World, Inc

Piasecki's book reminds me that the difference between a forgettable and a memorable business book is one thing: a hidden and enduring idea suddenly made tangible. In Thomas Friedman's World is Flat, we saw globalization come alive. In Freakonomics, we saw the perverse hidden results of out-of-whack incentives. In Tipping Point, we saw market hysteria laid bare. In World Inc., we see that demonstrating measurable impact of responsible corporate practices is the secret to moving corporate responsibility from mere "defensive" activities such as compliance and governance to "offensive" strategies that help companies raise capital, sell product and recruit talent. Because we can now see corporate responsibility's positive impact in the results of HP, GE, Toyota and others, and we can make money if we follow the guidance of corporate responsibility-aware ratings services such Innovest, IRRC/ISS, Calvert and S&P, corporate responsibility is suddenly tangible.