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The article discusses investments pursued by former U.S. Vice President Al Gore through his firm Generation Investment Management LLP. Topics include his views on the environmental and social responsibility of business in a capitalist system, the relation of sustainability to an investment's rate of return, and Gore's partnership with David Blood in their firm. Gore's views on sustainable capitalism are addressed in relation to the notion of externalities and long-term investing.

The article reports that while nearly a quarter of the homes bought in the United States in 2004 were investments, not residences, real estate is generally a poor way of generating return on investment. A chart created by economist Robert Shiller suggests that people overestimate returns on home purchases. From 1890 to 2004 real home values rose by an average of only 0.4 percent a year. The chart also shows that the current boom is almost unprecedented historically.