Ice cream social : the struggle for the soul of Ben & Jerry's /

When you think of Ben & Jerry's, you probably think of two laid-back hippies who just wanted to produce ice cream for the people. And though the origin mythology of this no-holds-barred superpremium chunky ice cream pretty much holds true to the legend, the fact is that the brand was sold to Unilever in 2000 and is now part of a multinational corporation, much to the consternation of social entrepreneurs everywhere. This is the story of how the Ben & Jerry's team fought to retain the counterculture values and social missions that the founders successfully instilled into the company: paying employees a living wage, treating their cows responsibly, and pouring a good portion of profits into causes such as child poverty, world peace, human rights, and the environment; it is also a story of how those values have been compromised. Edmondson traces the journey from the first ice-cream store, in a renovated gas station in South Burlington, Vermont, in 1978, through several expansion cycles and the success that ultimately led to the controversial sale.--Siegfried, David Copyright 2014 Booklist

The story of America's happiest company is rife with sadness. Jeff Furman spent years with Ben & Jerry's, from in-house counsel to chairman of the board, and author Edmonson relies heavily on Furman's version of events and in fact started the book based on his idea, though the founders opted not to participate because it was too upsetting. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were interested in growing a socially responsible, activist company and made a big splash with their idea of "linked prosperity"-that as the company grew, the employees, suppliers, customers, and all other people and animals affected by the company should benefit. But activism and progressive values and practices couldn't keep the company from running into common business woes. After years of dramatic leadership failures and difficulties, the company was sold to Unilever in 2000, to the great chagrin of the founders. They came out of the deal wealthier (Ben with $41 million, Jerry with $9.5 million) and the social mission survived, but both were emotionally distraught over the loss. Unfortunately, the wandering, uninspired book does the moving story no favors. Edmonson's telling has no narrative drive, and as a history, it's unfortunately dull. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

For readers who want to know the truth behind the pints of Chubby Hubby and Phish Food, journalist and consultant -Edmonson (founder, ePodunk.com) offers an in-depth history of the business side of Ben & Jerry's, founded by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978, including the ups and downs of running a successful company while remaining true to its original roots. While neither Ben nor Jerry agreed to be interviewed for the book, it includes material contributed by Jeff Furman, the current chairman of Ben & Jerry's board of directors. He wrote the company's original business plan back in 1977 (using a pizza shop template) and has stayed with the firm ever since. Furman was also instrumental in drafting its three-point mission statement: great ice cream, social purpose, and profit. How the company has maintained its progressive social focus, despite challenges and considerable pushback from Unilever (who bought out Ben & Jerry's in 2000), is a major focus of this work. VERDICT An engaging company chronicle, with an emphasis on the boardroom, not the scoop shop (although personal photos and fun facts such as key employees' favorite flavors are included). Recommended for business collections.-Susan Hurst, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.