The book “Choosing Hope. How to Spiritualize the Economy?” by Luk Bouckaert was published in Dutch. (Kies voor Hoop. Hoe spiritualiteit de economie kan veranderen. Garant, Antwerpen, 2017)

In his book Luk Bouckaert argues that the current search for spirituality is an effort within secularized societies to reconnect with a metaphysic of hope. In periods of crisis and deep change, when there is no longer consensus about the goals and values of life, we need a deeper spiritual ground for hope. Rational theories of happiness – of which economics is part - do not suffice to overcome the disorder and lack of convergence in periods of deep change. This does not mean that we do not have wishes or goals nor that we do not have any interest in their realization. But the spiritual source of hope starts from something that is prior to our desires and goals and makes sense independently from their fulfilment. We may call this awareness of meaning prior to our wishes and desires the disclosure of Life as a meaningful Presence.  Life as it is intuitively experienced as a given, sense making Presence that always creates new opportunities and hope despite the many failures and disappointments.

This volume celebrates the work of Laszlo Zsolnai in the field of the ethical and spiritual aspects of economic life, who has made significant contributions to the connection between ethics, spirituality, aesthetics and economic theory. The book offers a selection of essays concerned with the ethical, spiritual and aesthetic context within which economics as a social studies discipline should be situated in order to avoid the sort of dehumanizing consequences that theories based on utility maximization and rational choice necessarily entail.

The book collects and analyzes 11 exemplary cases of progressive business. Progressive business is understood as ecologically sustainable, future respecting and pro-social enterprise. The collected cases aim to show the best to be expected from business in the 21st century. Authors include Eleanor O'Higgins, Laszlo Zsolnai, Antonio Tencati, Knut Ims, Nel Hofstra, Luit Kloosterman and Michael Müller-Camen.

The book edited by Sharda Nandram and Puneet K. Bindlish is written in response to the call towards a better world by focusing on an integrative worldview, manifested in a new way of organizing ‘Integrative Self-Management’. This publication is intended to inspire the researchers and academics to creatively integrate their perspectives on issues and solutions at fundamental levels.

The book by Aloy Soppe examines the experience of the recent financial crisis and argues that a firmer ethical grounding for the financial sector is required to prevent the crisis being repeated. It offers a model for making judgements on financial markets, institutions and products. The model is built on seven major criteria: Justice, Nature, Sustainability, Legality, Risk and Return, the Stakeholder model and Monism. This multidisciplinary approach integrates philosophy, economics and law to arrive at a new normative approach to financial ethics.

Our lack of ability to deal with the current climate of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) is the cause or catalyst for a rise in fanaticism, existential crisis, fraud, greed and unnecessary competition across the globe. In this book, the authors attribute these issues to a lack of Integrativeness in our worldview. They present the concept of “Integrative Intelligence” as a means to inculcate a much needed Integrativeness to transform our perspective. Rather than thinking of VUCA issues as problems, they suggest to approach them as sustainable entrepreneurial opportunities. The authors show how Integrative Intelligence nourishes our material and spiritual needs and inspire us to pave the way for better societies and celebrating humaneness. This book will provide you, the entrepreneur, intrapreneur, CEO, CFO, CIO, CTO, or executive professional with an understanding of Integrative Intelligence and tools for working with the opportunities of the next digital wave. Integrative Intelligence comprises of our Individual Intelligence and System Intelligence. You will gain insights empowering you to view organizational innovation with creativity and approaches to enhance efficiency, effectiveness and reduction of wastage of resources. This book will help you understand the root causes of many types of problems such as fanaticism, existential crisis, bureaucracy and digitalization. It helps to find meaning and purpose in life, a view to analyze and build cooperation and harmony in organizations, businesses, industries and communities. It nourishes the natural tendency to seek for profit that is beneficial for all and continuous happiness.

This book by Peter Pruzan (member of the Advisory Board of the European SPES Institute) is an in-depth guide to effective scientific research. Ranging from the philosophical to the practical, it explains at the outset what science can – and can’t – achieve, and discusses its relationship to mathematics and laws. The author then pays extensive attention to the scientific method, including experimental design, verification, uncertainty and statistics. A major aim of the book is to help young scientists reflect upon the deeper aims of their work and make the best use of their talents in contributing to progress. To this end, it also includes sections on planning research, on presenting one’s findings in writing, as well as on ethics and the responsibilities of scientists.

Carlos Hoevel and Laszlo Zsolnai edited a special issues on Spirituality in Business in Spanish for the journal „Revista Cultura & Económica” Vol 32, No. 88. The volume contains the following papers:

The Mission and Activities of the European SPES Institute

Luk Bouckaert (Leuven): Spiritual Discernment in Decision-Making

Hendrik Opdebeeck (Antwerp): Rediscovering the Personalist Philosophy of  Jacques Maritain

Laszlo Zsolnai (Budapest): Spiritually Driven Entrepreneurship

Henri-Claude de Bettignies (INSEAD): Can We Develop the Responsible Leaders We Need?

Mike Thompson (London and Shanghai): Managers’ Self-understanding of Wisdom