Ecological Intelligence

Oct 5, 2024 4:14 PM

Author:Daniel Goleman

Most of us want to make the right choices as consumers. But how can any one individual's choices make a difference? And, more importantly, what are the right choices?

In this provocative new book Daniel Goleman shows that everything about what we buy and why is about to change. To date, he argues, our consumer thinking about issues such as the environment, health hazards or child labour has been one-dimensional, focusing on single problems in isolation from the rest. Our 'green' awareness is so superficial we often do more harm than good by ignoring the adverse impacts of the far vaster proportion of what we buy and do.

Ecological Intelligence shows how the phenomenon of radical transparency - the availability of complete information about all aspects of a product's history - is about to transform the power of consumers and the fate of business. Companies will no longer be able to control their own reputations. For the first time what they say will matter far less than what they actually do. They will be genuinely accountable.

Ecological Intelligence sends a fresh and hopeful message to readers. By mobilizing consumers to create an enormous market force for virtuous business decisions, it is the essential handbook for understanding the coming information revolution.

Reviews

The Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen next December will be one of the most important international gatherings since the Second World War. Nicholas Stern gives a compelling account of why the meeting matters so much to the world, and outlines a global deal that would provide the ground rules for a safer planet. His book reinforces the arguments of the original Stern Review, and provides a forceful response to its critics

—— Richard Lambert, head of CBI and Chancellor of Warwick University

The Stern Review led the way in explaining the economic theory of climate change. His Blueprint sets out in practical terms why the world needs to act, what we need to do, and how, if we take action, we can build a new era of prosperity and growth.

—— Adair Turner, Chairman of the FSA and Chairman of the Climate Change Committee

The book is written for a wider audience than the official report and incorporates some more recent (and worrying) findings from climate science.

—— Economist , Economist

Despite his gloomy predictions Lord Stern's overall argument is one of optimism

—— Louise Gray , Telegraph

If this year's climate crucial climate change negotiations are successful, this book will be required reading ... Lord Stern, like Al Gore, could be seen as one of the rock stars of global warming.

—— Fiona Harvey , Financial Times

The planet owes Nicholas Stern a big thank you...valuable and combative stuff.

—— Fred Pearce , Guardian

A terrific story of competitive bickering, intrigue, damaged reputations and unacknowledged contributions- It is also wonderfully written- an ideal primer

—— Irish Times

Marvellous and comprehensive

—— Nature

There are few better introductions than this

—— New Scientist

A wonderful book- [which] bears favourable comparison with Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man.

—— Sunday Telegraph

James Watson-is one of the greatest living biologists- [His] new book is an important event, for he is a scintillating writer

—— John Cornwell , The Sunday Times

James Watson has been an eyewitness to each revolution in molecular biology, from the double helix to the genome. He sees further and clearer than anybody else in the field. Give this fabulously good book to anybody who wants to understand what all the excitement is about

—— Matt Ridley

Gabriel Weston's story succeeds better than any I have known...more riveting and thought-provoking than any fiction

—— The Lady, Susan Hill

Glinting like a tray of instruments, her prose is satisfyingly precise

—— Victoria Segal , The Guardian

A curiously thrilling read, written with an elegance heightened by its clarity and economy

—— Elizabeth Day , Observer

A valuable and unflinching account, since it so clearly tells the truth

—— Christopher Hart , The Sunday Times

This book is mesmerising

—— William Leith , Scotsman

Her description of the struggle to remain individual and hence moral is her real achievement. This, to me, is what female writing has to do, and she does it with style and humour and beauty

—— Rachel Cusk

This much appreciated book should be a must-read for everyone who likes to travel, and should be translated into the languages of the world's tourism champions. It should also be a must-read for politicians and decision makers in development agencies to finally understand that tourism has lost the 'virginity' of a harmless leisure sector to develop into a dangerous global driving force which needs to be regulated and restricted.

—— Contours magazine

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