Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
21st Century Investing summary
William Burckart and Steven D. Lydenberg
Redirecting Financial Strategies to Drive Systems Change
18 mins
Brief summary
In '21st Century Investing', William Burckart and Steven D. Lydenberg explore the future of sustainable and impact investing. They provide a roadmap for investors looking to align their investments with their values and create positive social and environmental impacts.
Table of Contents
21st Century Investing
Summary of 6 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 6
System-level investing strengthens the social, financial, and environmental systems that society depends on.
Close your eyes for a minute and try to imagine your average investor. What kind of person do you see?
Forget about the superficial stuff like the investor’s appearance. Instead, ask yourself whether the person you’re imagining has a strong social conscience. Is this average investor altruistic and civic-minded? Are they caring and committed to changing the world for the better?
Unfortunately, the answer is probably no. If the investor you imagined was self-interested, greedy, and just looking to make a quick buck, then you’re not alone. For too long, many investors have matched that caricature – and that’s where system-level investing comes in.
The key message here is: System-level investing strengthens the social, financial, and environmental systems that society depends on.
Too many investors have short-sighted and purely self-serving goals. They invest to maximize their returns – and, if they manage a fund, their clients’ returns.
These investors comply with the law, sure. But as far as they’re concerned, that’s where their obligations to the wider world end. System-level investors, on the other hand, take a different view. Instead of focusing on short-term financial gains, they invest in ways that strengthen the systems that make human life sustainable and fair.
If this sounds a lot like sustainable investment to you, that makes sense. System-level investing and sustainable investing do overlap – both have explicit environmental and social concerns, and both suggest that making a quick profit shouldn’t always be the most important thing.
But system-level investors go further. They’re not necessarily fund managers or high-powered Chief Financial Officers; a dabbling hobby investor can be a system-level investor too. But what sets them apart is that they’re more active, targeted, and relentless than sustainability investors – they don't just buy shares in renewable energy companies and stop there.
System-level investors campaign for new public policies to make companies get in line. They advocate for progressive industry standards. And they collaborate with like-minded investors, coming together to make change. In short, they aim at systemic solutions.
Short-term gains that come at the expense of vital systems like health care, consumer safety, and climate stability are no gains at all. In fact, they’re serious losses. System-level investors realize this, so they invest in ways that make our fundamental systems stronger and more resilient. We’ll take a look at how they do that in the next blink.
Want to see all full key ideas from 21st Century Investing?
Key ideas in 21st Century Investing
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is 21st Century Investing about?
21st Century Investing (2021) is a guide to ethical and responsible investment strategies. Instead of making money at the expense of our fragile social and environmental systems, you can invest in ways that will actually strengthen them – ensuring societal stability and long-term returns.
Who should read 21st Century Investing?
- Investors wondering how to square profitability with social justice
- Anyone curious about the future of investment strategy
- Savers hoping to future-proof their investments in an increasingly uncertain world
Categories with 21st Century Investing
Book summaries like 21st Century Investing
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
29 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth