For me, Paul Hawken was the original voice of inspiration connecting the economy and nature. I read the Ecology of Commerce when I was running my first entrepreneurial venture after college, Planetary Solutions. Everything he said was so perfectly stated, so true to me, and so full of hope. He has spent his lifetime showing that caring for the Earth and building a thriving economy are not competing goals. I share his path.

His work is defined by a deep optimism grounded in evidence and the belief that solutions already exist, are already underway, and are often more elegant and profitable than the systems they replace. He is a rare voice, a special treat, and in my opinion one of the great leaders of our time.

We feature Paul Hawken’s work on PlanetEarth.com because it speaks directly to the world we are building toward: one where people, planet, and prosperity are not trade-offs, but partners in a living system.

First published in 1993 and 100% relevant today. The Ecology of Commerce makes the case that markets and nature are not opponents, but partners. Hawken reveals how commerce—when designed to follow the rules of living systems—can restore ecosystems, reward responsibility, and create lasting prosperity. Essential reading for anyone interested in regenerative economics and intelligent capitalism.

A unifying vision for the future of life on Earth. Regeneration reframes climate, economy, culture, and justice as interconnected living systems. Hawken invites us to move beyond sustainability toward vitality—creating conditions where ecosystems recover, communities flourish, and prosperity becomes more resilient and widely shared. The forward by Jane Goodall is reason enough to get this book. Get ready to cry with joy for her life’s work!

A practical roadmap for reversing global warming. Drawdown ranks the top 100 most effective, science-based climate solutions already in use around the world. (# 6 is Educating Girls) Clear, rigorous, and empowering, the book replaces fear with agency—showing how energy, food, education, health, and equity work together to stabilize the climate and strengthen societies.

Carbon is a stirring, hopeful, and deeply humane book. Hawken illuminates the subtle connections between carbon and our collective human experience and asks us to see nature, carbon, and ourselves as exquisitely intertwined—inseparably connected.

Blending science and story, Hawken shows how restoring healthy carbon flows is key to climate stability, ecological renewal, and long-term economic resilience. Our world would be lifeless without Carbon.

A hopeful revelation of a global movement already at work. Blessed Unrest uncovers millions of people quietly restoring ecosystems, communities, and human dignity. Paul Hawken shows that these efforts are not isolated causes, but expressions of a shared instinct to protect life. This book reassures readers that meaningful change is not rare—it is everywhere, happening right now. This is about the people, the civil society working in this movement that Paul says “if you meet and aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a heart.”