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Rating: 
Summary: TNS leaps forwards!
Review: Anyone who has heard Karl-Henrik Robert speak in person will want to read this personal account of the evolution of TNS to date. He writes boldly and brightly - from his heart. I enjoyed it immensely and gained further insights into how to share The Natural Step story with others. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: TNS leaps forwards!
Review: Anyone who has heard Karl-Henrik Robert speak in person will want to read this personal account of the evolution of TNS to date. He writes boldly and brightly - from his heart. I enjoyed it immensely and gained further insights into how to share The Natural Step story with others. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant framework, well explained.
Review: The founder of The Natural Step has written what is partly a history of its foundation and growth, partly an explanation of the principles by which it operates and partly a guide to the future of the move towards sustainable operation. It is also partly autobiographical and gives a fascinating insight into an extraordinary career.
Of interest to those concerned with sustainability, to systems thinkers, business strategist and to the general reader who seeks to understand the underlying principles that are elsewhere so well concealed in complexity. Robèrt's genius is in two fields: the first is in revealing the easy to understand (but less easy to apply) principles that provide a guide to moving toward sustainability, and the second is in developing and applying a form of dialogue that invites people into the creative process.
The Natural Step is an international movement which provides education and support for commercial and government organizations seeking to move to sustainability. It does this by providing a framework, a process and case and other materials for assessing sustainability and developing a strategy to move towards full sustainability while maintaining or enhancing commercial viability.
It offers a proven methodology for moving toward sustainability, which is valid at every level from the global to the personal, and is applied in a way that recognizes the requirements that the business (or whatever) remain viable at every step. This book by its founder is a valuable addition to an important literature.
While the whole book is useful, Chapter 2 (Systems Thinking and Consensus), the second half of Ch. 5 on Communication tools, Chapter 6 (The System Conditions for Sustainability), and Chapter 10 (The TNS Framework) are vital to understanding the principles and their application. The metaphor of the tree and branches in chapter 2 is absolutely fundamental to understanding the approach - get away from arguing specific detail (the 'leaves') and focus on the few driving principles ('the 'trunk and branches') that drive the complexity in the leaves.
Each case study makes a particular point. If you choose only one, Ch. 11 the McDonald's case is the one to go for, but each is carefully constructed to illustrate a specific principle.
Rating:
Summary: The most satisfying book yet on The Natural Step
Review: The recipient of the year 2000 Blue Planet Prize (aka the Ecology Nobel), Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert has offered the world a delightful peak at his decade-long adventure in making visible the possibility of a just and sustainable future for all. Beyond skillfully describing the beginnings of the idea of The Natural Step and its framework's scientific basis, he also shares some remarkable stories that express his deep social consciousness and longing for a world that works for everyone.He lets the reader know, among other things, that
--his heroes are Greenpeace activisits
--participants at the World Economic Forum at Davos (to which he was invited) for the most part seemed unaware of the plight of the world's poor
--the apathy and helplessness that most people feel with regard to our global dilemma may be one of the most serious problems we face in resolving the dilemma
--the economic paradigm must change
--new business leaders may be key to shifting current mass media reluctance to cover issues of social and ecological sustainability
--and so much more! The materials in the Appendixes are worth the price of the book itself. Invaluable in understanding the core values of The Natural Step, applying its framework, and learning how the agricultural sector (one of many, by the way, who have explored this approach to strategic planning) in Sweden arrived at consensus on developing a sustainable future, the back matter will fascinate as much as the growing pains and other stories in the main portion of this singular, thought-provoking publication. Essential reading for anyone concerned about our common future.
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