Jo’s book list 2023

Spring 2023 found me with enforced bed rest for nearly eight weeks, while recovering from an operation. This meant I was able to read and read I did! (Which goes some way to explain why my 2023 book list is so large.)

I tend to read books with a purpose, usually focused on a journey, improvement or an alternate perspective. The books featured in the picture are all great reads in their own right and I am happy to recommend them. In a true circular economy style, I am more than happy to share my copies around. (Send me a message with your wish list). Of those I have read, I have chosen to provide a brief review of one title as I have found it to be fundamental to my professional thinking and have read it twice since Easter.

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Cobalt Red by Siddharth Kara

This book is a must-read and even though different people will take away different elements from it, what is abundantly clear is that we all must do better. Non-Executive Directors need to read this book to effectively govern and challenge their businesses. The C-Suite and Sustainability teams need to read this book and then take a hard look at their business practises and corporate reporting, ultimately to investigate what is lurking in their supply chain. Banks, investors, procurement officers, product designers, accountants, marketing and everyone else, you all need to read this book to ensure you take a balanced approach to make a greener more equitable future for all.

For the movie buffs out there, this is the cobalt (book) equivalent of the movie Blood Diamond. Cobalt is an essential mineral in modern-day batteries. A few milligrams are found in your smartphone and laptop and larger quantities are in the batteries of electric vehicles.?

The book explains the science behind cobalt and why the largest deposits are located in the Congo. The book then describes Congo’s troubled past from colonisation and slavery. The author (Kara) goes into great detail to explain the different mining practices and the players within the eco-system. The book also details how we as consumers and large companies in the West rely on various assurance statements and audits to give the cobalt a seal of approval.

There is simply no getting away from the fact that, if you own a smartphone, laptop or EV, you (as a reader) must consider ‘how the blood of the Congo powers your life’. A harsh statement perhaps but very much justified based on the evidence cited in the book. With our desire to be ever greener we are actively participating in human rights violations at scale. Slavery and forced labour, child labour, limited (and more often than not no) protective equipment for workers and pregnant women working in toxic water. The list goes on. At times I questioned whether the people buried alive were better than those left behind. The human rights violations are at such a scale that no matter what you have bought, if your product contains cobalt, your cobalt would have been part of this horrific eco-system. (Note the word would have rather than could have.) Ponder on that for a moment, you bought cobalt which was mined by violating human rights of another (or perhaps plural) human beings. I could go on but I suspect you get the picture.

Let me be clear, I am not saying stop buying various products. I am saying as consumers, we must demand better from the companies we purchase our products from (and be prepared to pay for it). In turn, companies must up their game across the entire manufacturing process and their complex supply chains. So why is this book my book of the year? The examples provided in the book are relevant, timely, and will inspire you to action.

Reading Cobalt Red puts a different perspective on life. You can easily consider your sphere of influence and, from a professional standpoint, identify parallels where other sectors have challenges equally as large and just as unpalatable. More so, when you read Cobalt Red in quick succession with books such as Money Men by Dan McCrum , Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedeman and Volt Rush by Henry Sanderson . One could question what the business world is coming too. Luckily, other books I read inspired hope but also clarified what sort of Chief Sustainability Officer and Non-Executive Director I wish to be. I must use my voice to drive impact and change.

I have spoken to a great many people about this book and attended several book clubs where it has been discussed. Everyone agrees it is a must-read.

So, if I can ask you one thing this Christmas, grab yourself a copy of Cobalt Red (ideally in true sustainability style, a second-hand copy), read it and then let me know what you think.

Several other books I have read also deserve a shout-out, those being:

·?????? Wavewalker by Suzanne Heywood – a brilliant book about resilience, perseverance, determination, and courage. If you are based in the UK, get yourself to one of her in-conversation-with sessions. Suzanne is quite remarkable.

·?????? Pachinko by Min Jin Lee – if you loved Wild Swans – this is the book for you. The book is set partly in Korea, then in Japan and follows several generations of a family.

·?????? Fifty Million Rising by the brilliant Saadia Zahidi – remove your preconceived ideas and expand your mind by hearing the stories of modern-day women growing up across the Muslim world. See my book review on this book here.

·?????? State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny – this is the first political thriller I have read in a long time. Wow! The story comes to life, you are in the thick of the action and when thinking of the characters, it is quite possible you know them!

Those who know me personally know how I love to read. I am always keen to receive, share or swap book recommendations and 2023 has been no different. Most of the books featured in the picture were recommended one way or another, so please keep them coming!!!

With 2023 drawing to a close, I can reflect on the highs and lows, professionally and personally, that this year has provided. Am I a better person than twelve months ago, perhaps this is for you to answer. What I am certain of, is that I have learned new skills, formed amazing new friendships and experienced many new things. I look forward to 2024 and not least because I have a stack of new books to read over Christmas.

No matter what you are doing over this period or whatever your faith - I wish each of you, your families and your friends a wonderful end of year and Happy holidays. Jo x