5.08.2006 ET

(CSRwire) SAN FRANCISCO- Social Venture Network (SVN) has earned the reputation as a beacon for socially responsible business. Counted among its members are global business leaders, investors and owners, all of whom benefit from one of the richest cross-pollinating professional organizations on the planet.

Believing the time is right to share the wealth of its innovative ideas and inspirations beyond its membership, SVN has launched the Social Venture Network Book Series. The eight-volume series will debut with two 2006 titles, Values-Driven Business: How to Change the World, Make Money, and Have Fun by Ben Cohen and Mal Warwick (now available), and True to Yourself: Leading a Values-Based Business by Mark Albion (available July 2006).

"For nearly 20 years, SVN has transformed the way the world does business by identifying and promoting the innovative business practices of our members," said Deborah Nelson, Executive Director of SVN. "Now, with the Social Venture Network Book Series, we are sharing the expertise of our network with small business owners, students and consumers who are interested in building a more just and sustainable economy," Ms. Nelson added.

The hallmark of the Social Venture Network Book Series is practical, real-life advice on how to create and grow a values-driven business, written by pioneers of socially responsible business including: Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen: Mal Warwick, author of the fund-raising primer Revolution in the Mailbox; hotelier Chip Conley of Joie de Vivre Hospitality; Mark Albion, former Harvard Business School professor and best-selling author; and Gun Denhart, founder of Hanna Andersson children's clothing. (Author royalties from Social Venture Network Book Series sales will be donated to SVN.)

The Social Venture Network Book Series will offer eight books by the end of 2007. The low-priced, down-to-earth paperbacks will show how easy (and how profitable) it can be to run a values-based business. Written for everyone from corporate executives to business school students, aspiring entrepreneurs and front-line employees, the books offer inside information on what works - and doesn't work - from a formidable roster of socially responsible business leaders and authors.

The Social Venture Network Book Series represents a landmark partnership between SVN and Berrett-Koehler Publishers (www.bkconnection.com). For information about the series, go to www.svnbooks.com.

About Social Venture Network (SVN)

SVN transforms the way the world does business by connecting, leveraging, and promoting a global community of leaders for a more just and sustainable economy. Since its founding in 1987, SVN has grown from a handful of visionary individuals into a vibrant community of 400 business owners, investors, and nonprofit leaders who are advancing the movement for social responsibility in business. Visit www.svn.org for more information on SVN membership, initiatives, and events.

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