Book Review: “The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win”

Environmental Defense Fund (Bennet) - In Jeffrey Hollender’s latest book, “The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win,” the co-founder and chairman of Seventh Generation lays out a compelling set of principles and practices for shaping environmental and social responsibility within an organization. Hollender offers sharp criticism of how the term, “corporate social responsibility” or “CSR” has become an abused catch-phrase for many companies, and he encourages the reader to go one step beyond the day-to-day operations of their business practices and to think seriously about the longer term innovations that will truly revolutionize their companies and the markets in which they operate.


These days, bookstore shelves are growing crowded with texts on sustainable business management, but few are written by pioneers like Jeffrey Hollender who has created and continues to foster a leading brand built on the values of sustainability...The most significant contribution that this book makes is providing a detailed examination of companies such as Marks & Spencer, Nike and Timberland that in some cases have gone from zero to ten in terms of adopting sustainability strategies to innovate, increase market share and further customer loyalty. The transformation of an organization from one that thinks about the short-term, internal aspects of sustainability to one that embraces a long-term, external approach is what the Responsibility Revolution is all about. 

So, whether you’re an entrepreneur who’s starting from scratch and seeking guidance on how to build sustainability into the DNA of your business or, if you’re a seasoned manager motivated to deliver increased value to your organization, The Responsibility Revolution is worth the read. For a limited time, the first chapter is available for free, online