Working for Good: Making a Difference While Making a Living [Unabridged] (Paperback)

~ Jeff Klein (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The words "business" and "social change" may seem contradictory, but the fact is a successful business may be the most powerful force for positive change in the world today. In Working for Good, Jeff Klein, one of the visionaries and driving forces behind Spinning, Seeds of Change, ChiRunning, and other forward-thinking brands presents a how-to guidebook for becoming a "conscious entrepreneur"--one who addresses social issues while running a profitable business based on integrity and self-actualization. Putting the tools of conscious business development firmly in our hands, Jeff Klein takes readers step by step through the five keys to Working for Good, showing how to:

• Express your humanity through full awareness and embodiment while engaging others with your work
• Establish purpose grounded in principles that sustain both your business and your virtues
• Generate rich experiences in and outside of work through a network of spirited connection and collaboration For anyone who has yearned to make a comfortable living in service of real social change, Jeff Klein offers an essential read that is at once deeply inspirational and wholly practical:Working for Good.

About the Author

Jeff Klein is the CEO of Cause Alliance Marketing(tm), an organization that designs and produces collaborative cause-related marketing programs that address social issues while fulfilling the business objectives of alliance partners. He currently serves as executive director and chief activation officer for FLOW--a non-profit dedicated to "liberating the entrepreneurial spirit for good" cofounded by John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, and educational entrepreneur Michael Strong. Jeff Klein has consulted for the Esalen Institute, the National Geographic Society, GlobalGiving,the Institute of Noetic Sciences, and more.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Sounds True, Incorporated; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591797268
• ISBN-13: 978-1591797265
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #554,867 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what it purports to be, September 13, 2009

By	S. Kay Murphy "Heretic" (Mt. Baldy, CA USA) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE)

(What's this?)

Dang it, I wanted to like this book. I chose it to review because I love the idea of it--Yes! Show us how to 'build and operate a successful conscious enterprise.' Help us change corporate America! Alas, the book does not deliver. I would still recommend it--as a guide to inter-office meditation, readiness and enlightenment in regard to working with others. But not for what it professes to be. It simply isn't that book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately, it was not the book I was hoping for.., November 24, 2009

By	Heidi (Maryland, United States) - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

I was immediately drawn to this book because I have always been interested in opening a vegan, earth-friendly bakery. I was hoping this book would be my guidebook to putting that plan into action, but unfortunately it did not deliver on that front. This is not a how-to on creating a successful business that is green, sustainable, and socially responsible while also being self-fulfilling.

If you already run a business and would like to search your soul to determine if you are on the right path; or if you are hoping to understand the feelings behind your business model, I think that this book will help you. There are some exercises in this book that can help you to determine how your business affects the world around you and the people in your community. Jeff Klein is obviously a very experienced businessman in that aspect. He has hundreds of anecdotes that serve as great insights into what some companies in the marketplace today are already doing to better themselves and the world around them.

While this book didn't serve my specific purpose, and I had hoped to see some arguments on why businesses should take up green and socially responsible practices, I still think it has it's place. It would be useful in determining the path you would like to take within your own company to do good in the world around you.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Less "how to build an enterprise" and more "how to understand your feelings in business", October 20, 2009

By	Jason Stokes (St. Louis) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    (VINE VOICE)

(What's this?)

I picked up and put down this book several times. I came in with an expectation that this would contain stories of how people have made a difference while working, a path to help understand how to make a positive difference, and a blueprint for going out and doing it. It's not that book. I can't fault it for it is, but it's not a practical guide to building sustainable business.

It is, however, a practical guide to look inside yourself, understand how the business is affecting you, and work from there. There are many discussions on meditative techniques, examining the fire inside, and so on - that would probably be very helpful to someone discerning if they really are in their true calling, or just working for the sake of working. On that note, it succeeds.