GE180 .J66 2008The Green-Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems
Jones, Van, 1968-
Library Journal Review:
With climate change, skyrocketing energy costs, and a bad economy on everyone's minds, these two books offer different takes on these circumstances and consequently quite different solutions. While in The Green Collar Economy, Jones (founder & president, Green for All) addresses ongoing issues of social inequality as well as the environment and arrives at large-scale solutions aimed at both, Makower (executive editor, GreenBiz.com) in Strategies for the Green Economy focuses more on improving the "greenness" of individual corporations. By examining case studies of companies' green initiatives and their effects on marketing and consumers, he demonstrates how going green can be a win-win for both the bottom line and the environment.In looking at the bigger picture, Jones provides ideas for rebuilding infrastructure and creating alternative energy sources, which would have the double bonus of boosting the economy through increased employment and higher wages while decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. With a blurb by Al Gore and a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this is a much more forward-thinking and far-reaching work that considers concrete ways to improve our current situation, rather than offering only rhetoric. Action items and a resource list at the end of the book provide ways for individuals to get involved immediately.Makower's is a more typical "business" book, looking at specific companies and their approaches to environmentalism. It focuses on corporate success and how to use the environment as a marketing tool rather than on strategies to save the country and the planet. While both books are highly readable and very timely, the big picture presented in The Green Collar Economy seems more optimistic and useful than the marketing techniques outlined in Strategies. The Green Collar Economy is recommended for all libraries, while Strategies is recommended more specifically for business collections. Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. of Ohio Libs., Oxford Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
With climate change, skyrocketing energy costs, and a bad economy on everyone's minds, these two books offer different takes on these circumstances and consequently quite different solutions. While in The Green Collar Economy, Jones (founder & president, Green for All) addresses ongoing issues of social inequality as well as the environment and arrives at large-scale solutions aimed at both, Makower (executive editor, GreenBiz.com) in Strategies for the Green Economy focuses more on improving the "greenness" of individual corporations. By examining case studies of companies' green initiatives and their effects on marketing and consumers, he demonstrates how going green can be a win-win for both the bottom line and the environment.In looking at the bigger picture, Jones provides ideas for rebuilding infrastructure and creating alternative energy sources, which would have the double bonus of boosting the economy through increased employment and higher wages while decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. With a blurb by Al Gore and a foreword by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this is a much more forward-thinking and far-reaching work that considers concrete ways to improve our current situation, rather than offering only rhetoric. Action items and a resource list at the end of the book provide ways for individuals to get involved immediately.Makower's is a more typical "business" book, looking at specific companies and their approaches to environmentalism. It focuses on corporate success and how to use the environment as a marketing tool rather than on strategies to save the country and the planet. While both books are highly readable and very timely, the big picture presented in The Green Collar Economy seems more optimistic and useful than the marketing techniques outlined in Strategies. The Green Collar Economy is recommended for all libraries, while Strategies is recommended more specifically for business collections. Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. of Ohio Libs., Oxford Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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