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31 reviews for:
Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business
John Mackey, Rajendra Sisodia
3.45 AVERAGE
31 reviews for:
Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business
John Mackey, Rajendra Sisodia
3.45 AVERAGE
While I love the idea of Conscious Capitalism, this book felt more like a Whole Foods Manifesto than an exploration into purpose-driven business.
I liked the examples of Patagonia and The Container Store, but the book was a little repetitive and lacked data / concrete use cases outside of fluffy Whole Foods examples.
I liked the examples of Patagonia and The Container Store, but the book was a little repetitive and lacked data / concrete use cases outside of fluffy Whole Foods examples.
This is a really great book. I gave it three stars because it had quite a bit of inspirational material that I thought could have been omitted or assigned to another book. That's just my opinion. Maybe others will find those parts indispensable. In any case, I think this book is beginning to change my view of business. For a long time, I've thought that beneficent businesses were possible but idealistic and only workable on a small scale: only folks with personality disorders (narcissism, sociopathy) can manage large companies. But Mackey is, I think, showing that today the businesses run by empathetic and caring CEOs are actually outperforming those run by the 'traditional egoistic businessman'.
This being said, I'm still wondering why Mackey keeps listing certain businesses, such as Costco and Amazon, as being 'conscious'.
ADDITION: After watching John Mackey on youtube, I wonder why he considers Obamacare fascism and is opposed to the minimum wage. First, though, as a Canadian I don't understand Obamacare entirely, it seems that if a company is paying its employees well and provides insurance, it shouldn't worry about these kinds of governmental interferences (other interferences might be more problematic) since they are in place to provide a minimum standard that prevents companies from taking advantage of potential or actual workers. There is a sense that transactions between a business and its employees are fair. This is often the case, especially among white-collar jobs. But this is often not the case when hunger, medical needs, and mental capabilities prevent employees from knowing what all their options are.
This being said, I'm still wondering why Mackey keeps listing certain businesses, such as Costco and Amazon, as being 'conscious'.
ADDITION: After watching John Mackey on youtube, I wonder why he considers Obamacare fascism and is opposed to the minimum wage. First, though, as a Canadian I don't understand Obamacare entirely, it seems that if a company is paying its employees well and provides insurance, it shouldn't worry about these kinds of governmental interferences (other interferences might be more problematic) since they are in place to provide a minimum standard that prevents companies from taking advantage of potential or actual workers. There is a sense that transactions between a business and its employees are fair. This is often the case, especially among white-collar jobs. But this is often not the case when hunger, medical needs, and mental capabilities prevent employees from knowing what all their options are.
If you want to understand why I'm not only pro-capitalism, but believe deeply in ethical business as a force for good in the world; and you want to get an idea for what my own philosophy is on business, and what a great business looks like; this book, right here, is a fair place to start.
Edit: Upon further reflection I do feel like this book largely preaches to the choir, and its arguments may not be convincing to someone who already has a very different philosophy
Edit: Upon further reflection I do feel like this book largely preaches to the choir, and its arguments may not be convincing to someone who already has a very different philosophy
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Amazing! Articulates many of my own thoughts. If you're struggling with understanding business's role in society this is your book.
Mackey and Sisodia would like you to know that they share your left-wing cultural values and want to do everything they can to make you feel morally superior, smart, and important so damnit you need to see that capitalism is pretty freaking amazing (and in the meantime start eating better by shopping at Whole Foods). The genius plan: mix the woo woo and goodie goodie with some Hayek and Friedman; good to save the world. Also, don't listen to the big baddies on Wall Street and their cronies manipulating government cause they're just operating a fancy casino. Instead vibe with Whole Foods' hippiness while you munch your new plant food burger and guzzle your kombucha (don't worry Mackey will still have the mochi bar ready for dessert cause you know sometimes you just have to give people what they want even if it's sugary). We all know in our heart of hearts a little more company-wide meditation and community service with earning caps on the C suite will fix every real and imagined externality of free markets conjured by your neighborhood Marx-quoting Malthusian. Begone anomie, inequality, boom-bust cycle, rent-seeking, and market failure, we can do capitalism with rainbows and butterflies.
But seriously, despite the wild-eyed, psychedelic-infused idealism, this work does make a persuasive defense of the value of capitalism and presents the tenets of "conscious capitalism." This business philosophy (rather than a macroeconomic theory or structural change) responds to the concerns raised about the purported ruthlessness of "shareholder capitalism" and the iniquity of "crony capitalism." I appreciate the attempt to persuade critics of capitalism from their ahistorical, anti-empirical, and utterly ignorant position, but they sometimes cede unnecessary ground to these critics. Additionally, it requires unwarranted hubris to believe that any single entity (government or business) knows what's best for society. This type of thinking lends itself to the socialized restrictions and cronyism, the authors purportedly abhor. In reality, conscious capitalism is an ingenious marketing scheme that defenestrates the opponents of capitalism, making it look prettier and palatable to their sophomoric and/or thoughtless ethical systems. On this basis alone, I could tolerate some of the goofiness embedded in this book.
But seriously, despite the wild-eyed, psychedelic-infused idealism, this work does make a persuasive defense of the value of capitalism and presents the tenets of "conscious capitalism." This business philosophy (rather than a macroeconomic theory or structural change) responds to the concerns raised about the purported ruthlessness of "shareholder capitalism" and the iniquity of "crony capitalism." I appreciate the attempt to persuade critics of capitalism from their ahistorical, anti-empirical, and utterly ignorant position, but they sometimes cede unnecessary ground to these critics. Additionally, it requires unwarranted hubris to believe that any single entity (government or business) knows what's best for society. This type of thinking lends itself to the socialized restrictions and cronyism, the authors purportedly abhor. In reality, conscious capitalism is an ingenious marketing scheme that defenestrates the opponents of capitalism, making it look prettier and palatable to their sophomoric and/or thoughtless ethical systems. On this basis alone, I could tolerate some of the goofiness embedded in this book.
Interesting ideas with a lot of arrogant "self-enlightened" psycho-spiritual babel.
There are some good nuggets of truth and some things that can be gleaned.
There are some good nuggets of truth and some things that can be gleaned.
Great business book, one that clearly states a lot of my beliefs on capitalism. Companies should not be only about profit, but should realize that the company is, and can be, so much more. My only criticism is that the book is way too long. It could have gotten all it's points across effectively in about half the pages.
informative
slow-paced
The central idea of the book is solid and there's a lot to be liked about the win to the 6th way of running a business. The point being caring about everyone related to the business, not just pursuing the profits. Everyone being: customers, employees, suppliers, investors, community, and the environment. Making decisions with all these parties in mind will create a better and more sustainable business.
But all this is based about constant self-praise in the form of Whole Foods being the best of the best. Which would be fine if the subtitle of the book was "and how we implemented it in Whole Foods". But it's not. It's saying it's about business and it's "heroic spirit". There's also a lot of hand-wavy cherry-picked statistics trying to prove his points which just leads to a lot of face palming and screaming in the void while reading.
All in all, I agree with Mackey - capitalism isn't great but it's best we got so far. The main problem is pursuing profit for profit's sake. Or growth for growth's sake. Conscious Capitalism tries to give an alternative view and persuade you that this is the way of all the great companies and that all others will fall in line and follow this model eventually. This is where we disagree since I see the future as far more bleak.
It's a "Whole Foods is the best" book camouflaged as business book. It's not bad, but feel free to skip it and read Let My People Go Surfing which is more honest about what it is and also provides you with more actionable ways to run your business.
But all this is based about constant self-praise in the form of Whole Foods being the best of the best. Which would be fine if the subtitle of the book was "and how we implemented it in Whole Foods". But it's not. It's saying it's about business and it's "heroic spirit". There's also a lot of hand-wavy cherry-picked statistics trying to prove his points which just leads to a lot of face palming and screaming in the void while reading.
All in all, I agree with Mackey - capitalism isn't great but it's best we got so far. The main problem is pursuing profit for profit's sake. Or growth for growth's sake. Conscious Capitalism tries to give an alternative view and persuade you that this is the way of all the great companies and that all others will fall in line and follow this model eventually. This is where we disagree since I see the future as far more bleak.
It's a "Whole Foods is the best" book camouflaged as business book. It's not bad, but feel free to skip it and read Let My People Go Surfing which is more honest about what it is and also provides you with more actionable ways to run your business.
Many of the ideas in this books are very intriguing and make sense. It is easy to understand and readable. H
owever sometimes they lay it on a little thickly:
Starbucks is a concious business and can thus afford to hire capable barristas who remember your name and order? Whole Foods has an armada of customer envoys who champion them? Whoever thinks this is true without question has never been on the internet. In general the challenges of the digital are left mostly untouched.
owever sometimes they lay it on a little thickly:
Starbucks is a concious business and can thus afford to hire capable barristas who remember your name and order? Whole Foods has an armada of customer envoys who champion them? Whoever thinks this is true without question has never been on the internet. In general the challenges of the digital are left mostly untouched.