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The Better World Shopping Guide: Every Dollar Makes a Difference
"The new edition doesn't disappoint. Pocket-sized so it's easy to carry around, and at-a-glance easy-to-read, it grades companies with a simple A to F. The grade encompasses human rights, the environment, animal protection, community involvement, and social justice. I've always believed we vote with our dollars every day, choosing through our purchases what kind of world we want to live in. This book embraces that idea, and also gives a list of 'Top 10 Things to Change' from banking and credit cards, to chocolate and coffee."—Chris, Seventh Generation blog
The only comprehensive guide for socially and environmentally responsible consumers available, this book ranks every product on the shelf from A to F so you can quickly tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys”—turning your grocery list into a powerful tool to change the world. Representing over seventeen years of distilled research, data is organized into the most common product categories including coffee, energy bars, computers, gasoline, clothing, banks, cars, water, and more. Also included is a summary of the essential information about particular product categories, profiles of the best and worst companies, practical buying tips, and the most useful online resources available. Whether you believe in environmental sustainability, human rights, animal protection, community involvement, or social justice, this book is for you!
Small enough to fit in a back pocket or small purse and organized in a shopping-friendly format, The Better World Shopping Guide will help you change the world as you shop!
Ellis Jones has been teaching people to make a difference in the world for over a decade with works like The Better World Handbook. A scholar of social responsibility, social change, and everyday activism, he founded and directs the Better World Network. He teaches sociology at the University of California, Davis.
The only comprehensive guide for socially and environmentally responsible consumers available, this book ranks every product on the shelf from A to F so you can quickly tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys”—turning your grocery list into a powerful tool to change the world. Representing over seventeen years of distilled research, data is organized into the most common product categories including coffee, energy bars, computers, gasoline, clothing, banks, cars, water, and more. Also included is a summary of the essential information about particular product categories, profiles of the best and worst companies, practical buying tips, and the most useful online resources available. Whether you believe in environmental sustainability, human rights, animal protection, community involvement, or social justice, this book is for you!
Small enough to fit in a back pocket or small purse and organized in a shopping-friendly format, The Better World Shopping Guide will help you change the world as you shop!
Ellis Jones has been teaching people to make a difference in the world for over a decade with works like The Better World Handbook. A scholar of social responsibility, social change, and everyday activism, he founded and directs the Better World Network. He teaches sociology at the University of California, Davis.
184 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2006
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488 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 20, 2013
I was shocked to read in this book that, "Recently, the ILO, UNICEF and US State Department uncovered the widespread use of child slave labor in the chocolate industry - up to 40% of all chocolate is currently being produced in this way". This book has convinced me to undergo massive changes in which companies I support as a consumer. It's a good guide to take with you on your shopping trip or study before making large purchases. I wish that there was a more in-depth version. I understand the concept of having a pocket / purse sized version, however, I would really appreciate a more comprehensive guide with broader range of companies & a fuller explanation of the author's reasoning behind the ratings.
September 16, 2007
Brilliant book that should be owned by anyone who wants to put their money where their mouth is, but don't know where to start.
This book is so handy and amazing that I'm planning on buying it in bulk to dole out over the holidays this year. Friends and family who are reading this, don't let the prospect of receiving this book as a gift stop you from buying a copy now - if you end up with two, you can always give one away!
The Better World Shopping Guide is a pocket-sized book that's small enough for you to tote along with you anytime you go shopping.
Let's say you're at the grocery store and need to buy laundry detergent and want to be sure that the detergent you choose leaves the world a better place.... But, who's got the time to research stuff like that and know which detergent to choose?
Luckily, you've got this book in your back pocket. You whip it out in the aisle, flip to page 100 and discover that "seventh generation" brand detergent gets an A+ from the book, while "clorox" and "borax" get an F. Okay, but the store doesn't have "seventh generation." What now? Luckily, "Tide," which is available, gets a C+. Not perfect, but certainly way above an F. You buy the Tide and make a mental note to keep an eye out for seventh generation at other stores. You feel good, knowing that you'd made a somewhat informed decision about spending your money besides just the primary level of "I need this thing, therefore I buy it." Your decision and money-spending has made an impact on the world.
For more info, check out the site [http://www.betterworldshopper.org]
This book is so handy and amazing that I'm planning on buying it in bulk to dole out over the holidays this year. Friends and family who are reading this, don't let the prospect of receiving this book as a gift stop you from buying a copy now - if you end up with two, you can always give one away!
The Better World Shopping Guide is a pocket-sized book that's small enough for you to tote along with you anytime you go shopping.
Let's say you're at the grocery store and need to buy laundry detergent and want to be sure that the detergent you choose leaves the world a better place.... But, who's got the time to research stuff like that and know which detergent to choose?
Luckily, you've got this book in your back pocket. You whip it out in the aisle, flip to page 100 and discover that "seventh generation" brand detergent gets an A+ from the book, while "clorox" and "borax" get an F. Okay, but the store doesn't have "seventh generation." What now? Luckily, "Tide," which is available, gets a C+. Not perfect, but certainly way above an F. You buy the Tide and make a mental note to keep an eye out for seventh generation at other stores. You feel good, knowing that you'd made a somewhat informed decision about spending your money besides just the primary level of "I need this thing, therefore I buy it." Your decision and money-spending has made an impact on the world.
For more info, check out the site [http://www.betterworldshopper.org]
February 26, 2013
It's more of a reference book, and a very handy one to return to see how businesses are rated according to personnel and environmental policies as well as financial.
December 28, 2020
It is easy to figure out how this book could have been a lot better. For one, the author seems to adopt shopping with particular and irritating biases that make this book unreliable and impossible to trust. Moreover, for a book that praises companies on their transparency, the book itself distinctly lacks transparency, in that it includes letter grades with qualitative but not quantitative information, and while the author says that the grades included are the result of a rigorous data analysis, the reader (including this reader) appear to have very different standards by which to judge companies that would drastically affect the ratings. For example, while I think it is safe to say that most readers will seek to avoid companies that are involved in child slave labor, the author's partisan interpretation of political spending (with leftist activism praised while lobbying is denigrated) creates a slant here that noticeably leads to leftist companies getting high ratings while companies with a more conservative approach get rated poorly in consequence. Any rating system that biased deserves to be junked, and this book would be better served by being replaced with an online marker that, given updated data, would allow readers to judge companies by their own principles rather than the leftist perspective of this author.
This particular little book is about 175 pages long and it consists of letter grades assigned to companies/brands in 74 commercial segments alphabetically organized from airlines (1) to wine (74). The book begins with about twenty pages or so of introductory material, which includes appreciation, notes to the third edition, the website, the problem, the solution, the issues, the sources, and the rankings involved in this book. There is a discussion of the profile of what the author sees as the best and the worst company, the list of 20 best and worst companies, ten small but beautiful companies, top ten things to change, the top ten list of bailout companies and lists of lobbyist-hiring companies, as well as what the grades mean, extra stuff, what happens if one cannot find a brand or company and how to use the guide. After that comes the bulk of the book, which on the left side shows a list of grades from A to F, with some companies appearing on the bottom over and over and over again while others appear towards the top consistently because of the political bias of the author, while on the right side the author lists the segment, what the author needs to know, buying tips, as well as "green heroes" and "corporate villains," with much of the information for both repeated often as they appear. After all of this comes a product category index, data sources, and information about the author.
As a result, while this book might be a good idea in seeking to grade companies based on their behavior, unfortunately the author's perspective is simply not trustworthy, transparent, or particularly worthwhile. And this is a great shame. The book is the product of many hours of data analysis, but because of the biased and lamentable perspective of the author, this book is likely to only be thought of as authoritative by the left-wing intended audience of this book which considers receiving bailout money to be a bad thing but leftist activism to be a good thing. Any reader who does not share the biases of the author is simply not going to find this book or its grading compelling, and it is a great shame that the product of such labor is not valuable because it does not allow the reader to properly gauge things for oneself, which would make this a more worthwhile endeavor. For example, it would be greatly worthwhile to negatively judge a brand for leftist activism or support of evil aims (like pro-abortion or population control or identity politics or environmental extremism) so as to calculate which companies manage to avoid any number of evils. This book does not do that, nor does it allow for the reader to do that.
This particular little book is about 175 pages long and it consists of letter grades assigned to companies/brands in 74 commercial segments alphabetically organized from airlines (1) to wine (74). The book begins with about twenty pages or so of introductory material, which includes appreciation, notes to the third edition, the website, the problem, the solution, the issues, the sources, and the rankings involved in this book. There is a discussion of the profile of what the author sees as the best and the worst company, the list of 20 best and worst companies, ten small but beautiful companies, top ten things to change, the top ten list of bailout companies and lists of lobbyist-hiring companies, as well as what the grades mean, extra stuff, what happens if one cannot find a brand or company and how to use the guide. After that comes the bulk of the book, which on the left side shows a list of grades from A to F, with some companies appearing on the bottom over and over and over again while others appear towards the top consistently because of the political bias of the author, while on the right side the author lists the segment, what the author needs to know, buying tips, as well as "green heroes" and "corporate villains," with much of the information for both repeated often as they appear. After all of this comes a product category index, data sources, and information about the author.
As a result, while this book might be a good idea in seeking to grade companies based on their behavior, unfortunately the author's perspective is simply not trustworthy, transparent, or particularly worthwhile. And this is a great shame. The book is the product of many hours of data analysis, but because of the biased and lamentable perspective of the author, this book is likely to only be thought of as authoritative by the left-wing intended audience of this book which considers receiving bailout money to be a bad thing but leftist activism to be a good thing. Any reader who does not share the biases of the author is simply not going to find this book or its grading compelling, and it is a great shame that the product of such labor is not valuable because it does not allow the reader to properly gauge things for oneself, which would make this a more worthwhile endeavor. For example, it would be greatly worthwhile to negatively judge a brand for leftist activism or support of evil aims (like pro-abortion or population control or identity politics or environmental extremism) so as to calculate which companies manage to avoid any number of evils. This book does not do that, nor does it allow for the reader to do that.
June 16, 2022
This pocket-size booklet contains almost every category of things we'd purchase. I am amazed at one special item: climate change.
The author is aware of how shopping reshapes our world, and the reason why I cannot give this comprehensive booklet five stars is because it can definitely be a kind of app on line so people can search for it. I'd be willing to pay the same price as the paperback.
Highly recommended, nevertheless.
The author is aware of how shopping reshapes our world, and the reason why I cannot give this comprehensive booklet five stars is because it can definitely be a kind of app on line so people can search for it. I'd be willing to pay the same price as the paperback.
Highly recommended, nevertheless.
July 10, 2021
Somewhat helpful, a bit out of date (does not address or grade Amazon at all). I found this free in a little free library - a better version is now available through the Better World Shopper app, though there is limited information on the app. There is also a website for more updated information.
June 30, 2020
I reread this periodically. Some is dated, and it's good to see those changes.
March 31, 2022
I was shocked to see how badly many brands I use are rated. Definitely will be making some changes going forward. There is also an app that has the same info as the book.
January 2, 2017
This is a super helpful little guide to voting with your dollars. It gives companies ratings based on their environmental sustainability, human rights awareness, community involvement, animal protections, and social justice/injustice effect. It dedicates one page each to things like airlines, baby care, laundry supplies, condiments, cosmetics, dairy, soap, toys and games, and so on. It progresses alphabetically and has a lot of helpful info plus additional links and citations if you'd like to dig deeper or read more about a particular area and why they've rated it as it is. Definitely worthwhile to have around.
September 16, 2008
Robyn gave me this book. It rates several commonly purchased products (groceries, clothes, household items, etc.) and rates them according to their environmental, social, and political impact. For example, it will rate all the different brands of butter commonly found in grocery stores and give a grade to each one based on the manufacturering company's environmental footprint, their recent court losses, treatment of workers (fair wage, etc.) and other factors. It advocates using your pocketbook to make a difference in the world by supporting ethical consumerism. (Ralf Nader and Michael Moore probably own this book.)
I appreciated it and use it as a tool, but find that in KS, so few of the more organic and socially-conscious products are simply not available. (I recently visited a grocery store in DC where those vendors were predominant, but out here, the choice is much more limited.)
I appreciated it and use it as a tool, but find that in KS, so few of the more organic and socially-conscious products are simply not available. (I recently visited a grocery store in DC where those vendors were predominant, but out here, the choice is much more limited.)
June 22, 2017
Buy this if you care about environmental and social responsibility. It's put together by a PH-D Sociologist who took data from a number of sources to grade brands of everything from automobiles and cell phones to veggies and eggs. It helps to identify some of the "who owns what" mystery, letting you know who you're supporting with your purchases. There's a ten best and ten worst list, and website references for just about everything. He gives you a rule of thumb for anything that didn't make it into the guide, and provides a website for updates between editions of the book. I can't say enough about how eye-opening this book is, and how much easier it has made being a responsible consumer. I plan to take his advice and keep it in my man purse any time I'm shopping. The funny thing is that I bought it as a gift for my girlfriend and practically stole it before giving it to her. It's that well done.
November 24, 2008
This book is my bible. It grades companies from A to F on their social and environmental responsibility. It gives brands in all different categories: food, health/beauty, electronics, financial, gas, etc. It doesn't have every brand, but definitely gives a good foundation to start your shopping. I looked at their website before I bought the book and knew that they did extensive research to come up with the grades. I was initially disappointed because I thought that the research findings would be in the book, but in hindsight it's better that they're just available on the website because the book is perfect size to throw in my purse and it's not too big or heavy. There's also an iPhone version available for those of you high-tech folks out there.
June 10, 2013
Provides the useful service of showing which companies in each shopping category are environmentally responsible and respect workers' rights. Pocket-sized. Take along while shopping. Fourth edition, (c) 2012, ISBN 978-0-86571-724-4. Much of the information is also on the website, betterworldshopper.org. The 4th edition paperback and Kindle book were published Nov. 6, 2012. The website data is dated 2006. about the author
January 24, 2008
This is one you really need to carry all the time, but I did read through the whole thing. Altria and Nabisco are the devil, and everyone should buy a Toyota or Lexus. I would like a Lexus, but I'll bet I get a Toyota.
I would really have appreciated some extended information. For example, Volvo (the last car I owned) wasn't included at all in the car section. And manufacturer names were listed, but typically not products (and I don't always know what brands Altria and Nabisco use).
A good, quick resource, and certainly better than nothing.
I would really have appreciated some extended information. For example, Volvo (the last car I owned) wasn't included at all in the car section. And manufacturer names were listed, but typically not products (and I don't always know what brands Altria and Nabisco use).
A good, quick resource, and certainly better than nothing.
April 4, 2008
Hardly ever leaves my purse! Rates companies on a varieties of issues, including social and environmental awareness. Helps me spend my money in a more powerful way!
Informative quick lists- much more information available at www.betterworldshopper.org.
And, one of the video book reviews I shot for this book here: http://bluerectangle.com/book_reviews...
tells much more info!
Informative quick lists- much more information available at www.betterworldshopper.org.
And, one of the video book reviews I shot for this book here: http://bluerectangle.com/book_reviews...
tells much more info!
July 23, 2008
Althought I enjoy reading huge, scary books like "The End of Food" and taking lessons from them, this is really what I need when I actually go out to making my spending choices. This little book (a great size for a little purse) includes a lot of catagories and lots of consumer options (each rated on a scale from A - F). Would have liked to see ratings on more children's items (toys, in particular) and books/bookstores.
October 6, 2008
Everyone must own this book! Not so much a read as a handheld guide to arm yourself whenever you go shopping. This book rates products and companies with the A-F grading system so you can be sure you've purchased with a clear conscience all products that are sustainable, eco-friendly and healthy and ensure you gave your dollar to a company that supports fair trade, sustainability, conservation, human rights and animal protection.
November 18, 2016
A solid reference book. Great for anyone looking to make conscious decisions in what companies & products to support. Let us all hold the businesses and corporations socially & environmentally responsible for the way in which each conducts business. In our society of consumerism every dollar spent is a vote. I recently bought the most recent updated version (blue). It has decades worth of research into many products & sectors of biz grading them on an +A to -F scale.
May 27, 2011
I checked this out from the library three different times because I kept trying to remember things I had read in it. It is really something to own--so I finally bought a copy. Fits in my purse and is a reminder that we vote with our wallets and every purchase we make makes a small difference somewhere in the world. Not meant to have comprehensive info--but enough to help you pick one brand over another in the store.
September 26, 2015
The Better World Shopping Guide by Ellis Jones really increases my awareness of which companies and brands are trying to improve the world in many ways. I frequent many companies with an F rating but instead of feeling guilty about this, I resolve to frequent companies and buy products that have a higher rating. Shopping has now become more difficult since I have to think about this in addition to price, taste, and nutritional value!
November 15, 2015
Helpful, but at the same time I sometimes wonder where these ratings are coming from. I know it's based on research that he's done. I just wish more of that research was available in this book, or at least online, so that you could make your own mind up if these companies deserve those letter grades. Still, the book is better than nothing and worth buying and browsing.
January 14, 2018
This guide makes me want to go through my house with a sharpie & mark a big NO on all the bad products & completely tweak my shopping habits. They have a very basic app with the same info, but I found sitting for a little less than an hour with the printed book helped me get a good overall understanding. I'll use the app while I'm out shopping.
March 28, 2008
Everything you want to purchase can be looked up in this handy guide. Brands are rated by their environmental impact, human rights, animal protection, community involvement, corporate crime, discrimination, philanthropy, and employee treatment. It has aided many of my purchase decisions.
April 20, 2008
Great book! Very informative. Everyone should own a copy and keep it with them when they shop. This book can help make a difference.
April 21, 2008
I forgot that I had read this before. This is a great pocket guide for rating the best and the worst of various retailers. Lubriderm gets an F. Oh no!
June 17, 2008
Illuminating.
February 20, 2009
Highly recommended!!! Easy to use, laid out very well, very helpful.
February 25, 2009
Handy book I received as a gift to use when you are grocery, cloth, etc. shopping. Purse-friendly. I wish the book had room for additions/updates in the back. Website could use some improvement.
March 31, 2009
Great Idea but doens't really expand upon anything...anywhere in the book. I suppose its just meant to be a pocket reference for the website.
December 12, 2010
I try and make all my consumer choices from this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews