Friday, December 01, 2006

RESOURCES: Get Inspired by the Experts

I'm frequently asked what books I consider to be essential background for sustainability practitioners. A few years ago I could have rattled off a handful and felt pretty good about it. For example:

  • Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, by Paul Hawken
  • Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature, by Janine M. Benyus
  • The Sustainability Advantage (and the sequel, The Next Sustainability Revolution), by Bob Willard
  • Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, by William McDonough
  • Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise: The Interface Model, by Ray Anderson

But as sustainability grows in popularity, the number of important books on the topic has increased exponentially. At any given time, I have a stack of sustainability-related books on my bedside table, and no matter how many I diligently plow through each month it seems like the list of "must-reads" just gets longer. Here are a few at the top of my list:

  • The Business Guide to Sustainability: Practical Strategies and Tools for Organizations, by Darcy Hitchcock
  • Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage, by Daniel C. Esty
  • Leading Change Toward Sustainability: A Change-Management Guide for Business, Government and Civil Society, by Bob Doppelt
  • Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century, by Alex Steffen
  • Organizational Change for Corporate Sustainability, by Dexter Dunphy

And just in case you don't have time to get through an entire book, check out these video clips—in just a few minutes you can get inspired by experts in a variety of sustainability-related fields:

  • Big Picture TV - an online media channel that streams free video clips of global leaders in sustainability. Browse a growing archive of internationally renowned names including scientists, environmentalists, politicians, journalists, academics and activists.
  • Arnold Creek Productions Video Shorts – a new series of free viewable short videos on sustainability and social responsibility. They're designed to further public awareness about sustainability and related issues of the day.

But beware—those few minutes can easily become a few hours, so plan carefully!