Eco Barons - by Edward Humes (Paperback)

About the Book

Well written and compelling, Eco Barons gives the reader a first glimpse of the activists, philanthropists and gadflies who may well turn out to be the J.D. Rockefellers and Rachel Carsons of our time. Cleveland Plain DealerPulitzer Prize-winner Edward Humes offers readers an eye-opening look at the remarkable philanthropists and visionaries who are devoting their lives to saving the earth from overdevelopment and destruction. In Eco Barons, Humes, the bestselling author of Mississippi Mud and Monkey Girl, gives us fascinating portraits of extraordinary men and women who are dedicated to humankind s survival as important a contribution to the environmental cause as Al Gore s An Inconvenient Truth. As the New York Times points out, Humes s urgent message is clear: We must all strive to become eco barons in our own right if we are to save Planet Earth. "

Book Synopsis

"Well written and compelling, Eco Barons gives the reader a first glimpse of the activists, philanthropists and gadflies who may well turn out to be the J.D. Rockefellers and Rachel Carsons of our time."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer

Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward Humes offers readers an eye-opening look at the remarkable philanthropists and visionaries who are devoting their lives to saving the earth from overdevelopment and destruction. In Eco Barons, Humes, the bestselling author of Mississippi Mud and Monkey Girl, gives us fascinating portraits of extraordinary men and women who are dedicated to humankind's survival--as important a contribution to the environmental cause as Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. As the New York Times points out, "Humes's urgent message is clear: We must all strive to become 'eco barons' in our own right if we are to save Planet Earth."

From the Back Cover

While many people remain paralyzed by the scope of Earth's environmental crisis, the eco barons--a new, unheralded generation of men and women--have quietly dedicated their lives and fortunes to saving the planet from eco-logical destruction. From the former fashion magnate and founder of Esprit who's saved more rainforests than anyone else to the Hollywood pool cleaner who became the leading force behind a worldwide effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the incredible stories of Eco Barons offer proof that a single person's determination and vision can effect monumental change.

Review Quotes

"Humes is a master story teller, illuminating the compelling lives of an unlikely cast of characters who just may save us from ourselves, while inspiring us to save our planet." - Terry Tamminen, former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and Chief Energy Policy Advisor to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
"As Edward Humes makes clear in his new book Eco-Barons: The Dreamers, Schemers and Millionaires Who Are Saving Our Planet a high-income tax bracket gives the rich another advantage: a platform on which they can advance the causes that matter to them. . . . But Humes' ultimate point is well taken: at the very moment when the government began abdicating its responsibilities on the environment, the eco-barons stepped in." - Time Magazine
"The book is also a way to break down the world's enormous environmental problems into understandable pieces." - Orange County Register
"The very title Eco Barons seems to suggest a dichotomy. We like to think of our environmental leaders as quirky, living-out-in-the-woods types, modern-day Thoreaus quick with an organic recipe, a do-it-yourself wind turbine plan or a handy recycling tip. What Edward Humes' book uncovers are folks who have taken their profitable businesses and turned them into seriously beneficial enterprises. . . . These profiles are lessons in the lasting power of conservation, which, even more than corporate profits, remains an essential part of the great American identity." - E - The Environmental Magazine
"A dramatic, insightful history of environmental conflicts and breakthroughs threaded through timely and inspiriting profiles in courage and creativity." - Booklist (starred review)
"I know some of the heroes chronicled--they are unlikely champions, but united by passion, hard work, and a willingness to think outside of conventional paths. Their stories will dramatically expand your sense of what you can do for the environment! - Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Deep Economy
"Humes' in-depth reporting makes the book stand as a solid portrait of the new face of American environmentalism." - Outside magazine
"ECO BARONS...offers encouraging, often inspirational, profiles of nearly a dozen would-be planet savers. . . .[Humes'] urgent message is clear: We must all strive to become "eco barons" in our own right if we are to save Planet Earth." - New York Times
"This is a fine little book: a collection of starry-eyed portraits of environmentalists who have devoted their lives and/or fortunes to saving the Earth." - Los Angeles Times
"Eco Barons reminds me of the best that journalism has to offer as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes has a knack for flowing the narrative in his tales as well as any fiction writer. . . . Eco Barons will make you feel good about humanity as it describes those who could have used the money and abilities to live in luxury, but instead selflessly worked to benefit all who inhabit the Earth. Considering all of the bad news in the world of late, Eco Barons offers welcome tales of people making positive change." - Reuters
"Eco Barons reminds me of the best that journalism has to offer as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edward Humes has a knack for flowing the narrative in his tales as well as any fiction writer....offers welcome tales of people making positive change." - Reuters
Well written and compelling, Eco Barons gives the reader a first glimpse of the activists, philanthropists and gadflies who may well turn out to be the J. D. Rockefellers and Rachel Carsons of our time." - Cleveland Plain Dealer
"I know some of the heroes chronicled [in ECO BARONS]--they are unlikely champions, but united by passion, hard work, and a willingness to think outside of conventional paths. Their stories will dramatically expand your sense of what you can do for the environment! - Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and Deep Economy
"What [ECO BARONS] uncovers are folks who have taken their profitable businesses and turned them into seriously beneficial enterprises. . . .These profiles are lessons in the lasting power of conservation, which, even more than corporate profits, remains an essential part of the great American identity." - E - The Environmental Magazine
"A dramatic, insightful history of environmental conflicts and breakthroughs threaded through timely and inspiriting profiles in courage and creativity." - Booklist (starred review)