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The Purpose of Capital
Book

The Purpose of Capital

Elements of Impact, Financial Flows, and Natural Being

Jed Emerson
Blended Value Group Press, 2018

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Applicable
  • Visionary

Recommendation

Chances are you view investments through the prism of financial metrics. Investment adviser Jed Emerson argues that you should find a radically new way to think about the capital you deploy. Forget about short-term returns to your portfolio – consider instead how your investment improves life on Earth. Emerson argues that a dramatic reassessment of priorities is the only way to avoid ecological catastrophe and social unrest. This wide-ranging study, which delves into the thinking of Martin Luther, René Descartes and Adam Smith, will appeal to anyone seeking alternative viewpoints on capitalism.

Take-Aways

  • Investing shouldn’t be about creating wealth for just one person.
  • The prevailing wisdom should give way to a new mind-set.
  • Impact investors must dramatically change their view of the long term.

About the Author

Jed Emerson is a senior strategic adviser to family offices and investment firms. He is a senior research fellow at the University of Heidelberg's Center on Social Investing.

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    M. C. 4 years ago
    Over-rated. Would not give it more than a 6 or 7. Failed scholarship - the author fails to accurately characterize Adam Smith, in particular his moral philosophy where he makes clear that narrow profit-maximizing is NOT a healthy path for a society.