A latter-day Benjamin Franklin, Morris is the master of many subjects and skills, defined by none of them. He is vice president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis-based center that promotes environmentally sound economic development. He writes a weekly newspaper column and is an author, lecturer, and consultant to government agencies and businesses on everything from methane-powered energy production to worker-owned cooperatives. Recent books include The Carbohydrate Economy: Making Chemicals and Industrial Materials from Plant Matterand The Mondragon Cooperative Corporation.