Heartland Successful Road Show to Rebuild America, organized by Cosimo Author Tom Croft

Thomas Croft, author of Up from Wall Street: The Responsible Investment Alternative  and Managing Director of Heartland Capital Strategies, launched a series of regional Responsible Investment Forums in 2012 to spur new investments for addressing capital gaps in the economy.  Under Heartland’s banner, four Forums were held in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Detroit, cities hard hit by the Great Recession.

“.... as investment pioneer Phil Angelides warned in LA: ‘The ultimate tragedy of the past decade is that we created $13 trillion in mortgage securities – many of which were destructive – rather than deploying that capital in ways to make us a global leader in renewable energy or in rebuilding our infrastructure.’  

It’s clear that the Road Shows revealed a pent-up demand across the nation to forge new collaborations for rebuilding our economy – managers and capital stewards of workers’ capital willing to take a lead in realizing this goal.  Going forward, there is a consensus that Heartland can be a catalyst in advancing this collaboration.”

"The Men Who Built America"

There is a series on the History Channel called "The Men Who Built America" about famous men who changed the American landscape as we know it: John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and J.P. Morgan. The show's summary explains, "These men created the American Dream and were the engine of capitalism as they transformed everything they touched in building the oil, rail, steel, shipping, automobile and finance industries..."

Cosimo carries several biographies and histories about all these great men, and others like them. If you're a fan of the History Channel and want to know more about these historical figures, check out our bookstore. You can read books by and about Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford,  John D. Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and soon, J. P. Morgan. Read and learn about the history of America and the faces who made it.

"As the World Burns: Can an Integrated Monetary System Save Us?" - Review of The Tierra Solution

Ethan Goffman, associate editor of the open-access journal for sustainable solutions, Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy, has written a thought-provoking review of Frans Verhagen's The Tierra Solution. You can read the original review, along with some enlightening articles about sustainability, here, but see what he has to say below.

Climate change requires an integrated global approach. Solutions cannot be isolated by borders, nor from our economic and social systems. Big thinking is needed. One recent book that thinks big is The Tierra Solution by sustainability sociologist Frans Verhagen, President of the International Institute of Monetary Transformation. The book recommends a global currency called the Tierra based on carbon. Given the severe challenge of climate change, such sweeping proposals are needed to create a larger vision and stimulate discussion. And clearly, a major shift in our monetary system is needed for a stable, sustainable planet. Still, the book is simplistic in its claims for a singular solution and understates the huge political challenges.

The Tierra would abandon our current floating currency, in which dollars, euros, renminbi, pesos, and other currency fluctuate relative to one another, oftentimes wildly so. While such volatility is economically stressful, Verhagen points out that the gold standard, the classical stable unit of currency, suffers from the artificial nature of gold, which itself ebbs and flows in price. As an international currency based on carbon, the Tierra would be both comprehensive and stable. It would also be tied to the environment, encouraging responsible behavior globally. As Verhagen explains, “[T]he proximity of a nation’s decarbonization level to the [Tierra] standard would determine the...value of its currency.”

Alas, the book leaves a hole as to how a transition to such a standard would take place. It does, however, describe a more complete system of which the Tierra is only one part, albeit the central one. Controlled by a global monetary institution, the Tierra would be a credit-based currency integrated with an exchange of wealthy countries’ ecological debts and poorer countries’ financial debt, and working alongside a carbon tax.

Read the rest of the review on the Sustainability blog, here. And don't forget to leave a comment here or there with your own thoughts on the issue!

OCCUPY! Dissecting Occupy Wall Street: Stories from the Field by Danny Schechter the News Dissector

In light of the Occupy Wall Street marches today supporting the ConEdison strike and a country-wide increase of the minimum wage, it seems like a good time to promote July's book of the month, Occupy: Dissecting Occupy Wall Street, by Danny Schechter.

Danny, known popularly as the News Dissector, has long commented on social protests and the ills of Wall Street and the big banks. He predicted the burst of the housing bubble and the collapse of the economy with his book Plunder and the follow-up documentary, Plunder, The Crime of Our Time. He regularly visits South Africa and wrote about the reform that was needed in that country on his blog and in Blogothon. The point is, he has long history of being interested in social and economic reform, the evidence of which can be seen in his many blog posts and articles.

So it's safe to say that Danny knew what he was talking about when he reviewed and participated in the Occupy Wall Street protests that took place last fall and winter. Occupy is a collection of blog posts and articles from September through December of 2011, when Occupy Wall Street was at the height of its campaign. Danny studies how the movement started, what it did well, and how it could improve. He was well-placed to do so, considering his background working with other political reform movements like the March on Washington and Spain's "Tahrir Square" in Madrid's Puerta Del Sol in June of last year.

Occupy is an interesting and in-depth study of the inner-workings of a movement created by regular citizens who just want to make a difference. You can read the press release for more details and check out the ebook version for only $7.99.

Danny Schechter is a writer, television producer, and independent filmmaker who also speaks about media and financial issues. He is the editor of Mediachannel1.org and blogs daily as the News Dissector at NewsDissector.net. Schechter is the author of fourteen books and has produced and directed more than thirty documentaries and television specials. His blog was named the 2009 “Blog of the Year” by the Hunter College Media Department of the City University of New York. You can follow him on Twitter at @dannyschechter and @DISSECTOREVENTS.

Bookbuzz Blog Radio with Frans Verhangen: Discussing His New Book on Climate Change and the Financial Crisis

Last week, Frans Verhagen, author of The Tierra Solution (Cosimo's June Book of the Month) had a conversation with Susanna Greenberg on BlogTalk Radio about the book and the state of the climate. Verhagen discussed the current climate crisis and what is currently being done to solve those problems, currency problems and moving toward a standard currency, what a carbon standard is and why it is more beneficial than any other standard, and the benefits of the Tierra Fee and Dividend System.


This book and talk comes on the heels of the Rio+20 conference in Brazil, where "world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, [came] together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet to get to the future we want."

Amid Rio+20 UN Conference and Impending Climate Crisis, The Tierra Solution Delivers Answers

With the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development happening this week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the upcoming presidential election--where there is sure to be at least some focus on climate issues and a lot of focus on financial issues--this month's Book of the Month is both timely and relevant. The Tierra Solution, by sustainability sociologist Dr. Frans Verhagen, offers a solution to climate change through monetary transformation, essentially killing two birds with one stone.

Dr. Verhagen proposes to resolve to the current financial, economic, and monetary problems around the world with a credit-based financial system, governed by a Global Central Bank, that uses a carbon standard for a newly developed international monetary system with the Tierra as the unit of account--hence, the Tierra Solution.

Basically, Verhagen suggests that by simply holding businesses and governments accountable for the carbon-based energy they use, and basing money exchange on that energy, we can create a cleaner environment and solve the global financial crisis. Separated into two distinct parts, The Tierra Solution first describes the current climate crisis and methods of carbon reduction that already exist (and why they are not ideal). He also lays out the history and present structure of the international monetary system. Then, Verhagen describes the Tierra Fee & Dividend System, why it is the best solution for our ravaged economies, how it will improve the climate and monetary systems, and how it should be implemented.

Hazel Henderson, evolutionary economist and president of Ethical Markets Media, commented that The Tierra Solution is, "a visionary and immensely practical approach to reforming today's bubble finance and taming its global casino. Verhagen... illuminates the win-win solutions possible when we combine monetary transformation with low-carbon, renewable resource strategies and equitable approaches to sustainable development."

In his Foreword, Felix Dodds, executive director of the Stakeholder Forum, said, "This book is an important contribution because it provides some serious ideas for how we can ensure that there is international monetary justice that takes account of social, environmental, and procedural justice and intergenerational principles in the international monetary system."

This is not a light-hearted read.

But it is essential for those in finance and governements (or who want to influence those areas) to understand how our current systems are failing and why we need something new. Verhagen describes it as needing to "repair the present global monetary, financial, and economic systems that enrich the few, impoverish the many, and imperil the planet."

If you're interested in the official press release, you can read it here. Dr. Frans Verhagen is a sustainability sociologist with a Ph.D. in the sociology of international development from Columbia University. he founded the Queens Green party, the Riverside Church Ecology Task Force, and the Ecolinguistics Commission. He has worked around the world and online teaching environmental policies and sustainability.He is online at www.timun.net.

Noble Enterprise by Darwin Gillett selected as one of Top 40 Business Books

We thought our readers might enjoy this blog entry from John Spence, a well-known business blogger, author, and recipient of an Honorable Mention from Small Business Influencer in 2011. John chose 40 books out of the more than 2000 business titles he has read to make his "Top 40 Business Books" list--quite an honor for all involved. John says.

“I sit here in my office surrounded by more than 2,000 business books I must admit that it is pretty tough to narrow it down to just a handful of the very best.  However, if I were going to pick the top books that I feel give the best information for how to run a business successfully this would be my list.”

We are proud to announce that Darwin Gillett, author of Noble Enterprise, is on that list, putting him in league with authors Tom Peters, Jim Collins, Warren Bennis, and other luminairies! Noble Enterprise, published in 2008, offers the insights, leadership tools, and inspiration for entrepreneurs to create a business--a noble enterprise-- that will lead employees to new heights of performance. It teaches business owners to:

• Strengthen the organization by awakening and activating the rich array of human energy, wisdom, passion, and purpose in employees;
• Revitalize your company by creating and implementing a plan for turning around (and turning on) even the most "stuck" operation;
• Build sustainable growth and profitability by learning the secrets of corporate revitalization and applying them to achieve sustainable success;
• Expand your leadership impact by building employee morale and commitment and helping employees achieve big performance goals; and
• Inspire your people by increasing employees' enthusiasm and confidence and turning your company into a high-performing noble enterprise

Dare to Care Author Calls for Cooperation on Financial Crises in Online Video

Dare to Care author Louis Bohtlingk calls us to action and presents his ideas about how to transform the financial world in his new online video. You can watch the video below, as well as check out Louis's online platform for Dare to Care. Louis invites us:

LET’S RAISE OUR VOICES, SHARE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND BUILD TOGETHER!“Join the discussion about the state of our financial world and our economies and what we can do to create a better situation for us all. We need to hear everyone and work together. We all can make a contribution.”

You can view more videos from Louis on his website, www.carefirstworld.com.

Cygnus Review in the UK had this to say about Dare to Care:

“Louis Bohtlingk offers an inspiringly simple yet far-reaching idea 
for transforming our economy and the world of finance, so that it support rather than undermines, 
our human needs and those of our planet.”

Book review Dare to Care: Why Our Current Financial Crisis is a Crisis of Consciousness

Dare to Care: A Love Based Foundation for Money and Finance has received yet another review. Maddy Harland co-founder and editor of Permaculture Magazine (www.permaculture.co.uk) has written the review which can be found here.  The review discusses confronting the world's financial issues and what a care based economy would look like, based on what Louis Bohtlingk describes in his book and comes to a positive conclusion that not only is Bohtlingk's system a possibility, it would serve the greater good. Read it!

Rory O'Connor's Virtual Book Tour

If you're interested in social media, or media in general, and like Danny Schechter's work, then you should check out a virtual book tour by Rory O'Connor TONIGHT, at 7pm EST/4pm PST. You can see all the details and sign up here.

O'Connor will be discussing his new book, Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands and Killing Traditional Media. He'll explain the trends in social media and explore what tech visionaries, media makers, political advisers, and businesspeople are saying about the meteoric rise of the various social networks.

Check it out!

Co-founder of Women's World Banking, Michaela Walsh on "Is Risk-taking Only Bad Banking When Done by Women?"

"Michaela Walsh (co-founder of Women's World Banking and author of the upcoming Cosimo book "Founding a Movement, Women's World Banking,1975–1990" -  which tells the story about the founding of this micro-finance institution for women), wrote together with Nancy Carson in a letter to the Financial Times their response to an article published earlier in the FT, "Women bankers linked to rise in risk-taking". That latter article presents a report by the German Bundesbank that claims a link between the more women are represented on a bank board, the riskier the decisions of the bank. Based on Ms. Walsh's extensive experience working with women and finance around the world, she counters this narrow finding by stating her point of view:

"This characterisation appears to be yet another argument against women as full participants in today’s economy." Then she and ms. Carson point out a McKinsey study that found that boards with mixed boards had 56% higher operating profits, and continue to say that during their 15 years leading the Women’s World Banking movement around the globe, they learnt that "...Women are business people. Some take risks, others do not. Some succeed, others do not." Finally, they state that the low participation rate of women on bank and other boards is not strengthening the economy, but a denial of talent and resources. It will be interesting to see how this discussion will develop further as more women will be gaining professional and executive roles in banking and business.

Check the article out on the Financial Times Website.

As a tribute to upcoming Earth Day, Cosimo picks Earth Fever as April's book of the month

With spring officially here, the trees growing greener, the flowers starting to bloom, and the weather starting to warm up it’s time to announce a new book of the month. April is filled with many important days, holidays, and themes. But here at Cosimo we decided to focus on Earth Day, which falls on Sunday April 22 this year. 

The purpose of Earth Day is to bring awareness to the environmental issues that continue to have an impact on the health of our Earth.  Climate change is warming the Earth up and we need to find a way to cool down the effects our actions are having. Earth Fever: Living Consciously with Climate Change discusses not only the small ways everyone could change their habits to reduce their carbon footprint but also how they could better their own lives by helping the Earth. A truly original take on climate change this book focuses on the individual's growth as well as their ability to effect change in the current environmental woes. To learn more about the book visit EarthFeverBook.com.

• "Links a crisp and clear explanation of the climate problem to a spiritual quest for solutions... Earth Fever is something special... Read it and subsequently do something." -Pierre de Winter, in Platform for Managers and Professionals  
• "Ends with a positive, hopeful scenario. Living more consciously is not only good for our planet, but also for ourselves... The fever can be decreased, we can become healthy again." -Lisette Thooft, in Happinez
• "Inspiring... The authors show that there is a third way, a path that weaves between doomsday thinking and unfounded optimism..." -Derk Hueting and Klaas van Egmond, in Milieu

Authors Judy McAllister, Erik van Praag, and Jan Paul van Soest bring to bear their diverse experience in the fields of sustainability, leadership, and entrepreneurialism on the challenge of building a radically different belief system about life such an endeavor will require.

Valentine's Day Has Come and Gone, but Love is Here to Stay

Money and Love, they're not synonyms and yet they're very often represented together. Perhaps its their shared connection of the Goddess Venus. Perhaps it's the superficiality of today's world which places extra emphasis on money. Or maybe it's because money and love are considered to be high value commodities. Recently, I'm sure you've noticed, the downfall of money. It's no less important, but many are starting to wonder why some are driven by greed (and therefore money). Shouldn't the driving force in our world be love, which is (to a certain extent) free? With occupy movements popping up around the globe, their message is clear: we don't like the way our money and money in general is being handled.

It's possible, that the best way to get real results is to make a radical change beyond what's currently being considered. The article "The Money Has Gone so Make Love our Alternative Currency" on The Guardian website, written in honor of Valentine's day, makes the suggestion that love should be our new currency. How that would work exactly, I'm not sure. But I think his real suggestion is that our lives should center around the things we love, not the money we make. Humans in general should focus their energy on creating, spreading, and showing love instead of money. His line of thinking is not unlike that of Cosimo's author Louis Bohtlingk, whose book Dare to Care: A Love-Based Foundation for Money and Finance with a foreword by Hazel Henderson, discusses changing world currency and focusing on caring and sharing. Will these new and radical ideas help change the world economy? Or has the world become so money obsessed that the change many are looking for will never come?

Valentine’s Day and Its Effect on the Economy

Hazel Henderson, co-author of The Power of Yin, Celebrating Female Consciousness and foreword writer for Dare to Care: A Love-Based Foundation for Money and Finance and Earth Fever: Living Consciously with Climate Change , is quoted in an interesting article about the evolution of Valentine’s Day and the effects it has on the economy.

The article, Love, marriage and Valentine's Day, looks at the development of Valentine’s Day and how it came to be a commercial holiday. This can be traced back to when marriage stopped being about money, wealth, and status and started to be more about love. The article is informative, well researched and looks at the past as well as into the future. Whether you have romantic plans or not, this is an interesting article about the development of Valentine’s day and what it does for our currently sinking economy. Read the article here.