12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Investing in Human Kind, Dec 24 2008
By H. Sirkin - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Philanthrocapitalism (Hardcover)
In this time of recession and government spending cuts, charitable organizations and medical, scientific and social research are under severe pressure to curtail their efforts. But thanks to the return-oriented support of the ultrawealthy, these programs can in many cases continue their critical work. Bishop and Green trace the history of philanthrocapitalism and focus on its implications for modern society. With their emphasis on key players like the Rockefeller Foundation, Warren Buffett and Bill Gates ("Billanthropy"), Bishop and Green provide a clear perspective on how the ultrarich are playing an increasingly important role in making investments--rather than just donations--to solve problems that will transform the lives of humankind. This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the future of philanthropy.
12 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Clearing the Windshield about Social Investing, Jan 4 2009
By Don Tapscott - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Philanthrocapitalism (Hardcover)
I'm generally disappointed by business, and for that matter non-fiction books. It's rare to get a fresh idea, let alone one that is argued well. I've followed Mathew Bishop's work over the years was was excited to learn he had a new book. But I confess to some skepticism when I saw he had co-authored a book with a subtitle "How the Rich Can Save the World." When I look at the problems facing the world it seems to me that the rich, more than any other group have messed it up. And what a mess we have.
However, Philanthrocapitalism is a great book, and I can't think of any category of educated person who should not read it. For starters there is a lot of mud on the windshield when it comes to social investing, venture philanthrophy, philanthropreneurship, social innovation, social entrepreneurship and the like. The book provides a vivid and reach exposure to how wealth is increasingly being applied to improve the state of the world. I learned about the ecosystems of social investing, and was stunned to learn what's actually happening in this area.
For some time there has been the expression among the Corporate Social Responsibility community "You do well by doing good." I don't think this has been true. Many companies have done well by being awful - by having terrible labor practices, bad products bolstered by good advertising, externalizing costs (such as industrial emissions) on society and the like. However increasingly in the age of transparency everyone is being held to higher standards. And a new generation of people with wealth are beginning to understand that you can't succeed in a world that is failing.
And what a great read. Every single chapter was packed with interesting stories about the players who are making this happen.
I expect the book will be widely read, and so it should. But my greatest hope is that people with wealth will read it and follow the lead of their most progressive peers. How ironic, should the rich actually end up being key to making this smaller world our children inherit a better and more sustainable one?
Don Tapscott, author Grown Up Digital, Wikinomics, The Naked Corporation and other books.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
How The Rich Can Save The World, Nov 3 2008
By A. A. Cave - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Philanthrocapitalism (Hardcover)
We may all be obsessed with our own financial issues in the current downturn but it is likely to make Warren Buffett even richer in the long term so don't let anyone tell you that philanthrocapitalism dies with the credit crunch.
Bishop and Green make this argument powerfully in this impressive dissection of the origins, motivations and likely direction of corporate philanthropy. There are some great stories about the rich and famous - I particularly liked the expletive-ridden exchange between P Diddy and Bill Gates - but this is not an exercise in philanthro-puffery. The authors accept that the chief motivation of many such givers is a lower tax bill. This is a highly-readable, well-crafted exposition of why that shouldn't make a jot of difference.