Review: The notion of sustainability has been around for many years now and yet until recently there seems to have been little in the way of widespread progress. After many false starts where great ideas seem to have retreated (appropriate technology springs to mind but there will be others) there does seem to be some positives this time round. The basic idea behind the book is that it's possible to have good innovative business and social practices whilst still avoiding unnecessary damage to the Earth's ecosystem services. As such, the ideas presented here are part of a wider movement centred on the Natural Edge Project which is an Australian group of young professionals seeking to bring new ideas into play.

The basic message is that we can have business growth and sustainability. Given that these two might seem antagonistic it's worth wondering what it is about this statement that can succeed where others have failed (for this is hardly a new idea with writers dealing with this over 30 years ago). Perhaps what makes this idea workable is that it is more thorough than many that have gone before and it does allow for the basic business practice as currently seen. In this, it is similar to the recent boom in carbon trading etc. which has come about partly through the realisation that profit can be made and yet a more stable world results (even allowing for the simplifications of complex systems that such a worldview entails). The basic thesis is outlined in a brief introduction where it is made clear that a new perspective is needed. Links to the Millennium Development Goals are also made explicit. This brings us to the first of five sections. Subtitled, 'the need for a new paradigm', the chapters here describe the core ideas of the book. These are, briefly, that we need to think more and be more radical in our solutions; that a 'do-nothing' policy is not an option; new ideas are essential because old ways of thinking have (obviously) failed; a new approach to market economics is needed and that we need to think both locally and globally in trying to find the best solutions. The message is complex but upbeat - there is a solution out there (and indeed, there are many practical examples upon which we can draw) but that it will take far more than we have at present to bring it out. It will need the cooperative work of three groups - business, government and civil society/education to bring this about. Section two addresses the first of these three - the 'business imperative'. We start with a look at some firms that have seized the idea of innovative solutions and found ways to be sustainable and profitable. The key is information: we need to find ways of exploiting ideas to make viable businesses. This can better be done by working in clusters or networks. Although this might at first seem contrary to business practice it does have an origin in the geography of propinquity - that like firms gain mutual advantage by locating close to each other. Today, the closeness is information and not necessarily distance. The next part is for businesses to know the social and political milieu within which they operate. This gives the smart firms the advantage to stay up with or in front of trends rather than always reacting to them. Finally, firms need to be aware of the fact that much of this is new and that it requires new ways of thinking to capitalise upon it. Section three turns to look at the role of government. As most operations take place within a political framework it is vital that this element is understood and that it works for sustainability rather than against it. The way forward suggested here is that governments need to be more adaptable - to step in to correct obvious market failures and to leave market successes alone. It is made clear that neither total free market capitalism nor socialist central planning have worked in the long term: the trick is to find the middle road (looking suspiciously like social democracy). Governments need to create and foster centres of innovation because this is seen as the next 'wave' of industrial development. Finally in this section, Australian state and local governments are examined to see how they can work together for sustainability. Section four turns civil society and education and their role in creating the sustainable society we need. The section starts with a look at megacities and the challenges they face because they are the key to development and their sustainability is therefore crucial. Some useful developments in India are discussed as a prelude to the next chapter on energy. This is clearly the most important element and how this is handled by society is central to success or failure. To this must be added the need to build more energy efficient buildings and sustainable public transport. A final chapter examines what is probably the second most important aspect - water and how we can harvest it. The final section brings all of this together to create a coherent picture. The focus is on building resilience - that societies can adapt and change to meet changing circumstances. We are doing some things well but so much needs to be done better according to the authors. We need to re-think the ways we do business. Education needs to take a more proactive stance in promoting sustainability education. Finally, we need to bring everyone into the business of promoting a sustainable future.

This is a deeply interesting text on many levels. As a thesis and polemic it provides a coherent framework for discussion. The ideas put forward are not novel in themselves (having their origins not in the 1980s where the book often locates them, but in the 1970s) but the combination and the detail are such as to make this a more compelling model than many that have gone before. As a teaching resource it provides a great wealth of detail from which discussions, experiments and investigations can be based. The text is suggested to educators however because although it would be within the book's thesis to encourage younger readers, the ideas are quite detailed and would best be suited to senior students and undergraduates. Overall, an intriguing text which should be seen as a key text on sustainability courses.