Review: The sub-title - "how sustainability can improve organisational performance and transform the world" sets a high bar for any author. If one also adds a more personal element to the mix then one is attempting a very difficult passage. At its most simple, this book is how one person "discovered" the idea of sustainability and the measures he devised for him (and his company) to look further into the sustainability agenda. It seems that this is more a 'stream of consciousness' work than an academic text but the actual blend of anecdote and methodology can work quite well. At the very least the reader gets an extremely clear idea of the genesis of ideas and some of the issues surrounding the development of a simple metric from complex data.

The opening chapter starts with the idea that you have a job and you now have to make something of it! There's advice on how to 'do' sustainable development and the key notion that to succedd you need to create a hopeful situation (rather than the highly pessimistic situation wwe actually have. This is hardly being contrary but noting the human desire for an upside. Chapter two outlines the development of one key part of the author's thinking, the compass. With NSEW representing nature, society, economy and wellbing we see why these four are essential for sustainability to work. Chapter three moves on to consider the downside of the current economic system. We have wealth (gold) but the economic system is slowly destroying the earth (coffin). Thus we have wealth but have a degaded planet to spend it in/on! Chapter four is more of a side story in the main work. It outlines the problems of New Orleans after the hurricane and notes the problems that allowed so much damage to take place alongsaide the optimism that will re-build it. Finally, in this part of the book there's a argument put forward that small steps can have been results. If you take thse five chapters as a unit then it's clear that up to this point, the author has been outlining both a personal development and some core ideas for consultants and managers - be optimistic, highlight issues, offer solutions, start small. It's clear thachapter six marks the watershed. Here, the title of the book is examined. ISIS is an acronym standing for 'Indicators, Systems, Innovation and Strategise'. What the author is calling for it seems is for a systematic method of analysing a sustainability issue. We need data to make sense of what is happening and to make predictions for the future. These data need to be put into a simple indicator so that evryone can understand. Since we ususally work with systems models it is essential that this are drawn up for the situation in hand. Study the system and figure out which (small) changes can get the best leverage on the problem which leads to innovation. Finally, make up a strategy which will allow the plan to be put in operation. This alongside new 'rules' for professional sustainability consultants completes the chapter. Chapter 7 re-intorduces the compass of chapter two and shows how it can be developed. Chapter 8 adds another dimension (literally and metaphorically) to the compass. From a two-dimensional compass we are encouraged to actually built a model pyramide with ideas for ISIS topped with a set of agreements and actions. Despite the seeming role-play of the physical model it seems an effective way of getting people to understand the key ideas involved. Chapter 9 brings another mdel - this time an amoeba. Amoeba is another acronym used here to describe the types of people a company might have from the innovator to the curmudgeon! Despite the somewhat contrived idea the basic principle is both well known and solid - any organisation has a range of people each with their own agenda. For sustainability to work you need the right people to do the right job. More than this you need the right power with chapter 10 being more a 'political' manifesto for sustainability change agents. The author rightly asserts that sustainability will not just happen (or just be allowed to happen) so there is a need to play the micropolitical game well. We even get to see the seven secret powers of change agents. A final chapter points out that we need many change agents (an army, in fact) to address the issues of sustainability.

This is an unusual book. Suffuced with personal anecdotes and reprints of emails it outlines one persons movement from a new, rather poor, writer to a far more influential (and hopefully better paid!) sustainablity consultant. Along the way we see his own methodology develop into the one his company uses today. Overall, not as clear as many more focussed academic texts but a readable insight into how (and which) ideas develop and how to actually start some change happening.