Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose

Insightful book on an important topic. Highly recommended for anyone interested in stakeholder capitalism

Well written, well structured and inspiring. I really appreciate how the authors chose their "firms of endearment" based on qualitative criteria and only then looked at the financial data. That these firms, which have chosen a very balanced approach to meeting their various stakeholders' needs are among the most profitable in their respective industries says a lot about the validity of this approach. It's prrof that companies can behave ethically and still be highly profitable.

This book dispels the myth that making all stakeholders (employees, investors, suppliers, customers and society) have a great, supported and profitable experience is too expensive. Firms of Endearment proves that this actually makes a superb and highly profitable company. Love it!

So much good to grown on in this book. It makes a poignant appeal to lead with Spirit, the kind of power no one can take from you. Put the love back in the business - build relationships with your customers and employees to withstand the tests of time. People show up for people who care. We need more inspiration and hope and Firms of Endearment.

In Firms of Endearment, the authors argue that companies must treat all stakeholders well. The idea is simple: in an aging population, older customers increasingly desire companies that seek more than just profit. In turn, companies that respect their stakeholders (called Firms of Endearment, of FoE's) enjoy extraordinary shareholder returns, with FoE's returning over 1000% returns over 15 years compared to the ~150% returned by their more traditional-minded, profit-maximizing peers.My only "negative" was that the book's main premise - that midlife crises translate to the demand for FoE characteristics - isn't built up well. The premise makes some sense, but research and studies backing it up would make the authors' overall argument more convincing.Overall, the book is clear, filled with facts and examples of FoE characteristics, and inspiring.