Rating: 
Summary: The Bible for the Millennium & Beyond
Review: I have been using the triple bottom line reporting template to run our business, that is profitability to the company and not compromising our environment, and causing any undesirable impact upon our society. Ultimately, it is to fulfill one thing & one thing only: sustainability. At times, I am disllusioned by the whole thing as other people are skeptical of our motivations & that they wondered why we are paying more to certain services & products providers when we could get them cheaper elsewhere. Well, this book brings it on home that we are doing it for our future generations, and that, we must act now before it is too late to turn the tide. There are facts & figures to justify the claims (even though the author emphasised that he tried to reflect the situations rather than scaring readers into doing something). The author also stressed that we have to bring the environmentalists & the corporations to sit down together to come out with remedies that are going to be satisfactory to both sides. There are so many things that that could be executed long time ago but personal interests simply outweigh the necesssity of change. It all has to do with greed. The reason that corporations are indifferent about the whole thing is due to out-of-sight, out-of-mind idealogy. How sad that is to note that when Asian countries are supposedlyt free from colonialism, in fact, colonialism is still very much intact, but simply in another form. This time, the Asian countries can't see their masters because their masters exists in the form of dollar sign, depleting their resources (also in the form of labour) to produce products at elpo cheaper price in order to compete in the global market. Changes must start from the top & unless that happens, there is so much that the little people could & would achieve. Yes, it is wonderful to note that we do recycling from our own home but that feat is simply too minute to do any drastic change to our environment. The action is pure simple, that is having us imitating nature & a determination to do it for the long hold not out of personal interests but for the intangible faith that there is sunny day ahead for our future generations. Isn't it obvious that this message is not sinking in with any governments. When election day comes, there are promises about tax cuts, about creating jobs, & when has sustainability become a main topic? An ambitious book cajoling all of us to make a difference, and so must we. A must read, & a book that gives myself so much insight & so much reasons to continue fighting.
Rating: 
Summary: Visions of a Better Tomorrow
Review: In the current economy we seek to minimize economic costs and maximize profits while ignoring most everything else. Virtually no aspect of the economic equation factors in the true cost of anything - the toll it takes on the environment, the massive amount of energy consumed to maintain our lifestyle, or the biodiversity of the planet, which is continually diminished.The Ecology of Commerce addresses these issues from both business and environmental points of view. It recognizes there will be immediate, sometimes substantial, economic costs during the transition to a sustainable economy. The point is made, however, that should the strain on the planets resources exceed carrying capacity, the consequences would be devastating. We don't, and probably can't know the precise limit till we get there. At that point things are likely to get ugly. Really ugly. Paul correctly argues that we need to move toward a sustainable economy that more closely mirrors biological systems. He suggests production processes that begin with the end of the useful life of a product in mind so that waste can easily and continually be recycled into new products. The book seems to be overly optimistic that business will see the light and move to adopt sustainable business practices. While some are moving in this direction, they are not moving fast enough. As the most powerful nation in the world and the one that uses far more resources than any other in the world, the US must lead the way. Some companies are taking positive steps, but efforts need to increase dramatically. The Ecology of Commerce is a good start. It lays out the direction in which we need to move. The vision is an economy in which the full economic AND environmental costs are factored into the cost of goods and services. This book lays out where we need to go; now we just need to figure out how to make a smooth transition to get there.
Rating:
Summary: Visions of a Better Tomorrow
Review: In the current economy we seek to minimize economic costs and maximize profits while ignoring most everything else. Virtually no aspect of the economic equation factors in the true cost of anything - the toll it takes on the environment, the massive amount of energy consumed to maintain our lifestyle, or the biodiversity of the planet, which is continually diminished. The Ecology of Commerce addresses these issues from both business and environmental points of view. It recognizes there will be immediate, sometimes substantial, economic costs during the transition to a sustainable economy. The point is made, however, that should the strain on the planets resources exceed carrying capacity, the consequences would be devastating. We don't, and probably can't know the precise limit till we get there. At that point things are likely to get ugly. Really ugly. Paul correctly argues that we need to move toward a sustainable economy that more closely mirrors biological systems. He suggests production processes that begin with the end of the useful life of a product in mind so that waste can easily and continually be recycled into new products. The book seems to be overly optimistic that business will see the light and move to adopt sustainable business practices. While some are moving in this direction, they are not moving fast enough. As the most powerful nation in the world and the one that uses far more resources than any other in the world, the US must lead the way. Some companies are taking positive steps, but efforts need to increase dramatically. The Ecology of Commerce is a good start. It lays out the direction in which we need to move. The vision is an economy in which the full economic AND environmental costs are factored into the cost of goods and services. This book lays out where we need to go; now we just need to figure out how to make a smooth transition to get there.
Rating:
Summary: Someone's gotta do it
Review: It seems some are skeptical of Hawken's book because his ideas are too radical and no one will actually adopt his idealist suggestions. But this is the first book I've read that has made concrete suggestions that please both the business world and the environment. Yes it's radical, but the world is soon going to require radical solutions. I loved this book and admire his ingenuity.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Overview with Practical Solutions
Review: Many books on the ecology of our planet tell what's wrong for most of the book then have a chapter in the end on what we can do. What I liked about Hawken's book, which many consider to be the classic on growing our economy and sustainably in terms of our environment, is that it is chock full of great examples of how companies have successfully altered their practices in light of ecological concerns. And the counter-intuitive thing is that, with creative problem solving, it can actually be more profitable to be an environmentally friendly company or society. A little dated at this point, this is still a great place to start if you're getting into books about sustainable living.
Rating: 
Summary: Thoughtful and optimistic, but it won't happen...
Review: Mr. Hawken is absolutely correct that the GDP must account for the true costs to the environment. Unfortunately, he presents a hopelessly unworkable solution from a political and economic perspective. There are myriad reasons why Mr. Hawken's suggestions will not work. However, I offer my appreciation for his attempts to redefine the debate and offer unconventional solutions to what are certainly difficult challenges.
Rating:
Summary: Ecology of commerce
Review: Overall, this book was very educational and interesting. The facts on the actions of the giant corporations are very interesting and kind of disturbing. It offers many logical and feasible solutions, in which business can profit as well as protect the environment. However, the book is somewhat repetative, and probably could have been cut in half with the same effect. The best way to read this book would be to skim it and just read the most interesting parts.
Rating:
Summary: Please incorporate in MBA curriculums
Review: The author questions the fundamental principles that managers use to make decisions. In a day where corporations are too large for any one individual to be aware of ALL corporate actions this self examination is key. Hawken offers another voice upon which corporate processes can be redefined.
Rating:
Summary: A Resrorative Economy
Review: The Ecology of Commerce is a fascinating book that changes your view on the way business should be run. Using interesting facts and analogies, he describes the restorative economy, a new way to transform buisness to better suit the environment. Incorporating the ideas of others, he presents a good idea of where we are now and where we have to go, and equally distributes responsabilities to business, politics, and citizens as a whole. The book is well written, although it does tend to ramble and jump around at a few places. Hawkin's propositions are probable, if not extremely possible, and could solve many of the problems we face in the everyday world.
Rating:
Summary: Essential Reading for anyone who hopes for a future on earth
Review: The Ecology of Commerce is not easy reading, not because Hawken's prose or style is difficult, but because it is difficult to remain optomistic or hopeful in the face of the overwhelming case made by him about the certainty with which our current system of business is doomed to destroy us. The changes he proposes are both incredibly simple, yet incredibly unlikely to be implemented or even paid attention to in the next twenty to thirty years. It will take virtual eco-collapse in the Industrialized nations before the wise words of Hawken and his colleagues will be heeded. And of course it will be much, much too late. Should you have the stomach for it however, you will find the Ecology of Commerce an extremely well crafted argument for some simple logical principles that could save the life that we love and actually improve business and our standard of living in the process
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