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A 2023 Porchlight Business Book Award and Inc. Non-Obvious Book Award winner
Dispatches from the regenerative landscape, where pioneering entrepreneurs use their businesses as catalysts of change to go beyond sustainability and solve social and environmental problems
Political upheaval and social turmoil have peeled back the glitzy layers of capitalism to reveal an uncomfortable truth: historically, businesses have sourced materials from remote corners of the globe and moved millions of people and tons of cargo around the clock—all in the name of profit. Yet many of today’s startups are rewriting the rules of business: how it’s done, by whom, and, most importantly, for what purpose. Journalist Esha Chhabra draws on her decades of reporting to explore not only the “feel good, do good” factors of these restorative enterprises but also the nuanced realities and promise of regenerative business operations.
Working to Restore examines revolutionary approaches in nine areas: agriculture, waste, supply chain, inclusivity for the collective good, women in the workforce, travel, health, energy, and finance. The companies profiled are solving global issues: promoting responsible production and consumption, creating equitable opportunities for all, encouraging climate action, and more. Chhabra highlights how their work moves beyond the greenwashed idea of “sustainability” into a new era of regeneration and restoration.
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"In a world so focused on short-term profit that our very survival often gets short shrift, it’s easy to despair: what choice do we have? My advice: choose to read this book, to start. Esha Chhabra has traveled the world to share the stories of businesspeople with heart and vision, and after reading Working to Restore, it’s clear that a regenerative, healing approach to business can preserve jobs, economies, and the world. Be excited about the future for once! Covering novel business solutions in health, energy, finance, the environment, and more—from brilliant, creative people, rich and poor, on six continents—Chhabra offers the one solution we need most and can apply anywhere: a better way of thinking. This book offers practical hope, backed by effective actions. Make reading Chhabra’s work one of yours."
— Bob Harris, author of The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One $25 Kiva Loan at a Time
With wit and energy, Chhabra introduces us to an exciting new business landscape.
— Kirkus ReviewsThe regenerative mindset enables you to sidestep getting mired in past or present challenges and catapults you and your work into the realm of the possible, the hopeful, the optimal. That’s what we love about Esha Chhabra’s Working to Restore.
— Jay Coen Gilbert, cofounder of B LabUplifting, in every sense!
— John Elkington, founder and chief pollinator, Volans, and author of Green Swans: The Coming Boom in Regenerative CapitalismProvides inspiring yet tangible examples from a wide range of sectors of how to bring business back into balance and how to value what matters most: ‘simplify and spend time immersed in life, not stuff.’
— Melissa Ho, vice president, World Wildlife FundWorking to Restore is essential reading as we work to solve the social, economic, and environmental problems of our times.
— Ryan Gellert, CEO, PatagoniaConsidering the trouble our planet is in, effective engagement by the private sector is one of the few promising strategies left, and Chhabra gives us plenty of excellent examples for inspiration.
— Gero Leson, vice president of special operations at Dr. Bronner’s and author of Honor Thy LabelThis book should be required reading for everyone, as we will all need to think like entrepreneurs in order to solve the complex problems we face in the world.
— Shilpa Shah, cofounder of CuyanaJust the antidote to the doom and gloom we need for our time. The book can and should inspire a generation.
— Maxine Bedat, author of Unraveled: The Life and Death of a GarmentBoth beautiful and necessary.
— Stephan Chambers, director, Marshall Institute, London School of EconomicsAs usual, entrepreneurs are leading the way to transformative approaches to what ails the world. Now, global leaders and corporate executives need to get on board—and they can start by reading Working to Restore.
— Tom Post, former managing editor, Forbes MediaIf capitalism is to be transformed into the engine of inclusive, just, and sustainable prosperity we need, a new generation of purpose-driven companies must lead the way. Chhabra’s compelling book tells the stories of some of the best of these game-changing businesses and is guaranteed to inspire.
— Matthew Bishop, author and former business editor of The EconomistSaving our planet always comes down to the same thing: talk less, do more. Business leaders have a responsibility to regenerate Earth and her communities by revolutionizing our economy—and Working to Restore tells the stories of exactly that. Thoughtful, probing, solution-oriented, and hopeful, this beautiful book portrays everything we need in this time of planetary crisis to reverse our current downward spiral back up into a more virtuous circle.
— Elizabeth Whitlow, executive director, Regenerative Organic AllianceWe are entering the Regenerative Era. Chhabra provides portraits of innovation, resilience, and commitment to the planet and humankind that can help lead business into this new era.
— Dr. Robert Strand, executive director, Center for Responsible Business, University of California–BerkeleyBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Samara Naeymi is a voiceover artist who has lent her talents to commercial radio, cartoons, video games, and audiobooks. Her voice can be heard in television shows such as Pokemon and World of Winx and video games such as “Modern Combat Versus.”