Ralph Nader’s Latest Book Profiles CEOs Who Are Doing It Right
14 Nov 2023
Over seven decades, Ralph Nader has been corporate America’s fiercest critic. But in his new book, The Rebellious CEO: 12 Leaders Who Did It Right, he may surprise both his fans and critics, alike.
In The Rebellious CEO, Nader profiles a small group of CEOs who he believes performed extraordinarily, as well as business leaders and civic reformers, some well-known, some not, who should be celebrated as exceptions whose lives and careers should be a course of emulation and inspiration for students of business, executives and the wider citizenry.
This select group of mavericks and iconoclasts—which includes The Body Shop’s Anita Roddick, Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard, Vanguard’s John Bogle and Busboys and Poets' Andy Shallal—give us, Nader writes, “a sense of what might have been and what still could be if business were rigorously framed as a process that was not only about making money and selling things but improving our social and natural world.”
Honored by Time magazine as "One of the 100 Most Influential Americans of the 20th Century," Nader continues to fight the good fight in government and public opinion. He helped create the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Due to his zeal, we now have safer drinking water, cleaner air and freedom of information. His citizen groups such as the Public Interest Research Groups flourish on campus and the national stage, striving to protect the public and advance social justice.
Many of Nader's most significant triumphs, including consumer rights, open government and more humane business practices, are fully integrated into our lives. Among his victories are the ideas and commodities we now take for granted: seatbelts, airbags, crash-worthy cars, better labeling on food, lower levels of lead in the environment, smoking awareness and healthier eating habits.
Nader, along with Steve Skrovan and David Feldman, created a weekly podcast, Ralph Nader Radio Hour, where they discuss the latest news stories, as well as interview some of the most influential voices in America.