Christine Bader's 'The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist' Book Released by Bibliomotion
Boston, MA (PRWEB) March 25, 2014 -- Bibliomotion, books + media is thrilled to celebrate the launch of The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: When Girl Meets Oil by Christine Bader. The book received an excellent review from the New York Times, and the author has several upcoming speaking engagements where she will discuss the book.
“The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist” is a quick read, effortlessly gulped during a long airplane flight. The writing is clear and concise, and if the book doesn’t leave one convinced that every multinational has suddenly developed a guiding conscience, it does offer some encouragement that many are on the way.
— The New York Times
In an interview with Bibliomotion, Christine discusses her inspiration for the book, and the importance in fighting for corporate idealism.
What inspired you to write The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist?
CB: When I was working for BP in Indonesia and China and writing friends and family back home (before blogs were blogs), I realized most people don’t know that companies do so much to invest in workers, communities, and the environment in ways that are not for public relations purposes, far away from the cameras and inextricably linked with the business.
So I started to think about writing a book, but didn't really get going on it until after the Deepwater Horizon disaster. That tragedy forced me to engage in some serious reflection about what it means to be one person fighting the good fight in a company. I realized that I had lots of peers in similar positions, and that we had a collective story to tell.
What was your favorite part of the writing and publishing process?
CB: I interviewed dozens of people whom I've known for years, but never really spoken with about how they feel about their work. It was such an honor to be trusted with their stories and emotions, and amazing to see so many common themes, even across different companies and industries.
Who do you hope reads your book? What do you want them to get from it?
CB: I hope that my book will be a helpful resource for people working in and with companies, and students and career-switchers who want to join their ranks. I also hope that it appeals to concerned shoppers and investors, wondering where to put their money after tragic incidents like the Rana Plaza factory collapse in Bangladesh and the Deepwater Horizon explosion; to policymakers and campaigners, and anyone wanting an inside view of the brands that have such a big influence on our lives.
What are you reading right now?
CB: "The Russian Debutante's Handbook" by Gary Shteyngart. His other books have made me laugh out loud and smirk so deeply, I wanted to see what his first book was like!
About the book:
There is an invisible army of people deep inside the world’s biggest and best-known companies, pushing for safer and more responsible practices. They are trying to prevent the next Rana Plaza factory collapse, the next Deepwater Horizon explosion, the next Foxconn labor abuses. Obviously, they don’t always succeed.
Christine Bader was one of those people. She loved BP and then-CEO John Browne’s lofty rhetoric on climate change and human rights -- until a string of fatal BP accidents, Browne’s abrupt resignation under a cloud of scandal, and the start of Tony Hayward’s tenure as chief executive, which would end with the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Bader’s story of working deep inside the belly of the beast is unique in its details, but not in its themes: of feeling like an outsider both inside the company (accused of being a closet activist) and out (assumed to be a corporate shill); of getting mixed messages from senior management; of being frustrated with corporate life but committed to pushing for change from within.
The Evolution of a Corporate Idealist: Girl Meets Oil is based on Bader’s experience with BP and then with a United Nations effort to prevent and address human rights abuses linked to business. Using her story as its skeleton, Bader weaves in the stories of other “Corporate Idealists” working inside some of the world's biggest and best-known companies.
About the author:
Christine Bader is a sought-after speaker, lecturer, and advisor on corporate responsibility. She is a Human Rights Advisor to BSR and a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She serves on the boards of the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre and The OpEd Project. Her work with BP from 1999 until 2008 brought her to Indonesia, China, and the U.K., managing the social impacts of some of the company’s largest projects in the developing world.
Christine has published numerous op-eds and articles and given talks to conferences, companies, and universities around the world, including a TEDx talk entitled “Manifesto for the Corporate Idealist.” She lives in her native New York City with her husband and two children.
About Bibliomotion, books + media:
Bibliomotion is a book publishing house designed for the new publishing landscape. While many publishers work to retrofit old processes for new realities, Bibliomotion was founded by book-industry veterans who believe the best approach is a fresh one – one that focuses on empowering authors and serving readers above all else. Moving away from the top-down model that has dominated the publishing process for years, we give each member of the team – including the author – a seat at the table from the very beginning and in doing so, work side-by-side to launch and sell the best content possible, making it available in a variety of forms.
Shevaun Betzler, Bibliomotion, books + media, http://bibliomotion.com/, +1 (617) 934-2427 Ext: 7, [email protected]
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