Tom C. W. Lin - The Capitalist and the Activist: Corporate Social Activism and the New Business of Change

Praise for The Capitalist and the Activist

Engrossing book... A well-researched, absorbing, and balanced case for corporate-activist partnerships.

Kirkus Reviews

There simply couldnt be a more timely and instructive treatment of the melding of the traditions of corporate capitalism with the spirit of social activism. Employing compelling narratives and arguments, Lin ushers us into a stunning recognition of the implications of this vitally important fusion for our political future.

Robert Cialdini, New York Times bestselling author of Influence and Pre-Suasion

Filled with insight. The Capitalist and the Activist is essential reading for anyone trying to understand and navigate this era of profound change in business and society. Through well-crafted narratives and thought-provoking analysis, Tom Lin reveals the larger forces influencing the decisions of executives, politicians, and citizens.

Jonah Berger, New York Times bestselling author of Contagious and The Catalyst

Should corporations use their power to influence politics? Should warriors for racial, gender, and environmental justice treat corporations as foes or as sources of effective strategies? Have corporations become a vital check and balance given out-of-control or paralyzed politicians? With vivid stories and sensible analysis, Tom Lin traces the emergence of new border crossings between American money-making and social-change-making enterprises. Offering a striking perspective on our times, this book provides wise principles to navigate the shifting borders of public, private, politics, and profits.

Martha Minow, former Dean, Harvard Law School, and author of Partners, Not Rivals

If the promise of our nations highest ideals is to be better realized, we must have a business community that recognizes that companies succeed only because of their workers, the communities in which they operate, and the support that taxpayers provide in so many ways, direct and indirect. Professor Lins provocative and timely new book spells out a road map for business leaders to follow if they truly want to create sustainably profitable businesses that treat all their stakeholders well.

The Honorable Leo E. Strine, Jr., former Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court

The Capitalist and the Activist is an invaluable read for business executives, investors, entrepreneurs, and anyone trying to understand contemporary business and social activism. With wonderfully written analysis and compelling stories, Tom Lin masterfully examines and explains the new fault lines of business, politics, and activism.

Lawrence A. Cunningham, bestselling author of The Essays of Warren Buffett and Berkshire beyond Buffett

Corporate management and boards must consider the interests not only of shareholders but also of employees, customers, suppliers, communities, the environment, and other constituencies that are critical to the long-term sustainable success of the corporation. The pursuit of wealth maximization for shareholders as the sole purpose of corporate governance has been a principal accelerant of short-termism and socioeconomic inequality that is undermining our constitutional democracy. This timely book gives insight into the problems and the avenues for redress through an engaging discussion of modern stakeholder governance.

Martin Lipton, a founding partner of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz

Lin has written a nuanced, thoughtful, and thorough book about the most important issue in corporate law right now: do corporations have social responsibilities and how effective are corporate initiatives that attempt to confront the most vexing social issues? This book is a must-read for policymakers, corporate managers, and citizens who want an unbiased and accurate discussion of the law and the state of play. Lin uses case studies of recent campaigns by corporations who have mobilized to confront wide-scale social movements like Black Lives Matter, #metoo, climate justice, and voting rights. This is an important book that makes for a riveting and enlightening read.

Mehrsa Baradaran, author of The Color of Money and How The Other Half Banks

This is an ambitious and uplifting book. In a world that is plagued with injustice, racism, inequity, and inequality, Tom Lin lucidly lays out why and how activists and corporations can work together to fulfill our collective moral obligations to our communities and our planet. The Capitalist and the Activist shows us that we can seek social as well as financial returns to benefit humanity. It is brimming with hope and insight and is an affirmation of all those who already collaborate.

Sister Nora M. Nash, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Tom Lin mixes analysis and inspiration to light a pathway forward for stakeholders inside and outside the corporate world who want the engines of capitalism to help drive sustainable social reform.

Donald Langevoort, Thomas Aquinas Reynolds Professor of Law, Georgetown University

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