Éléments de la finance responsable : une perspective multidimensionnelle. Frank Coggins, Claudia Champagne et Lyne Latulipe. Édition Yvon Blais, 2018. 731 pages

The book focuses on the most relevant subjects related to socially responsible investing (SRI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It develops a multidimensional perspective that helps readers broaden their understanding of the various issues in the field of SRI and CSR. The book also proposes many relevant avenues for future research in the same area. The main objectives of this interesting project are realized through the collective contribution of many authors with various expertise and background. As SRI and CSR are complex subjects with highly fragmented fields, the task for uncovering and identifying limited milestones in this area is not simple. However, authors have succeeded to limit the scope of their work to five thematic areas that englobe many important research questions. Chapter 1 of the book provides an overview of SRI as a practice that incorporates environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors. In this Chapter, authors outline the main aspects of the SRI literature and explore different perspectives. They also introduce green investments in real estate and cover issues linked to impact investing, shareholders activism and SRI financial performance and risk. Chapter 2 is structured in a way that helps the reader understand the role of financial institutions in economic development. It also helps investors understand many issues behind the long term emerging qualitative risks, longevity risk, hedge-fund risk-taking cycles and the role of extra financial disclosure. Chapter 3 examines the potential links between corporate governance, life cycle assessment and CSR. Authors also introduce the debate about cultural diversity in corporations, green marketing strategies, and the impact of CSR on mergers and acquisitions performance. Chapter 4 explores different subjects linked to corporate taxation, international reputational risk, tax avoidance, tax havens, offshore finance, public funding, and CSR. Finally, chapter 5 contains a detailed discussion about postmodern ethics, routine activity theory in the context of financial activities, the mechanisms for detecting financial fraud, sustainable financial regulation, and responsible finance as a process of building strong moral responsibility. The book seeks to contribute to the literature by reaching out to various authors with both academic and professional background. It is worth mentioning that most authors have varied expertise within and across many disciplines (e.g. Finance, economics, environment, law, and philosophy). In the book, all contributors support adequately their claims, provide the necessary background information, and offer in many cases specific solutions. Furthermore, a great attention has been paid to the clarity of expression. In the same line of reasoning, most chapters arguments are built on an appropriate base of theory and concepts. The main ideas are also arranged in a logical sequence that allows readers to connect easily all five chapters. The book will certainly inspire new thinking about the main challenges that affect SRI and CSR. One of the strengths of this work is that it can be used both in teaching and in research. Even practitioners can rely on many elements of the book to guide and improve their actions. In this respect, authors have done a good job reducing the gap between theory and practice. This is not a surprise knowing that many practitioners in the field of SRI and CSR have written several interesting chapters that go beyond the traditional theoretical thinking. Even the writing style considers different types of audiences and helps demystify many complex financial concepts. We are confident that both institutional and regular investors can learn new and significant information from the book. The latter can also be a significant source for many new ideas for future research projects. As suggested earlier, the multidimensional approach of the book not only broadens our understanding of the …