Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development

Book Description

The term "eco-efficiency" describes business activities that create economic value while reducing ecological impact and resource use. This book outlines the principles of eco-efficiency and presents case studies of their application from a number of international companies, including 3M and the Dow Chemical Company. It also discusses the value of partnerships--with other companies, business associations, communities, regulators, and environmental and other nongovernmental groups. In the conclusion, the authors argue that business must become more eco-efficient and that governments need to change the conditions under which business operates, including tax and regulatory regimes, to make them more conducive to eco-efficiency.

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended!.......2001-03-17

Their environmental passion is heartfelt, but the authors of Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development are no tree huggers. Livio D. DeSimone is chairman and chief executive officer of 3M and Frank Popoff is chairman of Dow Chemical. The co-authors' status as corporate titans lends credibility to their positions. The planet's fragile ecology is in danger of being destroyed by its inhabitants and large corporations bear much of the responsibility for saving the environment, they write. This isn't a screed, though. Rather, it's a reasoned guide to making your company more profitable and more environmentally friendly at the same time. The "eco" in their favorite buzzword, eco-efficiency, refers to both economics and the ecology. By examining their processes, companies can reduce waste that's costly financially and ecologically, they argue. Due to its measured, balanced analysis of the relationship between business and the environment, we at getAbstract strongly recommend this book to all executives and students, especially those who have a real concern for the environment, but find themselves frustrated at the strident tone of many environmentalists.

Thorough, but one sided........1998-11-16

Eco-efficiency provides a thorough diagnosis of what is necessary for business to grow and become more economically and ecologically efficient in a changing world, as well as providing arguments for how governments have to allow open markets to promote sustainable development. However the views are one sided, barely addressing legitimate arguments. Also, it is difficult to trust the athors who are both CEOs of companies not historically known for 'green' efficiency. And, if you can't trust the messenger, how can you trust the message?

A must to every business manager.......1998-03-05

A must to every business manager which is not yet familiar with the concept and practice of eco-efficiency.

Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development

Average customer rating:

Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development
Livio D.; Popoff, Frank; World Business Desimone
Manufacturer: Mit Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PCE8N8

Average customer rating:

Eco-efficiency The Business Link to Sustainable Development
Livio D. and Frank Popoff De Simone
Manufacturer: M.I.T. Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OYHSFC

Average customer rating:

Eco-Efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development
Livio D.; Popoff, Frank; World Business Council for Sustainable Development Desimone
Manufacturer: MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J4VZ7E

Average customer rating:

Eco-efficiency: The Business Link to Sustainable Development
Livio D. Desimone; Frank Popoff; Corporate Author-World Business Council for Sustainable Development
Manufacturer: MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQFWDU

Book Description

Using a "canned" approach to organizational change opens a can of worms.

"No More Darn Buzzwords" helps senior executives choose which methods of organizational change are best for them, from strategic planning to Six Sigma, mission development to employee surveys.

WHO BENEFITS FROM THIS BOOK?
Senior executives who are contemplating organizational change and want to do it right the first time.
Experienced executives who've had mixed success with change efforts in the past.
HR Professionals who benefit from effective strategic planning linked to planned, aligned and organized change.
Those who want to choose the right `change method' for their situation.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AFTER YOU READ IT?
Develop a strategic plan that will work in an uncertain future.
Develop your company mission and define core competencies.
Implement major organizational change aligned with strategy.
Incrementally improve what your company does.
Evaluate the measurement system of your organization.
Assess employee opinions on culture, climate, teamwork and leadership style.
Improve teamwork across the organization.
Link all these in a successful plan to change your organization.

THIS BOOK WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH:
Keys to organizational success: systems & framework, assessment & measurement, teamwork & consensus, and training & learning.
Frameworks for all your change initiatives, from strategic planning to Six Sigma.
Knowledge to create implementation plans tightly aligned to your strategic plan.
Knowledge to decide what level of organizational change you need.
Key concepts and processes for scenario planning, core competency analysis, mission development, process improvement, change management, organizational assessments and 360º feedback.

Customer Reviews:

Very Informative and Helpful!.......2003-05-23

"No More Darn Buzzwords: Keys to Successful Organized Change" provides great insight into the complexities of managing change and how to maneuver around them. I highly recommend it!

Shows the territory of organizational change.......2003-05-22

Shows the territory of organizational change, the roads to success and the path to the post-buzzword organization. No More Darn Buzzwords: Keys to Successful Organized Change provides great insight into the complexities of managing change and how to maneuver around them.

Shows the territory of organizational change.......2003-05-22

Warns against overuse of "canned" or pre-prepared approaches.......2003-02-09

No More Darn Buzzwords: Keys To Successful Organized Change by David Chaudron (a Managing Partner of Organized Change Consultancy) is a quite practical and accessible instructional and informational guide for business and organizational planning that warns against overuse of "canned" or pre-prepared approaches and buzzwords, so frequently used by corporate managers when attempting to squeeze their unique structure into a mass-produced stratagem that may not be effectively tailored for their own needs. Individual chapters succinctly address how to develop and implement plans that are geared specifically to what one's individual business requires, successful assessment and measurement, facilitating teamwork, improving training methods, and much, much more. No More Darn Buzzwords is strongly recommended as being an excellent and advantageous resource.

Book Description

The overwhelming similarity of human and ape genes is one of the best-known facts of modern genetic sciencenm. But what does this similarity mean? Does it, as many have suggested, have profound implications for understanding human nature? Well-known molecular anthropologist Jonathan Marks uses the human-versus-ape controversy as a jumping-off point for a radical reassessment of a range of provocative issues--from the role of science in society to racism, animal rights, and cloning. Full of interesting facts, fascinating personalities, and vivid examples that capture times and places, this work explains and demystifies human genetic science--showing ultimately how it has always been subject to social and political influences and teaching us how to think critically about its modern findings.
Marks presents the field of molecular anthropology--a synthesis of the holistic approach of anthropology with the reductive approach of molecular genetics--as a way of improving our understanding of the science of human evolution. As he explores the intellectual terrain of this field, he lays out its broad areas of interest with issues ranging from the differences between apes and humans to the biological and behavioral variations expressed in humans as a species. Marks confronts head-on the problems of racial classification in science. He describes current theories about race and uses work in primatology, comparative anatomy, and molecular anthropology to debunk them. He also sheds new light on the controversial Great Ape Project, the Human Genome Diversity Project, and much more. This iconoclastic, witty, and extremely readable book illuminates the deep background of human variation and asks us to reconsider the role of science in modern society.

Download Description

The overwhelming similarity of human and ape genes is one of the best-known facts of modern genetic science. But what does this similarity mean? Does it, as many have suggested, have profound implications for understanding human nature? Well-known molecular anthropologist Jonathan Marks uses the human-versus-ape controversy as a jumping-off point for a radical reassessment of a range of provocative issues--from the role of science in society to racism, animal rights, and cloning. Full of interesting facts, fascinating personalities, and vivid examples that capture times and places, this work explains and demystifies human genetic science--showing ultimately how it has always been subject to social and political influences and teaching us how to think critically about its modern findings. Marks presents the field of molecular anthropology--a synthesis of the holistic approach of anthropology with the reductive approach of molecular genetics--as a way of improving our understanding of the science of human evolution. As he explores the intellectual terrain of this field, he lays out its broad areas of interest with issues ranging from the differences between apes and humans to the biological and behavioral variations expressed in humans as a species. Marks confronts head-on the problems of racial classification in science. He describes current theories about race and uses work in primatology, comparative anatomy, and molecular anthropology to debunk them. He also sheds new light on the controversial Great Ape Project, the Human Genome Diversity Project, and much more. This iconoclastic, witty, and extremely readable book illuminates the deep background of human variation and asks us to reconsider the role of science in modern society.

Customer Reviews:

2 percent can mean a lot.......2006-04-29

This book falls in the 3/4 star borderline for me, but in the end, deserves a 4-star rating in part because of the vitriol it has produced from some reviewers.

Is Marks a Marxist, with that blinkering his science? (Nice pun, eh?) Not that I saw. Evolutionary Psychology (capitalized) has moved beyond evolutionary psychology, from a proper subfield of evolutionary psychology into a theory of sociology and even a theory of philosophy (it makes philosophical arguments about ethics and aesthetics). Books like Marks are a necessary corrective to Evolutionary Psychology. (Read my review of Richard Francis' "Why Men Won't Ask for Directions: The Seductions of Sociobiology" or David Buller's "Adapting Minds: Evolutionary Psychology and the Persistent Quest for Human Nature" for more on the difference between Ev Psych and ev psych.)

In short, that 2 percent genetic different, when activated by and expressed through an environmental difference that is much greater than 2 percent, results in significant differences.

Note: Marks just looked at the 2 percent difference in normally coding genetic DNA. A more complete look at both the human and chimapanzee genome will likely reveal learner differences in coding DNA, i.e., DNA that does such things as regulate the circumstances under which a certain gene is expressed, such as certain exterior temperatures, sunlight levels, etc., or sets internal controls such as how frequently it codes for itself through messenger RNA, etc.

Hardly worth reading.......2006-04-14

Basically, for Marks, it does not matter if or how life on this planet is related or not because humans have created artificial boundaries that have nothing to do with literal relatedness. People rely on cultural myths to make themselves feel important and to give their life meaning. They don't want to be upset by ideas about evolution that might damage their egos and sense of superiority to other species. OK. But Marks seems to be happy that this sense of superiority is also directed against other humans as long as science doesn't get involved. The only time it goes wrong is when 'science' is used to justify the superiority of one group of people against another.

Marks makes the totally false assumption that anyone who is interested in other species, sociobiology or agrees with Dawkins is trying to put a scientific acceptance on how humans have come to be so racist etc. It is as if Nazism was only wrong in that 'science' was used as some (false) justification. If they had left the 'science' out and justified their atrocities purely on the normal cultural mythological grounds that are more 'human' then that is somehow OK. Marks does not seem to recognize that the Nazis succeeded because they tapped into the human need for creation myths - they wanted their own origin myth, pure blood, cultural identity with superiority of their group and difference from others, not unlike all other human cultural, political, religious etc etc 'tribes'.

If Marks is inadvertently giving the OK to human atrocities as long as 'science' isn't brought into the equation then he needs to rethink his arguments. He is definitely giving the impression that the human dependency on having a special place in the universe cannot and should not be challenged - even though this inevitably leads to groups depending on having a special place in relation to other groups. If he actually means this then it is necessary to conclude that he wishes to sustain divisions and perhaps ultimately seeks the domination of his own particular group, no doubt whomever he perceives to be 'good' in contrast to those he labels 'evil'.

Marks says that creationism never led to anyone being killed when, obviously, religious beliefs have often been used to justify killing. He also says the 'naturalistic fallacy' is when we use information about other animals to illuminate understanding of humans which is wrong. The naturalistic fallacy is when we use the fact that something happens in nature to mean that it should happen and must be good. Marks' implication that whatever happens traditionally in a human culture must be good is surely a culturalistic fallacy.

For some of us science, including evolution and sociobiology, reveals that there is no 'us' and 'them' - only 'us'. It helps us understand why we may have thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are ultimately harmful to ourselves and others and increasingly maladaptive. It teaches us humility, that we are not at the centre of the universe, that there is no parental omnipotent being to kill or die for. We can experience life as awesome, feel incredible wonder that we as individuals are actually experiencing life and feel happiness without having to believe in supernatural powers or that we belong to one particular group as opposed to another. If cultural creationist myths lead to happiness the world should be overflowing with happiness and goodwill.

Marks seems to have lost himself in some mistaken ideas about those he considers 'them' - an all too human trait. Though certain ideas are falsely presented as 'science' they cannot take hold without the cultural foundations already being there. To denounce the false 'science' but support the myths is pointless. I found Marks arguments poor, his humor largely facile and, apart from when he explains literal relatedness and one or two other things, the book as a whole I found of little value.

tackles the grey area in biology and genetics.......2005-07-04

Far too many people can see beyond black and white, right and left, conservative and liberal, etc., as many of the previous reviews illustrate. It seems especially true today, as few folks are exposed to (or can grasp) any argument that is not clearly set off from its exact opposite. This book is not about the expected. It's about that uncharted grey area between science and religion, critical thinking and dogma, apes and humans. Hooray for Marks for having the courage to write critically without pandering to the clichéd expectations of typical two-sided debates. Recommended for critical thinkers. Not for dogmatists--religious, scientific, or otherwise.

He never tells you what it means.......2005-03-07

What it means to be 98 percent chimpanzee is that an interspecific hybrid is very likely possible. It would not surprise me if someone has already tried it out in a Petry dish. Interspecific hybrids of big cats like lions and tigers are well known as is the hybrid of horse and donkey that we call a mule. Mules are sterile because the differing chromosome numbers of their parent species do not permit precise alignment of chromosomes in meiosis, needed to produce viable gametes. Humans and chimpanzees likewise differ in chromosome number: humans have 46 versus chimpanzee 48, which may have been the original isolating mechanism responsible for speciation.
But what he does tell you is a bag of Marxist anti-sociobiology propaganda which originated with Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Lewontin, two Harvard Marxists, in the seventies. To the Marxists it is intolerable to admit that human nature has an inherited component because that diectly contradicts their materialist theory of history. To them human nature is infinitely malleable and is controlled by the work environment. Thus, being brought up in a capitalist system ruined your character but this could be remedied by putting you to work in the socialist system. Mao did this to college professors by sending them to work in collective farms and calling it his "cultural revolution." Pol Pot saw this but did not think that Mao had it quite right. For one thing, he did not think it would work with those who had had too much capitalist education. Hence, he set an admission limit of eighth grade for his re-education camps and ordered those with more than an eighth grade education shot right away.

A wedge project?.......2005-03-02

I have no evidence that this is an ICR "wedge" project, but it fits so well. Acknowledgements to and citation of Phillip Johnson; a sustained attack on the value and ethics of science and scientists; numerous references to unnamed scientists that want to destroy "the meaning in people's lives"; sympathy towards evolutionists; smearing and innuendo..,. Yet at the same time he professes his own commitment to science, so the ICR can cite him as a "scientist exposing the evils of science".

I was also amused that of the four books citing this one, three are Jeff Herman's notorious "how to get published" infomercials for scam artists.

Should ideology color science? (Anthropology).(Jonathan Marks, What It Means To Be 98% Chimpanzee: Apes, People, and Their Genes): An article from: American Scientist

Average customer rating:

Should ideology color science? (Anthropology).(Jonathan Marks, What It Means To Be 98% Chimpanzee: Apes, People, and Their Genes): An article from: American Scientist
Kenneth Korey
Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This comprehensive and thoroughly updated text surveys comparative vertebrate endocrinology. Intended for an upper division undergraduate class in endocrinology, this useful reference will also prove invaluable to faculty, researchers, and graduate students who require up-to-date information on a myriad of endocrine systems. This Third Edition focuses more attention on mammalian systems, neuroendocrinology, and molecular endocrinology. The text has been extensively reviewed by faculty who teach endocrinology and should establish a new teaching standard for comparative vertebrate endocrinology.

Key Features
* Thoroughly revised and updated
* Comprehensive coverage of comparative endocrinology
* Well illustrated with numerous drawings, graphs, and photomicrographs

Customer Reviews:

good book.......2000-06-20

extremely comprehensive as far as comparative endocrinology is concerned and does a very good job on mammalian endocrinology.

Book Description

Write, for the future generations, about yourself and the stream. Use this attractive hard-bound book to record your days on the water for future use by yourself, relatives, or friends. It will become a treasured family document as it is handed down through your family. Each printed page contains spaces for entries such as: location, companion, weather, water conditions, fishing equipment, hatches, flies or lures, special fish sizes, species, etc. In addition there is much lined space for trip observations -- what future readers will specially enjoy. Wouldn't you have like to have read your grandfather's fishing journal? Start your legacy now!!! The book comes with round back case binding and a ribbon.

Book Description

A valuable reference guide thatpinpoints and corrects errors students are most likely to make when writing or speaking German. Idioms, exceptions to grammatical rules, word order in sentences, regional variations, and potential confusions between Der and Ein words are among the many problem areas that are clearly explained. A highly useful supplement to standard text books, and an indispensable aid for composition and translation.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating!.......2007-10-06

This book is like having 8 years of German lecture notes all in one book. This book amazes me every time I open it up. Notes and rules, pitfalls and mistakes, tips and charts and tables, plus more! I would recommend this book to anyone studying German!

-Dr. Kenneth

Great for middle-level German and for review.......2007-04-11

This is a really clear, useful book for middle-level German (say, college 2nd semester and 2nd year?) I have this book in Spanish and the German version just seems more on-the-point and useful and easier to learn from. Highly recommended.

A Great Addition to any German Learner's Library.......2004-04-25

I've noted that a few of the reviews for this book are doubtful as to whether or not it's sufficient enough to learn German with. I can answer that question: no, it's not. What's more is, it's not supposed to be!

This book is geared towards going over all of the most common mistakes and problems that an English speaker who is learning German will encounter in their studies. All of the questionable points of German grammar, word order, etc., that an English learner will have, is most likely covered in this book.

I generally look over something in this book *every* day, and it's helped me a great deal. Definitely 5 stars from me.

Useful and funny at the same time!.......2004-02-19

I bought this book a few days ago and i really like it. Grammar rules are well explained and there are many funny examples to illustrate those rules, which is very useful. There are also many other things here which can be very useful to people who want to learn any foreign language - paying attention to texts, songs etc in a given language is just one of many pieces of advice you can find here. I'm also really thrilled about small pieces of history of both German and English in this book (where the word "Mittwoch" comes from, for example)as it gives an additional flavor to learning German.
All in all, this isn't a book which you can use as your only resource to master German grammar but it definitely can help you to understand this language and avoid serious mistakes in using it.

A must have!.......2000-10-05

A girl down the hall in college had this book, and I found myself borrowing it probably once a day. Finally, she ended up giving it to me. The reason it is so helpful is that it lists the mistakes you are likely to make as a native English speaker learning German and then tells you how to correct them. It goes through all the parts of speech in a very clear and engaging way. It really had me exclaiming "Ah ha!!" at a rate of something like 3 times per page. Great as a supplement for a German course and for someone trying to learn on their own. If you are looking to buy the essentials for learning German, I would recommend this, "Teach yourself German Vocabulary" of the Teach Yourself series, a good dictionary, a verb book, and a good intermediate short story reader. Then you can feel confident enough to move on to primary texts!

Book Description

This handsome book examines English and French fashion from 1750-1820 by studying the art of the period, and it shows how changes in dress reflected social, political, and cultural developments in the two countries. It will be essential and delightful reading for those interested in eighteenth-century and early nineteenth-century art or fashion.

Customer Reviews:

Visual Feast.......2003-08-20

The Art of Dress uses paintings from the period 1750 to 1820 to place period examples of clothing before the reader's eyes. Fashions from Rocco splendor through the Directorate's simple classicism are paraded before our eyes in exquisite reproductions of numerous paintings. The text of the book provides an informed overview of the period with enough detail to bring the time alive. My only complaint is that a very little more detail would have better conveyed the changes and vogues in fashion during this exciting and varied period in fashion history. This is an excellent book that narrowly misses setting a benchmark.

Gorgeous reference material.......2001-12-18

I have so many costume history books that I have a hard time remembering which is which. This one stands out. It's one of my favorites. The photos are fabulous. The book shows not only high fashion of the time, it also has a whole chapter on fancy dress, or masquerade costumes from the period. Here are reproductions of paintings like the one by Gainsborough of the Hon. Frances Duncombe, a beautiful lady all done up in an 18th century version of 16th century costume. All I can say is it's a great book with images that you will not find anywhere else.

A great book! Lovely pictures and tremendous amount of info........2000-04-15

Art of Dress is essential in its information about the evolution of men's and women's clothing from 1750 to 1820. I bought this book in helping me to research the empire style dress of 1790s and early 1800s. It has helped me in my researching and placing me within the world of fashion during the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The fashion trends of underdress and overdress as well as hairstyles and clothing are shown in excess in this fabulous book. There are marvelous pictures of royalty of France (Empress Josephine Bonaparte) and her sisters. It is a definite 10 in my book!

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