Socially responsible finance and investing : financial institutions, corporations, investors, and activists /

What is the goal of a firm? Do corporations have responsibilities to society? This latest volume in the "Robert W. Kolb Series in Finance," edited by Baker (American Univ.) and Nofsinger (Washington State Univ.), addresses these timely, important questions. The 24 self-contained chapters are organized in four parts: "Foundations and Key Concepts," "Finance and Society," "Corporate Engagement," and "Socially Responsible Investing." This publication effectively synthesizes theory, empirical research, and practice to create a comprehensive, informative guide to the current state of knowledge. Breadth and depth of coverage are excellent. Unlike much of the extant corporate social responsibility literature, this volume succeeds in providing an unbiased perspective. The chapter that examines the role of federal housing policies in contributing to the recent financial crisis is particularly interesting. The discussion questions that accompany each chapter make this an attractive resource for advanced undergraduate or graduate courses. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate and graduate students; researchers/faculty and professionals. J. Fitzpatrick SUNY Fredonia