The Ecology of Commerce
by Paul Hawken
Hawken's 1993 argument that business is the main cause of environmental decline and the only institution powerful enough to reverse it, with a design for restorative commerce. It famously changed Ray Anderson of Interface; it remains a founding text of sustainable business.
Read it if…
you lead a company and want the moral and economic case for restorative practices.
See the book →
Skip it if…
you want implementation guides; this is argument and vision.
Try instead: Natural Capitalism →
Three things you will actually use
- Waste is a design flaw.
- Business must be restorative, not just less harmful.
- Markets need true cost pricing.
Do this first
Identify one waste stream in your business and price what it costs you.
Our verdict
Founding sustainability text.
See the book →
Compare with other Entrepreneurship books
Natural Capitalism
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Dense, technical, important.
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The Responsible Company
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Short and usable.
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