2023 Axiom Business Books Award Silver Medalist (Business Commentary)
2023 Nautilus Book Award Silver Medalist (Social Change & Social Justice)
This is the first in-depth examination of the important ongoing fusion of activism, capitalism, and social change masterfully told through a compelling narrative filled with vivid stories and striking studies.
Today, corporations and their executives are at the front lines of some of the most important and contentious social and political issues of our time, such as voting rights, gun violence, racial justice, immigration reform, climate change, and gender equality. Why is this sea change in business and activism happening? How should executives and activists engage one another to create meaningful progress? What are potential pitfalls and risks for each side? What can they learn from each other? What first principles should guide leaders moving forward?
The Capitalist and the Activist offers an engaging and thoughtful look at the new reality of corporate social activism—its driving forces, promises and perils, and implications for our businesses and personal lives. Weaving deep research and fascinating stories that span business, entertainment, history, science, and politics, Tom Lin provides an insightful road map for how society arrived here and a practical compass for moving forward. Drawing together examples from the civil rights movement, campaign finance litigation, gun regulation, Black Lives Matter, the Confederate flag controversy, the Trump presidency, and other historical events, Lin brilliantly reveals and charts the course for a changing society of capitalists and activists seeking both profit and progress.
The Capitalist and the Activist is a must-read for anyone trying to understand the emerging future of activism, business, and politics.
ISBN-13: 9781523091997
Media Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
Publication Date: 01-11-2022
Pages: 224
Product Dimensions: 6.31(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.70(d)
Tom C. W. Lin is an award-winning law professor at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. He is also an academic fellow at George Washington University’s Center for Law, Economics & Finance. He is an expert in business organizations, corporate governance, and financial regulation. His scholarship has been published in many leading academic law journals. His expertise has been featured in major media outlets like Bloomberg News, CNN, Fortune, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. His research has also been cited by courts and regulators around the world.
Table of Contents
Preface ix
Introduction Reimagining Capitalism and Activism 1
Chapter 1 Profit, Purpose, and Progress 13
Chapter 2 Government Incorporated 29
Chapter 3 Corporate Rights, Money, and Activism 41
Chapter 4 Everything Is Your Business 53
Chapter 5 Restraining a President 67
Chapter 6 Original Sins 83
Chapter 7 Better Activism, Better Business 99
Chapter 8 The Perils of Corporate Social Activism 117
Chapter 9 The New Business of Change 133
Chapter 10 The Journey Forward 143
Conclusion We Are More Than 159
Discussion Guide 167
Notes 171
Acknowledgments 189
Index 193
About the Author 203
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