It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly a decade since I started writing these annual sustainability book reviews. Welcome to 2025! The world is still spinning (for now), and the ESG, sustainability, and corporate responsibility universe is as dynamic as ever. Once again, I’ve assembled a reading list to keep you sharp, entertained, and maybe just a little bit outraged—let’s find that healthy grey area between existential dread and toxic optimism. The theme this year might be best noted as the intersection of capitalism and climate.
Read on for the books that both inspired and enraged me in 2024:
Last year, for the first time, I included a work of fiction on my list and got a lot of good feedback for the incredible short story of Small Things Like These. So let’s start this year’s list with another thought-provoking fiction work. Environmental activism meets moral gray areas in this novel by Eleanor Catton. It’s like a Netflix drama about eco-warriors, but smarter and with better writing. Warning: you might find yourself questioning your own ideals by the last page. What would you do if a billionaire offered your nonprofit endless growth? Where’s the catch? There’s always a catch.
Climate Optimism: Climate Wins and Creating Systemic Change Around the World by Zahra Biabani
If you’re exhausted from all the doom and gloom, Zahra Biabani “Climate Optimism” is the uplifting read you didn’t know you needed. With real-world success stories and actionable steps, this book reminds us that progress is possible—and that a little hope goes a long way in the fight against climate change. Consider this your feel-good sustainability pick of the year.
You know that awkward moment when corporations try to be activists and end up looking like your dad trying to do TikTok dances? Temple University Professor Tom Lin dives into this phenomenon with wit and wisdom, showing how businesses can actually make activism work without embarrassing themselves (or us).
The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs by Christopher Marquis
It’s really easy to throw a stone and fine a company that seemingly rakes in billions while sticking the rest of us with the cleanup bill. Christopher Marquis lays it all out in this sharp, no-nonsense takedown of corporate greed. But it’s not just a takedown. Marquis also outlines the restorative and regenerative work corporations can do when they want to reform the systems they too often promote. Warning: reading this might make you side-eye your 401(k) investments, but it will also give you a reason to think critically about what your company can do to bring morals to the front seat in our journey.
Conscience Incorporated: Pursue Profits While Protecting Human Rights by Michael H. Posner
One of my biggest smack my head moments in sustainability consulting comes regularly when inevitably a lovely executive in a major corporation says something like, “yeah, but human rights isn’t an issue for us. It’s not like we’re based in [insert perceived 3rd world country with human rights issues here].” And then I have to explain to them how even Ben & Jerry’s had child labor in their supply chain recently. Michael Posner shows us how to make human rights a part of every ESG program and company without sounding like a motivational poster. Packed with practical advice and real-world examples, this book will make you believe in capitalism again—or at least a friendlier version of it.
If you’re the kind of person who loves obsessing over weather apps, this book is your jam. David Stainforth explains the wild world of climate prediction with all its certainties, uncertainties, and head-scratching mysteries. Spoiler alert: the future’s not looking great, but at least you’ll understand why.
Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War by Tom Steyer
Tom Steyer has a plan—and no, it’s not another billionaire rocket ride to space. In this hopeful and practical guide, he lays out how we can actually tackle climate change without breaking the bank (or the planet). Turns out, saving the world might be easier than assembling IKEA furniture.
Expansive Impact by Sarah M. Young
Want to change the world but don’t know where to start? Sarah Young got your back. This book is basically a masterclass in thinking big and acting bigger. Bonus points for not being boring—this one’s as inspiring as it is actionable. This one isn’t just for ESG leaders, it’s for every leader. A new way to think about servant leadership and impact.
Beyond Shareholder Primacy: Remaking Capitalism for a Sustainable Future by Stuart Hart
Stuart L. Hart manifesto for a new kind of capitalism is equal parts inspiring and sobering. If you’re tired of hearing about shareholder value as the end-all, be-all of business, this book is for you. It’s like therapy for your ESG-weary soul.
Triumph of the Yuppies: America, the Eighties, and the Creation of an Unequal Nation by Tom McGrath
A little bit of a wildcard here from the incredible Tom McGrath, and included here not just because I’ve always been obsessed with the 80s and the Gordon Gekkos of the world. The 80s…Wall Street excess, and the birth of our modern inequality problem, and Michael Jackson before he became problematic. Tom McGrath takes a deep dive into how the era’s yuppies (remember them?) set the stage for today’s economic mess. It’s a fascinating, infuriating trip down memory lane. And for me, it shone a light on the generation of executives we’re often still trying to bring into the loop on sustainability.
Closing Thoughts
Whether you’re a seasoned ESG warrior or a curious newbie, I hope these books will challenge your thinking and maybe even make you laugh (or cry). Now go forth and read—the planet (and corporate America) not going to save itself!
Want to action on any of the awesome concepts in these books or others? Contact the Veerless team for more insights and information on how we can make sustainability work for your company today.