Past Editions of Our Annual Sustainable Business Reading List
The 2022 edition of our annual Sustainable Business Reading List is now live! Once you make it through the picks on that list, check out this round-up of community and team recommendations from years past.
Our Top Sustainable Business Books For 2021
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis (Edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine K. Wilkinson)
I picked up this anthology on Earth Day, feeling tired, worn and a little cranky. From the first page, it gave me the lift I was so desperately seeking. The collection of ~60 essays explores climate action from a decidedly feminine and feminist perspective, a viewpoint that has traditionally been spoken over in the climate conversation — until now. Read the whole book cover to cover, or select titles at random based on what’s calling you that moment (like I did). Standouts include Sarah Miller’s “Heaven or High Water”, Ailish Hopper’s “Did It Ever Occur to You That Maybe You’re Falling in Love?”, Amy Westervelt’s “Mothering in an Age of Extinction” and Leah Penniman’s “Black Gold” (her book is also featured further down this list). – Jessica Marati Radparvar, Founder, Reconsidered
Eating for Pleasure, People, & Planet: Plant-Based, Zero-Waste, Climate Cuisine (Tom Hunt)
I highly recommend this cookbook. It gives you interesting recipes that hit all of the points – pleasure, people and planet. Learn a bit about food systems and how we can each play our own part to make these systems better, and eat delicious foods at the same time. As the food industry is one of the biggest carbon-emitters and perpetrators of human rights violations, you’ll want to check this book out to learn more about how you can become a part of positive change. Great for vegetarians, vegans, meat-eaters and conscious-eaters alike. — Emma Hickey, Sustainability Programming, Outreach and Patron Services, Greenwich Library
Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm’s Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land (Leah Penniman)
Over the past few years, companies have been making commitments to regenerative agriculture and sustainable agriculture. These concepts may seem new to many, but often have unacknowledged contributions from traditional Afro-Indigenous farming methods. Farming While Black is a compelling reflection on the history of African and African diasporic contributions to agriculture, as well as the author’s memoirs of her life and her experience setting up Soul Fire Farm, an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. It is also a pragmatic how-to guide on how to manage a small-scale farm. Farming While Black achieves the rare feat of being an absorbing read for and in the garden and is a must-read for anyone interested in achieving food justice in the sustainable agriculture movement. — Heather Mak, Co-Founder, Diversity in Sustainability
More: A History of the World Economy from the Iron Age to the Information Age (Philip Coggan)
This book basically has all the answers to the question, “how did we get to where we are today?” In jargon-free style, Coggan (a journalist at The Economist) traces the amazing story from the foundations of ancient trade to today’s global consumer economy, where a simple of tube of toothpaste contains over 17 ingredients that all have to be mined, made, packaged and shipped vast distances, in enormous machines. Importantly, the book is not at all academic/stuffy in tone and is a truly inspiring read for anyone who wants to think about how our economies have evolved and how we might change them for the better. – Nigel Salter, Partner and Senior Advisor, SB+CO
Old Enough to Save the Planet (Loll Kirby)
This picture book for kids ages six to 10 profiles a different inspirational youth changemakers from around the world on every beautifully-illustrated spread. With helpful suggestions for ways to take action and a list of resources in the back, Old Enough to Save the Planet provides an accessible introduction to how each of us can take action to address sustainability and environmental issues in our own communities, no matter our age. – Caroline Ouwerkerk, Jobs & Community Manager, Reconsidered / Social Impact Career and Confidence Coach
The Future Starts Here (John Higgs)
You’re probably familiar with the quote: “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” Well, this captures perfectly what The Future Starts Here is all about. John Higgs takes us on a tour to dig deeper into the bits and pieces of our present in order to grasp what’s truly possible and ahead of us. He reminds us of something very important in the process: predictions are just that, nothing else. – Kevin Straszburger, Co-Founder, Objet
The Ministry for the Future (Kim Stanley Robinson)
A whirlwind, thought-provoking sci-fi thriller on climate change and a new global agency to represent future generations. The scenarios seem so futuristic and improbable, yet so banal and right around the corner, especially after this last year shook up our expectations of “normal.” It paints a powerful picture and forces us to think about both the worst case scenarios (heat waves, floods, geoengineering) and the best case ones (cooperation on a carbon coin and regenerative agriculture) ahead of us. – Julia Sherbakov, Host, Impact Journey Podcast
Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment (Maxine Bedat)
Maxine Bedat's Unraveled takes us around the world to smash the myth of "sustainable fashion." She paints an unvarnished picture of the "auditing racket," exposes the thinly veiled exploitation of today's garment workers and reveals how the "Law of Moral Hazard” persuades consumers to play an ever-growing role in this game of ethical deception. Whether you are a fashion industry professional or a consumer, this book will spotlight the dark side of your closet and make clear recommendations about what it will take to fix the broken system. — Amy Hall, Founder and President, Impactorum
Your Guide To Forest Bathing (Amos Clifford)
After a year inside with a shortening attention span and heightened anxiety, I can think of no more perfect book for this summer than Amos Clifford’s pocket-sized read, Your Guide to Forest Bathing. Filled with mindfulness-based practices that will turn on your curiosity about the natural world, the book is an invitation to get outside and play. And for me, it’s been a welcome reminder that we as sustainability professionals need to make time to truly savor and enjoy this planet we are so desperately trying to save. – Rebecca Magee, Founder, Sister Seasons
Our Top Sustainable Business Books For 2020
A Terrible Thing to Waste: Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind (Harriett Washington)
This timely and important read will both captivate and infuriate you. Scientific journalist and scholar Harriet Washington describes the various ways that poor communities of color in America — especially Black communities — have been impacted by toxic pollution resulting from corporate greed and institutional neglect. In addition to harming the environment and human health, Washington describes how toxic exposure to elements like lead, pesticides and air pollution have inflicted severe cognitive damage, even impacting IQ. Her extensive research implicates some of the country’s biggest corporations and entities in this injustice, including General Motors, Monsanto and the U.S. Army. — Jess
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men (Caroline Criado Perez)
As women become more visible in all areas of public life, it’s easy to begin dismissing gender bias as a relic of a bygone age. In this book, journalist Caroline Criado Perez presents a comprehensive, clear-eyed analysis of the hidden data biases that continue to impact women’s lives, from the greater likelihood of serious injury from car accidents to the astonishing lack of occupational health data in female-dominated industries. It also provides a neat demonstration of intersectionality, highlighting the multiple injustices of wearing protective equipment, following hiring procedures and even working to schedules designed for young, white, able-bodied, heterosexual men. Criado Perez never preaches or blames, instead letting the evidence build a compelling picture of the unintended — and sometimes deadly — consequences of designing our world around a single blueprint of personhood. It’s a book that will leave you informed, angry and (hopefully) determined to act. — Sarah
Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist (Kate Raworth)
This year, Amsterdam became the first city in the world to officially adopt the “doughnut” as a guiding principle for economic development. The concept is simple: the hole is a foundation that respects people’s basic needs (like housing, clean water and social equity) while the outer ring recognizes planetary boundaries (including climate change, air pollution and biodiversity loss). Our goal should be to restructure the economy so it exists in the “doughnut” in between, meeting the human rights of every person within the means of our life-giving planet. In the book, Raworth brings the doughnut — as well as six other visuals representing necessary economic paradigm shifts — to life in a surprisingly engaging and human way (including a particularly entertaining chapter that riffs on Shakespeare to describe capitalism’s status quo). — Jess
Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World (Jacqueline Novogratz)
During a time when humanity’s problems can seem overwhelming, this book offers an optimistic, realistic call-to-action. Jacqueline Novogratz draws on her experience as founder/CEO of Acumen to share insights and stories that inspire our “moral imagination,” demonstrating how a strong mindset can translate to actions that elevate our individual and collective dignity. The poetic yet approachable prose gracefully broaches ancient concepts like identity, freedom and divinity, as well as pragmatic topics like the tension between philanthropic and market-based solutions. This book offers transcendent lessons for navigating difficult questions, decisions and conversations to achieve better results. It is a decidedly well-timed read for entrepreneurs, dreamers, skeptics, listeners, lovers, investors, activists — anyone seeking “hard-edged hope” for a more inclusive future. — Samantha
Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire (Rebecca Henderson)
If you're new to the conscious capitalism movement, this primer from Harvard Business School professor Rebecca Henderson is a great introduction to some of its key arguments and ideas. On the surface, those who have been working in the space for a while might find some of Henderson’s prescriptions — like creating shared value, building purpose-driven organizations and improving ESG metrics — a bit tired. But Henderson reenergizes these concepts with behind-the-scenes case studies and uses her deep expertise in change management to analyze why these ideas haven't yet gone mainstream. More importantly, she supports her rallying cry with practical guidance on how organizations can make the changes so desperately needed. — Jess
How to Be an Antiracist (Ibram X. Kendi)
The slew of apologies and commitments related to racial equality we've seen from business leaders in the wake of the George Floyd protests makes clear that organizations need to go beyond token diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to become actively anti-racist — but it can be hard to know where to begin. Engaging with the ideas set forth by Kendi in this manifesto-of-sorts is a good place to start. This book will help you understand how racism is embedded in institutional structures (which then influence individual action) and hopefully inspire you to establish systems and structures within your workplace that go beyond "not racist". — Amirah
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
This beautiful meditation from scientist and poet Robin Wall Kimmerer is a thoughtful reflection on how the author’s Potawatomi heritage has informed her relationship with the natural environment. Zooming in on small wonders like strawberries, pond scum and, of course, sweetgrass, Kimmerer weaves a powerful narrative about gratitude and respect as fundamental components of environmental conservation. Throughout the book, I thought frequently about my upbringing in Guam and my Chamorro ancestors’ deep understanding of their relationship with the land, sea and sky. Like the Potawatomi, one of our culture’s fundamental values centers on reciprocity and the idea that people and systems are bound together through cycles of give and take. By reconnecting with indigenous wisdom, we realize that many of the sustainability concepts we see as innovative — like the circular economy — aren’t so new at all. (Tip: This read is great on audiobook, especially while taking a stroll through your nearest park.) — Jess
Weather (Jenny Offill)
For a change of pace or a palette cleanser between nonfiction reads, pick up this little literary novel that puts the impending doom of climate change in the context of a normal life. Jenny Offill's Weather follows a university librarian whose side-gig involves responding to the emails sent in by listeners of “Hell or High Water”, a climate-focused podcast. This plot set-up serves as a platform for a wide range of reactions to the crisis, and the book's format — a series of snippets made up of sentences rather than paragraphs — make this an easy read addressing a heavy topic. — Amirah
80,000 Hours: Find a Fulfilling Career that Does Good (Benjamin Todd)
What if your career could make just 10% more impact? This wide-ranging career advice book, touching on everything from productivity to positive psychology, offers a structured approach to ensuring your career has the most social impact. Even if you don’t agree with every recommendation, it’s helpful for broadening your understanding of all of the ways you can use your career for the greater good, such as by pursuing a direct impact career, earning more to give more or focusing on research and advocacy. Numerous appendices elaborate on some of the world’s most pressing social problems, give summaries of different impact careers and offer actionable advice for landing your dream role. (Tip: Pair this book with Courtney Martin’s excellent essay “The Reductive Seduction of Other People’s Problems” for balance on identifying the social issue you want to focus on.) — Caroline
Our Top Sustainable Business Books For 2019
How Change Happens (Cass R. Sunstein)
I’m deep into this new read from legal scholar and behavioral economics pioneer Cass Sunstein, which explores the important and relevant question of how social change happens. From political activism, to sexual harassment, to attitudes around climate change, Sunstein highlights the role of social norms and nudges in driving societal transformation. —Jess. Bonus: If this summary sparks your interest, download our free playbook “Making Change Sustainable” to dig deeper into how insights from the world of behavioral science can supercharge the way companies embed social responsibility into their business.
Give Work: Reversing Poverty One Job at a Time (Leila Janah)
As our sector trends away from CSR as an afterthought, models like impact sourcing are becoming more relevant. This memoir from Samasource founder Leila Janah — whose hybrid for-profit/non-profit social enterprise model has ushered in a new way of doing business — is useful for understanding this shift. —Amirah
Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World (Anand Giridharadas)
This book is appropriately summed up by the headline of an op-ed Giridharadas wrote (and we shared) last year: “Beware Rich People Who Say They Want to Change the World”. The full read is just as searing as you might expect — and if you work in social impact, it’s likely to spark all sorts of emotions, from frustration to guilt to utter agreement. Above all else, it will make you rethink the assumptions and context behind the notion of “doing well by doing good”, which is more important now than ever as we enter a new chapter of social and environmental urgency. —Jess (also recommended by readers Alden W. and Amelia A.)
This pick is a wildcard, but hear us out. German forester Peter Wohlleben humanizes trees by explaining how they co-exist within social networks much like those that exist in ours — communicating, competing with and supporting one another. It provides an important reminder of how interconnected our world is, and a timely invitation to reconnect with nature. — Sam
Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion (Elizabeth L. Cline)
Even if you're familiar with the ills of fast fashion, this 2013 book is worth reading for Cline’s thorough overview of how the business of fashion has changed over the last three decades and her practical ideas for a path forward. If you've already enjoyed it, pre-order ‘The Conscious Closet,’ her consumer-focused style guide due out this August. — Bryn
The cornerstone of my Intro to Sustainable Business class in business school, this book is a must-read for those new to corporate social responsibility. Winston was one of the first to articulate that sustainability efforts can’t exist as a silo within an organization, but rather that companies must pivot their entire way of doing business to a model that “solves the world’s biggest challenges profitably.” Winston offers up 10 practical strategies, like “Fight short-termism” and “Pursue heretical innovation,” each with a handy “How to Execute” section. — Jess
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (William McDonough & Michael Braungart)
This pioneering guide to circularity — published long before #circulareconomy was a buzzword — encourages an approach to designing, manufacturing and consuming products that is built on systems of nature. It makes the point that making the world more sustainable will require completely reimagining how we live today. Fun fact: the original version was printed on a synthetic paper designed to be upcycled rather than downcycled. —Bryn
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman (Yvon Chouinard)
Patagonia is often held up as a best-in-class example of a responsible brand, making this memoir by its climber/environmentalist founder a must-read for anyone interested in building a business backed by values. —Amirah
Factory Girls: From Village to City in a Changing China (Leslie T. Chang)
Over the past few decades, the manufacturing sector has completely transformed China’s economy and society But how much do we know about the people fueling this transformation? This page-turner follows the everyday lives of the female factory workers who make our everyday objects, highlighting their hopes, their dreams, their relationships, their families and their changing view of themselves. —Jess
Perspectives on Impact: Leading Voices On Making Systemic Change (Nina Montgomery)
This collection (along with its companion ‘Perspectives on Purpose’) brings together insights from leaders at organizations like Ben & Jerry’s, Sephora, Airbnb, IDEO.org and Sesame Workshop, (as well as a set of essays by young voices in impact curated by yours truly!) to provide a snapshot of the state of change-making today. —Amirah
This is a Good Guide - for a Sustainable Lifestyle (Marieke Eyskoot)
Dutch sustainable lifestyle expert Marieke Eyskoot has created a modern handbook for conscious living that is both practical and aspirational. Oh, and some of Reconsidered’s recommendations are featured too. 🤩 —Jess