Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business (The Conscientious Commerce Series) [Paperback]

John Elkington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1998 | Series: The Conscientious Commerce Series

Elkington convincingly argues that future market success will often depend upon a company's ability to satisfy the three-pronged fork of profitability, environmental quality, and social justice. This lively and practical guide outlines the seven great "sustainable" revolutions that are already unfolding, showing how business leaders should respond and profiles some of the world's best-known companies including Nike, Wal-mart, Levi Strauss, Volkswagen, Texaco, Intel, Volvo, Dow Chemical, Electrolux, Novo Nordisk, and Shell.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Polish poet Stanislaw Lec asked, "Is it progress if a cannibal uses a fork?" Elkington applies the question to twenty-first-century capitalism as he ponders whether holding corporations accountable to a "triple bottom-line" of economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social justice constitutes progress. Elkington cofounded SustainAbility, a London consulting firm that advises major corporations on how to be more environmentally sensitive and socially active while prospering economically. He is also the author of several books on corporate "greening" and "green" consumerism. Published last year in Britain, Elkington's book identifies the seven dimensions of--or revolutions leading to--a sustainable future. For each of the seven, he examines the "blind-spots" most corporate leaders have that prevent them from joining in the revolution. Focusing mostly on environmental issues and using examples from his impressive client list, Elkington invokes the mantra of sustainable development and assures us that this is progress. David Rouse

About the Author

John Elkington is co-author of the million-copy bestseller The Green Consumer Guide, Chairman of London-based SustainAbility, Europe's best respected sustainability consultancy firm, and a regular Guardian columnist and contributor to Harvard Business Review, Management Today, and Tomorrow Magazine.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: New Society Publishers (September 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865713928
• ISBN-13: 978-0865713925
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,603,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars An incomprehensible presentation of some important ideas May 13, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Elkington has some good ideas about how businesses can change to become more sustainable, but his pompous writing style and disorganized structure completely undermines the coherence of the book. "Cannibals With Forks" is grueling to read; every chapter is filled with presumptive arguments ("We WILL see this happen...") and annoying scientific analogies ("shear zones," "superconductors," etc.). Elkington tries to structure the book like a high-school textbook, with fancy graphics and big, bold headings, but the structure of the arguments follows no logical pattern and makes the book very difficult to read. Elkington does not build towards a conclusion; he simply beats the same problems to death over and over again. Our environmental studies class at UW - Madison read this book in its entirety and every one of us was sick of it by the end of Chapter 6; enough so that the instructor decided to remove the book from the class reading list next year. An interested reader would be better off reading "The Ecology of Commerce" by Paul Hawken; as it is infinitely more compelling and logical.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The bible of sustainability March 13, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

You can expect a complete perspective from the head of an organisation called SustainAbility on sustainability. That is what you get. John Elkington makes a useful classification of Non Governmental Organisations. The polarisers don't want to have anything to do with business. Business is in principle bad and should be watched and harassed. The integrators try to add two additional dimensions to business, environmental and social responsibility. Discriminators differentiate between good and bad businesses and the non-discriminators do not. This book is for the discriminating integrators. John Elkington believes that it is possible and necessary to get all businesses to act responsibly concerning profit and social and environmental issues- the triple bottom line. The book provides an excellent historical perspective of why businesses are moving on from the Friedman doctrine stating that the only social responsibility of a business is to make a profit. A business that wants to move in the sustainability direction can use the book to find out where it is on the path to full sustainability. The book also makes many practical suggestions on how to move forwards. The book is equally useful for NGOs, and public policy makers.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for responsible business people!!! February 18, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

If society is ever to achieve a more sustainable future: 1. it is essential that business will step on the bandwagon. This was recognised in the Rio+5 Conference in 1997 (New York). 2. for this to happen, business executives will need to see the strategic benefits for their companies, and 3. these executives will need a structure on how to implement their commitment to sustainable development. John Elkington has succeeded in the latter 2 points like no-one has before (at least to my knowledge). I can recommend it to anyone that has an interest in sustainable development and want to see how their company can contribute!