In a sophisticated and far-reaching blend of theory and reflection, Thinking the Twenty-First Century takes a provocative look at the changes required to build a new global political economy. McIntosh charts five system changes essential to this transition: globality and Earth awareness; the rebalancing of science and awe; peacefulness and the feminization of decision-making; the re-organization of our institutions; and, evolution, adaptation and learning. That they are all connected should be obvious, but that they are written about together is less common.McIntosh argues that these five changes are already under way and need to be accelerated. Combining science, philosophy, politics and economics, Thinking the Twenty-First Century questions our current model of capitalism and calls for a much-needed new order. This forceful call to action advocates a balanced political economy with trandisciplinarity, connectivity, accountability and transparency at its centre, as an alternative to a world built on the failing system of neoliberal economics.From one of the pioneers of the global corporate sustainability and social responsibility movement, this unique book combines analysis, diary and reflection to present a radical way forward for the twenty-first century.

The times we face suggest that learners at all levels need to go well beyond the stale thinking of CSR to rethinking the political economy. Few books provide a template that can help foster that type of systems thinking. That is exactly what McIntosh, an astute observer of planetary dynamics, accomplishes in Thinking the Twenty-First Century. -- Sandra Waddock, Academy of Management Learning and Education
This book should be read by those who see the challenges of caring for our planet as more than addressing climate change, see the failings of our current political economic systems as more than the outcomes of so-called neo-liberalism, and see the need for not just “quiet leadership” but strong leadership for sustainability including addressing the global burden of public debt. McIntosh is correct that we need new thinking for the twenty-first century and his book, as he hopes, does indeed add “wisdom to our collective consciousness.” -- Francis Vorhies, Forbes

MALCOLM MCINTOSH is former Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for Sustainable Enterprise at Griffith University. He is Founding Editor of the Journal of Corporate Citizenship and was Special Adviser to the UN Global Compact.