Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We'll Win the Climate War

by Tom Steyer

Overview

Instant New York Times Bestseller * Financial Times Best Books of 2024

Climate investor and activist Tom Steyer shows us how we can win the war on climate—and why fighting for a sustainable future can help bring meaning and prosperity to our lives.

The consequences of climate change—rising waters, extreme weather, record temperatures—are transforming our lives, as global warming accelerates more rapidly than scientists predicted even a few years ago. At the same time, the clean energy revolution is forging ahead faster than nearly anyone anticipated. As Tom Steyer sees it, these two trends together create a moment like the one America faced during World War II: on the one hand, an existential threat that demands our collective action; on the other, an opportunity to lead the world, protect the planet, and set the stage for a new generation of shared economic prosperity.

In 2012, Steyer walked away from the highly successful investment fund he founded to devote himself full time to climate issues, and he’s been on the front lines ever since. In this accessible book, aimed at everyone from college students to Wall Street investors, Steyer presents his blueprint for winning the climate fight—sharing his own story of becoming a “climate person,” debunking the arguments made by fossil fuel companies, and showcasing the inspiring, innovative work of other climate leaders in the clean-energy transition. Capitalism, Steyer argues, can be the key to scaling climate progress, and all of us can play a part in stabilizing our planet. As green technology is fast becoming cleaner and cheaper, reshaping our planet’s future—and our own—has never been more crucial or within our reach.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781954118652
Publisher:	Spiegel & Grau
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
Sales rank:	292,723
File size:	810 KB

About the Author

Tom Steyer is the coexecutive chair of Galvanize Climate Solutions, a multistrategy climate investment firm designed to unlock the generational opportunity of the energy transition. He founded America’s largest youth-voter engagement organization and cofounded a community development bank focused on justice and sustainability. He previously cofounded Farallon Capital, a pioneering hedge fund that he departed in 2012 in order to devote his time, money, and energy to climate issues. He lives happily in San Francisco. 

Editorial Reviews

[A] lively, well-informed and passionate book.”—Martin Wolff, Financial Times, Best Economics Books Summer 2024

“In Cheaper, Faster, Better, Tom Steyer’s persuasive storytelling and contagious optimism underscore one of the most important realities of the climate crisis: If we work together, we can solve it. As a relentless climate activist and accomplished investor, Tom’s insights will help galvanize the movement that is needed to address the greatest challenge of our lifetimes.”—Al Gore, former US Vice President

“An entertaining and informative look into the world of green energy and the clean energy transition.”—Salon

“An admirably readable call to arms.”—Financial Times

“Optimistic . . . A readable, encouraging argument that climate activists will want to put to work.”—Kirkus

“Tom Steyer is a masterful storyteller who proves, once again, why he is a leading voice for a cleaner, healthier, and more prosperous world. Writing with clarity and conviction, he blends optimism and pragmatism in his vision of a global community that can meet our climate challenges, infused with the power of innovation.”—Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of the Emerson Collective

“‘Refreshing’ and ‘hopeful’ are not words usually associated with books about the climate crisis, but Steyer’s book is just that. Frequently using parallels from sports and the business world, he brings clarity and common sense to complex, even controversial, climate issues. This book has given me answers to the questions I get asked most.”—Jane Fonda

“In Cheaper, Faster, Better, Tom Steyer is full of optimism that we can still prevent the worst of climate change and build a better world. He shows how each of us can be part of that solution, whatever our walk of life and wherever we are in the world.”—Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund 

“Tom Steyer is a true champion of the planet. He calls on all of us to do our part and explore every possible solution—from breakthrough ideas and technologies to new rules and standards—to create a sustainable net-zero world that benefits all of humanity.”—Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce

“Finally, an effortless and compelling book that captures the promise and opportunity of the current point in our journey to a net-zero world. Steyer teaches, amuses, and inspires, all while never losing focus on the urgency and moral clarity of this moment.”—Lisa Jackson, former EPA Administrator

“Winning the climate war is a top priority for those of us who care about the future of our planet and generations to come. Tom Steyer convincingly lays out action steps to transition to a clean energy economy and meet the challenge of climate change.”—Catherine Coleman Flowers, author of Waste and founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice

“Cheaper, Faster, Better is a page-turner and a game changer. Not only does it give readers a front row seat to Tom Steyer's journey from Wall Street wonder boy to strategic climate crusader, it elevates the voices of real human beings who are relentlessly fighting in the trenches for climate action and climate justice, in ways that demonstrate the awesome power of hope and optimism. In other words, this book is nothing short of a swift kick in the pants to those who bemoan that the climate battle has already been lost, and a shot in the arm to those who know that despite the deceptive tactics of the oil and gas industry, the clean technologies we need to deliver a healthy and safe future are already within our grasp. All we have to do now is stop bemoaning the present and start working for our collective future.”—Gina McCarthy, former White House National Climate Advisor and former EPA Administrator 

“Tom Steyer has worked as hard on the climate crisis as anyone I know, and this book—a model of clarity—will make clear why he's been so successful at it: He brings a particular skillset, honed in his earlier years as an investor, that allows him to see the cores of both the crisis and its solutions. It also allows him to make one of the most persuasive attacks on the degeneracy of the fossil fuel industry, and much of adjacent Wall Street, that I've ever read. It's a triumph.”—Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

“For those of you who get anxious thinking about climate change, here’s a book that won’t make you want to slit your wrists AND offers a blueprint for living. Steyer is a pioneering investor, past presidential candidate and a climate activist, who’s putting his knowledge where his convictions are in fighting climate change through policy and investment. This is a breezy book to read that covers a lot of ground, from solutions, personal storytelling and how we can harness the everyday desire of Americans to look for small and big ways to make a difference. . . . As someone who washes out my zip lock bags, this is my kind of book.”—Lee Woodruff

From the Publisher

Legendary investment manager Tom Steyer performs his well-documented audiobook with the sincerity and commitment it deserves. With his assured yet easy-listening narration, he delivers a hard-hitting picture of the climate catastrophe headed our way and outlines the global effort it will take to keep it from making the earth uninhabitable. He details the powerful corporate obstacles to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and explains what governments can do to counteract those interests--but his message is aimed less at public policy activists than ordinary citizens. With commitment in his voice, he shows how to stay connected to the devastating reality of global warming and how to combat complacency with individual actions that can sustain our belief in ourselves, as well as the survival of the planet. T.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2024 - AudioFile