Where do you find socially responsible and yet profitable companies in which to invest your savings? How can you curb or change your consumption habits to protect the environment and encourage social justice?

These are the kinds of questions posed and answered in the pages of this book. Perry Abbey's chapter on " Investing on the Sustainability Frontier," for instance, details a new direction in portfolio design, seeking out companies that are profitably involved in solutions to global problems in a sustainable fashion, such as alternative energies and water purification. He promotes the idea of rating corporate performance on economic, social and environmental parameters and not just the traditional risk and return models.

Based on the premise that each individual can make choices in his or her daily life that will shape the global future, the papers in this volume cover a broad range of methods and strategies from shareholder advocacy and consumer activism to community-based investing and philanthropy.

"Increasingly, it's corporations that determine policies and practices at home and abroad," notes Deb Abbey, an investment manager specializing in social impact investing. "Some people think that globalization is evil, but the reality is that it's probably inevitable. Instead of fighting gloablization, I propose that we spend our energy creating a vibrant global community with a sustainable environment and justice for all."

To achieve this, the chapters of this book instruct readers to invest capital in social change, adjust consumptive habits and buy from certified sustainable and fair trade companies, and to give back to the community through philanthropy.