Investing for Change: Profit from Responsible Investment | 
 enlarge | Authors: Augustin Landier, Vinay B. Nair
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
Buy New: $8.85
You Save: $14.10 (61%)
New (37) Used (11) from $8.65
Rating:  16 reviews
Sales Rank: 518056
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1
Pages: 192
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0195370147
Dewey Decimal Number: 332.6
EAN: 9780195370140
Publication Date: November 26, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW BOOK, NEXT DAY SHIPPING, PADDED ENVELOPES, NOT A REMAINDER
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
For many of us, giving significant money away for promoting change is not a practical option. But investing for change--otherwise known as SRI (Socially Responsible Investing)--is something all of us can consider. Still, a number of questions come up when we consider what it means to invest "responsibly," including:
* Is it possible to "express values" through one's investments?
* How easy is it to rank companies along standards of social rather than financial value? Wouldn't such standards be subjective?
* Does "responsible investing" imply taking more financial risks, resulting in poor performance?
* Does SRI force less virtuous companies to improve their behavior?
In Investing for Change, Augustin Landier and Vinay Nair provide answers to these questions. Categorizing investors in illuminating groups of Yellow, Blue, and Red, and drawing on the latest research and their long experience in asset management, the authors show how responsible investing can truly come into its own.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 11 more reviews...
 SRI December 15, 2008
S. J Parker (Edmond, Ok)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The author of this book makes a good case for Socially Responsible investing. You'll learn ways you can invest in causes that you believe in, and still bring home a profit. They suggest looking at companies more closely and see if the companies values match your own.
The book also documents the slight out performance of SRI holdings versus the S&P 500. Responsible Investment has influenced major corporations such as Coca Cola, Wendy's Internation, Baxter International, McDonald's, Disney, Gap, and Proctor and Gamble
The reader is also introduced to K&D Research and Analytics that reviews thousands of corporations and scores companies for strengths and concerns related to community, diversity, employee relations, human rights, product safety, pollution and climate change (page 64) and companies are ranked by their Social Responsibility Scores.
We see companies going overseas, polluting the air, using child labor, etc. With this book, I'm going to begin putting my money where my mouth is.
Concise Read on Investing in Responsible Companies January 2, 2009
Joseph J. Slevin (Carlsbad, CA United States)
The authors of this book bring us through case studies and discussions about the types of companies that we would invest in if we wanted invest responsibly. Bringing us through the history of investing in industries since religiously based investing avoided certain industries, this has grown into a whole new approach.
Now, people want to choose not only to stay away from companies involved in gambling, tobacco, fire arms and related, but also to invest in companies that are proactive in areas like the environment, employee treatment and the like. The authors give us indexing of portfolios that had most or all verses an open index using the S&P 500 as a comparison. They do a compare and contrast to encourage that type of investment and that maybe having a more narrow portfolio with the above in mind may not hurt you at all, and maybe even be a benefit to the investor.
I really learned a lot from this very quick and insightful read. My only take away is the many of sentences were verbose and not due to technicalities, just wordiness. A great addition to the library of the thoughtful investor.
Socially Responsible Investing Made East November 30, 2008
Lissa Coffey, Host of coffeytalk.com (Los Angeles, CA)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
The title of this book appealed to me. I think we're all going through this stage right now, with the economy and our conscience, where we want to grow our money, and yet do so in a way that helps not just ourselves, but the planet in general. But how do we do that? "Investing for Change" explains it. The authors cover the how and the why and the what and manage for it all to make sense. I got some very good ideas from this book, which I will surely be implementing.
Socially Responsible Investing: The Experts of the Field December 3, 2008
Eagle Vision (Southeastern United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In this current time of American and Global financial turmoil, rising cost of food, increased foreclosures, global warming, corporate bailouts and the recession in the economy, this book outlines the methods of responsible investing to promote a common good in corporate America and in the world market. Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) is a way we can invest responsibly. In a way, "Money Talks".
As the authors quoted Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General (page 41):
"If implemented, they have tremendous potential to more closely align investment practices with the goals of the United Nations, thereby contributing to a more stable and inclusive global economy"
Investing in my core values is an interesting concept to me, and has a broader scope of promoting a positive influence on society. Whether your priorities are for human rights, healthier food, supporting democracy, animal rights, lowering carbon dioxide emissions, avoiding the sale of weapons to oppressive regimes (i.e. Darfur), not capitalizing on addictions (e.g. tobacco, alcohol, gambling), ethnic diversity in management or equal opportunity employment, as the authors have outlined, this book outlines the specifics of SRI.
Each chapter addresses the following issues:
Investing to Express Your Values: A Natural Idea
Can SRI Achieve Change?
Profits or Values?
Values and Increased Profits?
Is SRI Sustainable
Your Values
The book has extensive data and is well referenced, if you have a desire to research this topic further. The reader is also introduced to K&D Research and Analytics that reviews thousands of corporations and scores companies for strengths and concerns related to community, diversity, employee relations, human rights, product safety, pollution and climate change (page 64) and companies are ranked by their Social Responsibility Scores.
Although historical trends are not a predictor of future performance, investments in SRI portfolios have been in step with the S&P 500. Responsible Investment has influenced major corporations such as Coca Cola, Wendy's Internation, Baxter International, McDonald's, Disney, Gap, and Proctor and Gamble. Lobbying has lead to advocating passing a national energy bill to expand clean energy, reduce dependence on oil and curb pollution that causes global warming (page 50).
The book also helps the reader characterize himself or herself as what type of investor he or she is:
1) Feels morally obliged to avoid companies that are not compatible with personal values
2) Desires change if the financial cost is small
3) Not motivated by moral concerns
We are now at a time in history, where corporations must focus upon achieving the common good, in addition to expanding profits. Even in my personal pre-contemplation phase of investing, small changes can lead to large changes in the number of participants (page 111); take the industry of tobacco, for example.
Not all of the book is theoretical. This book also helps the investor decide on how to analyze his or her portfolio and make the change. The appendix lists a few companies that offere SRI funds.
I can forsee more books on this topic. This approach can only better each and everyone of us in our respective communities, our lives and our children's future.
VERDICT
Highly recommend this book for investors, corporate America, foreign corporations, academics and politicians.
2 Thumbs up!
Investing in What You Believe In December 13, 2008
Robert L. Stinnett (Boonville, MO)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Have you ever heard the old saying, "Put your money where your mouth is?" How many of us lament other companies using child labor, yet we still own stock in those companies? How many times have we seen a company do something wrong and yet turn around and reward them by investing in their stock?
Let's face it, we are a greedy bunch -- there is no doubt about it. Just look at the economic mess we are in because of it! However, the author of this book outlines ways you can make a profit but in a socially responsible way. He challenges you to put your money where your mouth is.
In this book you'll get advice and find out ways you can invest in causes that you believe in, and still bring home a profit. Sure, the profits might not be as obscene as you have been getting, but then you have to ask yourself -- are you all talk and no action? Are you willing to go against your principles and morals to make an extra $1? If so, this book is definitely not for you.
A wonderful book written by a very knowledgable author in the investment field. If you want to make a difference with your money this book is a great read and one you hopefully will learn a few new ideas and philosophies on investing.
|
|
|
