Our regular review of what’s worth reading
Encyclopedia of Sustainability: Measuring and Explaining Sustainability (Vol 1-10)
By Ray Anderson (general editor)
Hardcover: 6,084 pages, $1,500
ISBN: 1933782404
Publisher: Berkshire Publishing
Published: December 2011
This ten-volume compilation provides a host of overviews from experts on the full gamut of sustainability issues. Compiled thematically, each topic is packed with research data, practitioner-focused analyses and jargon-free discussions. Clear and concise, the volumes are available in print and online. A key reference for any manager’s bookshelf.
Packaging for Sustainability
By Karli Verghese et al (eds)
Hardcover: 240 pages, $129
Publisher: Springer
Published: November 2011
ISBN: 0857299875
This concise, readable handbook is aimed at practitioners who are trying to implement sustainability strategies for packaging. Filled with industry case studies, practical advice and management strategies, this is an essential contribution to one of sustainability’s most challenging areas.
Food, Globalization and Sustainability
By Peter Oosterveer and David Sonnenfeld
Paperback: 296 pages, $49.95
ISBN: 1849712611
Publisher: Routledge
Published: November 2011
Everyone needs to eat. As pressure mounts on global land use and concerns over the impacts of climate change on agriculture grow, this overview of issues within the global food chain promises insights far beyond the food industry. Discussions focus on subjects ranging from environmental impact of food production and trade to animal welfare and food safety.
Red Alert: how China’s green road to prosperity threatens the American way of life
By Stephen Leeb
Hardcover: 272 pages, $27.99
ISBN: 0446576239
Publisher: Business Plus
Published: October 2011
It’s no secret: China is gobbling up a good portion of the world’s spare resources to fund its growing economy. As such resources become increasingly scarce, the US and other western nations could face real economic hurdles ahead. A compelling, provocative look at the potential challenges facing businesses and governments ahead.
The Decision to Trust: how leaders create high-trust organizations
By Robert Hurley
Hardcover: 256 pages, $27.95
ISBN: 1118072642
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Published: October 2011
No one can dispute that the world of business is facing a perilous crisis of public trust. The costs are clear: anxiety, dysfunctional organisations and a teetering banking system, among others. This intriguing book spells out in straightforward terms what business leaders can do to build and maintain trust in the teams or organisations that they manage. An excellent blend of theory and practice.
Giving 2.0: transform your giving and our world
By Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
Hardcover: 320 pages, $25.95
ISBN: 1118119401
Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Published: November 2011
For most individuals, charity is reactive. You’re asked, and you give. Companies are all too often the same. This timely book plugs into a growing trend towards strategic philanthropy, whereby wealthy individuals and large companies attempt to target their giving to maximum effect. A very readable, up-to-the-minute guide for donors of all types, large and small.
DarkMarket: cyberthieves, cybercops and you
By Misha Glenny
Hardcover: 304 pages,
ISBN: 0307592936
Publisher: Knopf
Published: October 2011
Cyber crime is growing by the moment, but few seem to think it will happen to them. Think again, this forthright book warns. Glenny’s account is from the frontline, based on interviews with the criminals of the internet and those trying to catch them. A powerful book and a must for all companies in our digital-dependent world.
[front cover here]
The Tylenol Mafia: marketing, murder, and Johnson & Johnson
By Scott Bartz
Paperback: 630 pages, $24.99
ISBN: 1466206063
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: September 2011
On September 29 1982, seven people in Chicago died after taking Extra Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. This investigative book tells the story of what remains an unsolved crime. Gripping and well documented, this compelling read raises important questions about public health disasters, media manipulation and corporate accountability.
[front cover here]