Ethical Corporation’s latest guide to some new reading
Power, Inc: the epic rivalry between big business and government – and the reckoning that lies ahead
By David Rothkopf
Hardback: 464 pages, $30
ISBN: 0374151288
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Published: April 2012
As with many books of this ilk, Rothkopf starts out with the usual spiel about the size of ‘mega-corporations’ compared to nation states (Wal-Mart’s revenue is larger than the GDP of all but 25 countries). Where it differs is his analysis of “what next?”. A ideological struggle between US-style capitalism and the models of Asia and Europe.
[cover here]
The Oxford Handbook of Human Capital
By Alan Burton-Jones and J C Spender (eds)
Paperback: 720 pages, £30
ISBN: 0199655892
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: May 2012
Not many handbooks have a forward by a Nobel laureate (economist Gary Becker in this case). This comprehensive volume offers an up-to-date overview of the latest concepts, theories, and applications relating to human capital. With over 40 expert contributors, this is a key resource.
[cover here]
Fly and Be Damned: what now for aviation and climate change?
By Peter McManners
Paperback: 192 pages, £14.99
ISBN: 1848139749
Publisher: Zed Books
Published: February 2012
More and more people are not flying on environmental grounds. Green extremists or pragmatic rationalists? This timely book takes the emotion out of the issue, and assesses the sustainability of the aviation industry and the policies designed to rein it in.
The Non Nonprofit: for-profit thinking for nonprofit success
Hardcover: 256 pages, £18.99
ISBN: 1118021819
Publisher: Jossey Bass
Published: March 2012
The lines between business and non-profits are merging. Or they should be, this book argues. Rothschild looks at the principles that drive the world’s best companies and shows how they can (and should) be applied to the non-profit realm.
[cover here]
Transnational Celebrity Activism in Global Politics: changing the world?
By Liza Tsaliki
Paperback: 265 pages, £26
ISBN-10: 1841503495
Publisher: Intellect
Published: March 2012
The world can’t seem to save the gorillas or protect the rainforests without celebrity endorsements these days. Linking media studies and with public diplomacy theory, this book provides a critical analysis of the contemporary phenomenon that is “celebrity activism”.
No Happy Cows: dispatches from the frontlines of the food revolution
By John Robbins
Paperback: 160 pages, £14.99
ISBN: 1573245755
Publisher: Conari Press
Published: April 2012
As the title suggests, this is an incisive and frequently discursive journalistic account of food politics and food-related issues of the day. Chapters include: Does Soy Cause Alzheimer’s Disease and Just How Bad is McDonalds?. You get the idea.
[cover here]
The ICSA Corporate Social Responsibility Handbook: making CSR work for business
By Tony Hoskins
Paperback: £40
ISBN: 1860724817
Publisher: ICSA Publishing
Published: April 2012
This comprehensive, yet practical textbook spells out why corporate responsibility is relevant and how to make it work. A strong emphasis on business review reporting requirements for directors, including updated information on the UK corporate governance code, the Bribery Act and other relevant regulations.
Standing on the Sun: how the explosion of capitalism abroad will change business everywhere
By Christopher Meyer
Hardback: 224 pages, £21.99
ISBN: 1422131688
Publisher: Harvard Business Review Press
Published: February 2012
One of the more illuminating “post-America” analyses, Meyer asks looks forward to a world in which vibrant economies like China and Brazil have undermined the “800-pound gorilla status” of the US. A thought-provoking account of the future shape of capitalism.
[cover here]