The Blue Way: How to Profit by Investing in a Better World

This book dispels the myths that all corporations are bad. The author takes us through his research to see that some corporations can in fact be considered good. He found that these 17 or so companies lead the S & P 500 and have business practices such as concern for the well being of their employees, an innovative culture, and eco efficiency. They also have a flat organizational structure and give money to progressive causes. Herein some great tables to also see which companies give to non progressive causes, how this all came about and what we can do about it. This book engages and informs. It reminds us that we are in charge of where the money goes when we consider how we spend and invest it, and of course who we vote for, the policy we support and how it's all connected. In this day and age when modern media can speak to economic issues and ignore that war and environmental degradation are among the issues for our presidential candidates let alone ethical challenges, it is refreshing to read a well documented step into creating sustainable habits so close to the pocket. Read it and follow-up.

OK, I admit I didn't expect all that much from this book at first; I'd already concluded I was interested in investing blue and balancing the tide of conservative investors (with whom I disagree profoundly). To my surprise, I learned a lot from reading this, and found it a reasonably pleasant read. I (PhD/MBA, active investor in just about everything for decades) am inherently skeptical of past-performance analyses by those with something to sell, but they make a far better than usual try of it. I'm still a little cautious about the extent to which the choice of time period drove the financial performance conclusions (they address portfolio monte carlos but didn't fully address the temporal selection side, to my thinking). But, as they point out, returns are only one element of the issue. There was a long, somewhat plausible, but inherently unproveable, interpretation of the tie between certain allegedly blue behaviors and financial results that one will have to make one's own judgement on. What I found most worthwhile was the discussion of the mechanisms and organizations of both the blue and red activist communities, how they have evolved, and what we (any of us) can do. It was a very worthwhile read. I don't think it will convert any skeptics or conservatives, but if you are already leaning "blue" it may be a pretty important book to consider.