Buying power.  It’s the most critical tool in the alternative consumer’s arsenal.  And as more shoppers consider the brands their dollars support, more businesses are taking the time to rethink the practices and processes that have long shaped success.

For those businesses, and the consumers that rely on their positive impact, is a new book written by Seventh Generation co-founder Jeffrey Hollender. The Responsibility Revolution: How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win (Jossey-Bass, 2010) is a business book, yes, but it’s also a manifesto for today’s economic engine, acknowledging the glaring fact that if a company is in the business of making things (whatever they may be), it’s a contributor to pollution – no matter how green it claims to be.

While the book is authored by Hollender, it takes largely into account the case studies of several major manufacturers, including IBM, Organic Valley, and Etsy.com, highlighting the world’s truest change agents and setting them apart from those conglomerates that settle for being simply “less bad.”

In addition to intelligently dissecting the core values and pie-in-the-sky goals of these green leaders, Hollender and co-author Bill Breen evaluate the sustainable business model, which is shifting from purely for-profit to a hybrid of “for-purpose (and profit).”

Also up for debate is the validity behind buzz words like corporate responsibility and eco-efficiency, replaced by thought-leading descriptors like “social innovation.” One cited example is t-shirt-maker Threadless, who is redefining the production process by allowing consumers to proclaim what product is made through online interaction… a strategy that has led most every t-shirt to sell out completely – streamlining operations and in the end, eliminating significant amounts of waste.

Whether you work for a company that’s implemented forward-thinking green initiatives, is a laggard in its industry, or are simply a consumer seeking to understand or influence the business model, this book is an informative and engaging read. Not only is it chock-full of excellent info, it’s bound in a sustainable chic cover and printed on 100 percent post-consumer fiber paper. (Pick it up at your local bookstore, MSRP $27.95 – also available in E-book format.)