Confessions of a Radical Industrialist: Profits, People, Purpose--Doing Business by Respecting the Earth: Ray C. Anderson, Robin White: 9780312543495: Amazon.com: Books

From Publishers Weekly

In 1994, after reading Paul Hawken's The Ecology of Commerce, carpet mogul Anderson decided to make his carpet company Interface, established in 1973, the first company to achieve 100 percent sustainability, a massively successful effort that has made him a sought-after business consultant (clients include Walmart) as well as an environmental hero. Sustainability, argues Anderson, makes just as much business sense as it does a liberal crusade, and he even makes absorbing reading out of the process that transformed his operations. Interface developed processes for recycling old carpets, invented a leased carpet program (too much ahead of its time, admits Anderson), utilized the work of indigenous peoples, switched over to solar and other alternative energy sources, reduced water use and contamination, and, in 2007, even managed to achieve negative net greenhouse gas emissions. What is even more impressive is that Interface achieved this globally-not just in the U. S.-while growing profits. Unfortunately, Anderson is far less compelling when he turns his focus from Interface to leadership strategies, stumbling through the banalities of corporate spirituality and the Golden Rule. Still, the story of Anderson's commitment to green practices and the wild success he achieved is fascinating, instructive, and very timely.
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Review

"Ray Anderson with his team has transformed Interface, Inc. in one of the best cases of sustainability. All employees led by him were committed with the 'climb of Sustainability Mountain', as he says, and believed the challenge was possible. Throughout the book, Anderson reinforces that the concept 'I have financial success or I have environmental success' is not true and I truly believe in it. Besides all the skepticism, he shows us that everybody, from the CEO to the homeowners, can be part of this movement of building a new society. This is the main role of this book: to prove this is possible!"--Fabio Barbosa, President, Grupo Santander Brasil

"Ray Anderson is a personal inspiration for me and for anyone trying to find their way in this new world of green business. He may be ‘radical’ but he’s also a profit-seeking businessman. Confessions tells an amazing first-hand story of a personal and business transformation, a journey from being a cold-eyed capitalist to being…a cold-eyed capitalist, but just with a much larger perspective on what profitable really means. Ray has found a new path that’s good for the planet and great for his business. He’s showing the world how it’s done yet again."--Andrew Winston, environmental strategist, author of Green Recovery and co-author of Green to Gold

If we had a lot more businessmen like Ray Anderson, the planet would be neither bankrupt or overheated. He is a hero, and this book makes clear why!” --Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy

“We are in desperate need of hope in this world, but if hope is to be credible and trustworthy, it has to walk a straight line to reality. No one does this better than Ray Anderson.” –Paul Hawken, author of Ecology of Commerce, Natural Capitalism, and Blessed Unrest

“Anyone who thinks that business leadership on environmental sustainability is an oxymoron must read Confessions of a Radical Industrialist. In a humble, inspiring and informative manner, Ray Anderson describes his own journey to not just tweak the edges of his business towards green goals but to fundamentally re-think and re-design every aspect of its operations to respect environmental limits.

My only hesitation is that we cannot clone Ray Anderson…or perhaps we can? Let’s hope that Confessions of a Radical Industrialist becomes required reading in all business, industrial design, and economics classes so that our next generation of business leaders continue in the direction that Anderson has begun.” --Annie Leonard, author of The Story of Stuff

"Ray put everything he has built at his company on the line for what he believed and created a model of profitable sustainability and humanity. This tale of how and why is a great story of a good man. We sure do need more radical industrialists ."--Jonathan Lash, President of World Resources Institute

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Customer Reviews

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“ The book is interesting and a very easy read. ” Allytude | 3 reviewers made a similar statement

“ I think Interface's and Anderson's transformations are an inspiration for personal change as well. ” F. VALDES Perezgasga | 4 reviewers made a similar statement

“ While others tell us what's wrong . . . Ray Anderson shows us how to do it right. ” greenovation | 2 reviewers made a similar statement

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A third option for the climate change debate December 28, 2009

By Michael Baker

Format:Hardcover

Eight years ago, I attended a presentation given by Ray C. Anderson in Ottawa. His demeanour, notably calm, did not get in the way of his message. He did not thump the pulpit like a garden variety demagogue, nor did he machine gun the audience with statistics. Seldom has been the case when I've walked away from a conference speech so impressed by a man given the weight of his words.

As with all essential issues of the day, factions have divided into two opposing groups, neither one seemingly interested in swaying the other's position, as though the only options for climate change are denial or support. The levels of vitriol and obfuscation lower a very necessary debate to the very shameless tactics used to stalemate tobacco, gun control, abortion and gay rights issues. Lost in this bludgeoning of public discourse's most basic principles is the requisite sophistication to step back; to seek a third option.

Mr. Anderson, by virtue of being one of the few - though growing number of - industry leaders to implement a large scale sustainability program, offers an insider's perspective on his company's creative, can-do culture that has made Interface Inc. an irrefutable example of what can be done when the distraction of warring words is set aside; of the focus and determination needed to be at once a profitable as well as environmentally responsible corporate citizen. And as if that wasn't enough, Mr. Anderson gives us an intriguing vision for an overdue overhaul of industrial assumptions seldom challenged or updated since the 18th century.

This book, so important in its description of a comprehensive and sensible approach to industrial sustainability, has garnered so little attention from the mainstream press. Nor have I seen it among bestseller lists. It's as though the opposing factions are trapped in their dumbed-down, black-and-white and oft-times uncivil disagreement because they've staked (undeserved) reputations that would be endangered by a viable third option.

Loudmouths do like to yell. Ray C. Anderson is walking the walk, with every subsequent accomplishment relegating the chattering classes to irrelevance.

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring in time in which it is hard to be inspired March 4, 2010

By greenovation

This is the most important book for business leaders that I have read in over ten years.

I've heard Ray and many others speak. I've read dozens upon dozens of books on similar topics. I've been to conference after conference. But, rarely have I seen in such plain and clear terms a concrete case for how we can meet the goals of sustainability.

While others tell us what's wrong . . . Ray Anderson shows us how to do it right. And, most importantly, he tells us through experience and proven data how we can profit and do well by doing good. Love this book. It is a must read for anyone in business today.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical and Detailed November 1, 2009

By Rug EMT

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This provides strong evidence that when upper management gets excited about something other than purely profit-driven business pragmatics, socially- and environmentally-beneficial results occur along with reasonable corporate growth. "Confessions..." nicely rounds out readings such as Esty and Winston's "Green to Gold," McDonough and Braungart's "Cradle to Cradle," and Epstein et al's "Making Sustainability Work...," adding the details of how it can be done from a manufacturing viewpoint (and how hard it is), which is only briefly summarized in the other works and that don't have the personal "been in industry, done it" perspective that Anderson brings. While it's somewhat self-serving (but deservedly) and a little condescending in its treatment of Anderson's competitors, that pales in comparison to the vision that is detailed and how well his company stuck to it. This is a good, can-do kind of road map applicable to driving the cultural change goals that support environmentally sustainabilty, and is straight from the heart of industry.