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 readingMay 2014, London, UK
Make sustainable innovation add to your bottom line. 15+ CEOs and C-Suite from leading multinationals plus heads of CSR will discuss the future of sustainability