The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done.

Pretty much anyone who has even peripheral involvement with the business world has heard of Peter F. Drucker, the "father of modern management." In his lifetime (1909-2005) he published 39 books and served as a consultant to many of the biggest companies in the world, including GE, IBM, and Coca-Cola, to name a few. But despite his eminence, he never forgot the importance of the worker and the ability of the individual to effect change.

As social entrepreneurs, we all spend a fair bit of time explaining to the general public what it means to have a double bottom line ("What do you mean it isn’t just about profit?”). Throw into the mix an environmental component, thereby creating a triple bottom line, and people's eyes can start to glaze over – sad but true. But that doesn’t make green pursuits in business any less important. In fact, being a trailblazer in this arena is what’s going to position you at the top of your industry once the rest of the world realizes that you can, indeed, do business without doing harm. Luckily, there are lots of recently published books to keep you motivated and inspired along the green business path. Here's a quick round-up.

Lara Galinsky is a senior vice president at Echoing Green, a nonprofit that invests in and mentors social entrepreneurs so they can create high-impact solutions to the world’s most pressing problems. Her career path wasn’t easy and it certainly wasn’t direct. But one thing she has learned over the years, after meeting and getting to know many Echoing Green fellows, is that no one’s career path is a neat, straight line. Yet, they all seem to follow the same twists and turns.

If you have been thinking about venturing into the world of social entrepreneurship, take a few hours to read The Blue Sweater. Written by Jacqueline Novogratz, founder of Acumen Fund, the book offers an insightful, honest narrative of her journey into the economic development world in Africa, and provides an excellent introduction to the ideas behind social entrepreneurship as a vehicle for poverty eradication.