Take It Personally: How to Make Conscious Choices to Change the World: Anita Roddick
From Publishers Weekly
Armchair observers of the WTO protests in November 2001 were bombarded by images of activists decrying globalization and its effects: demonstrators waved signs calling for a change in working conditions at sweatshops, in health care for women worldwide and in the environmental impact of toxic waste. Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, brings together essays by activist luminaries to show the interconnections between all these issues and to call for everyone to “take globalization personally.” So many discussions of worldwide problems are presented in this volume’s pages that the wealth of information is almost staggering. Jerry Mander, program director for the Foundation for Deep Ecology, explains how the computer revolution may not be so beneficial after all; Zac Goldsmith, editor of The Ecologist, details the possible effects of Britain’s new Terrorism Act; and Larry Elliott, economics editor of The Guardian, passionately critiques the profit-driven actions of big pharmaceutical companies. Other contributors explore Burmese heroin production, global income disparities, Asian sex-worker horrors and other topics, while each chapter includes a list of additional resources, such as relevant Web sites, magazines and organizations. And the book is gorgeously designed, with powerful photographs in a striking layout. Though much of the information might be familiar to dedicated activists, there is a lot for the globally conscious or globally concerned reader to learn. Part activist treatise, part coffee-table tome, this is a valuable, compelling summary of our planet’s ills. Illus. throughout. (Oct. 10)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
–This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Humanitarian consumers have been outraged to learn of the Gap’s sweatshops, the young children who assemble Nike running shoes, and the deplorable demands put on agricultural workers by Starbucks Coffee. This book is a call to action to change business practices that hurt workers, children, animals, and the environment. Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, a phenomenally successful alternative corporation, believes that businesses can be both profitable and ethical. Her 1,700 stores in 47 countries sell environmentally friendly beauty products within a model of personal accountability and social responsibility. Inspiring consumers to think about what they buy and from whom they buy it, this book examines the issues driving globalization and the steps consumers can take to keep destructive elements in check. Contributors include the Dalai Lama, Peter Gabriel, Julia Butterfly Hill, Vandana Shiva, Paul Hawken, and Ralph Nader.