Finding Purpose

ANDREW J HOFFMAN is the Holcim Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan. He has previously worked for the US Environmental Protection Agency, and in the construction industry.

It’s rather easy to get sucked into the black hole of pessimism when it comes to the state of our planet. And it’s just as tempting to find needed solace in optimism, a vague hope that something – technology or an eleventh-hour revolution – will put civilization and the biosphere on a sustainable course. Andrew Hoffman’s Finding Purpose: Environmental Stewardship as a Personal Calling, offers a path out of this stale polarity between optimism and pessimism.The book is unique in the realm of environmental literature in that it is less an alarmist call to action or policy prescription, and more of a call for self-reflection. Hoffman presents a collection of essays on the need to find purpose and calling wherever one is on life’s path. Whether a college senior on the eve of “selling out,” or a late career CEO who needs courage to look beyond the limited horizon of shareholder value, Hoffman gets the reader asking herself questions about her role in the wider effort to save our world.For the full review, please see: http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/eij/article/a_call_to_keep_the_faith - Earth Island Journal - Bjorn Philip Beer || The University of Michigan’s Andrew Hoffman has crafted a series of heartfelt essays that explore why anyone connected with business should be concerned about climate change, sustainability, and the fate of the world.... Thoughtful and powerful.For the full review, please see: http://www.bizedmagazine.com/archives/2017/1/ideas-in-action/bookshelf?platform=hootsuite - BizEd Magazine || I recently had the opportunity to read a book titled “Finding Purpose” written by Andrew J. Hoffman. It is an outstanding book that should be read by everyone that has any interest in planet earth and its future....In summary, “Finding Purpose” is one of the best books I have read in a long time. If I were still teaching, this book would be required reading for every student. It is not just for students but for everyone who has had even the smallest interest in environmental issues. You may find additional information about the book at http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/findingpurposeFor the full review, please see: http://www.georgepnassos.com/George_P_Nassos/Articles_files/Finding_Purpose.pdf - George P. Nassos & Associates blog - George P. Nassos

• ForewordJ.B. MacKinnon1. Introduction, Life’s workPart I: Life’s Work as a Personal Vocation2. Finding hope3. Your theory of change4. Your personal model of leadership5. What do you believe?6. Why do you care?Part II: Green Business as a Calling7. Why green business?8. Green in the corner office9. Business (almost) as usual10. Capitalism and markets must evolve11. Dark green or light green? Part III: Reclaiming the Role of Academia12. Making bricks versus making change13. Public engagement as a balancing act14. The new environmental scholarshipPart IV: Changing Culture and Values15. Culture and carbon16. Culture and climate17. Detoxifying the climate change debatePart V: A Call to a Calling18. Pope Francis as messenger19. To till and keep the garden20. The Anthropocene spirit21. Conclusion, The Great WorkAcknowledgementsBiographiesReferences