprehensive yet readable compendium, this introductory textbook provides readers with all the essential concepts, norms and tools relating to the application of sustainability in business. The book’s basic approach is to examine a variety of market failures and assess the corrective strategies that corporations adopt in response. Written primarily for graduate-level business students and educators.

CSR books  CSR reading