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Green Swans

The Coming Boom in Regenerative Capitalism

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Green Swans

By: John Elkington, Paul Polman - foreword
Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
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About this listen

Even leading capitalists admit that capitalism is broken. Green Swans is a manifesto for system change designed to serve people, planet, and prosperity. In his 20th book, John Elkington - dubbed the "Godfather of Sustainability" - explores new forms of capitalism fit for the 21st century.

If Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Black Swans" are problems that take us exponentially toward breakdown, then "Green Swans" are solutions that take us exponentially toward breakthrough. The success - and survival - of humanity now depends on how we rein in the first and accelerate the second.

Green Swans draws on Elkington's firsthand experience in some of the world's best-known boardrooms and C-suites. Using case studies, real-world examples, and profiles on emergent technologies, Elkington shows how the weirdest "Ugly Ducklings" of today's world may turn into tomorrow's world-saving Green Swans.

This book is a must-listen for business leaders in corporations great and small who want to help their businesses survive the coming shift in global priorities over the next decade and expand their horizons from responsibility, through resilience, and onto regeneration.

©2020 John Elkington (P)2021 Tantor Business Development Business Development & Entrepreneurship Future Studies Social Sciences Business Survival Sustainability Capitalism

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All stars
Most relevant
This is very eye-opening book, where the reader is taken on a shock start, by an economist updating his work.
The triple bottom line for businesses to encompass more than just profit was apparently not enough of a framework to support positive impacts within business. The author has generated a new way of working to help identify radical. These are called green swans and helpfully we are given plenty of examples to understand.

Well worth learning about!

Expansive thinking for the future

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Really helps think about how to make meaningful impact on climate issues. Think big and small, and ultimately stop the madness of investors profits over no future customers

Gives a bit of hope against it all

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Devoured this book over the weekend, having already read it in print when it came out. It is really worth (re-)reading periodically especially when the climate anxiety and the pushback or complacency crowds in.
Essential reading for those in business or exploring how we save capitalism from itself, or simply questioning how our current economic model can continue to serve us now or in the future.
Full of insights into the management and economic models that are responding to the need for a responsible, resilient and regenerative economy.

Essential reading on a regenerative future

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Elkington has so much to tell, it matters less that some of his ideas might be more convincing than others. The sheer transmitting of all that experience makes it well worth the listen. Lots of inspiration within his field of business and sustainability. Maybe less strong on the regenerative future and the role of the public sector. Small thing that bothers me is the accent: why the American accent, when Elkington is British?

50 years of sustainability experience

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Full of great examples and links to up to date thinking. Will recommend for my students.

Essential Sustainability Guide

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