FLICK THROUGH ANY newspaper or magazine and you will probably find a green supplement or "ethical living" column. As a nation, we have never been so interested in social and environmental issues, and it's not hard to understand why.

Global warming is the single biggest threat to our planet. Climate scientists warn that unless we stop the rise in the world's surface temperature, we will soon be facing an environmental catastrophe. The UK government wants a 20 per cent cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. But levels have been increasing, not falling, in recent years. Deforestation. Unclean technologies. Pollution. We know what has to change - and it's not just the planet we are worried about either.

Despite years of promises by world leaders, trade between rich and poor countries continues to be stacked in the wealthier nations' favour. For all the talk about ending poverty, the gap between the poorest and richest in society keeps getting wider.

This book is about how small business can make a positive difference. If you are thinking about setting up a company, or are spending every waking hour trying to make a young business succeed, you may feel it's a bit much to expect you to save the world as well. But doing business ethically doesn't require superhuman powers or divine virtue. Ask some of the country's most inspirational ethical entrepreneurs for their motivation, and they will usually shrug and say: "It's just the way we should be doing business."

Download the full introduction here.