Book review: "Not for sale"
Emily Breiner
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Arts
Filled with true stories of modern-day slavery and abolitionism, "Not for Sale" unmasks society's ignorance of the 27 million slaves in the world today.
The book describes regions of the world with the largest trafficking concerns: Cambodia and Thailand, South Asia, Uganda, Europe, Peru and the U.S.
The book is an uncomfortable read as it tracks childrens' journeys through trafficking rings. There are detailed accounts of kidnapping, forced sex, abuse and forced murder.
The aim of "Not for Sale," to motivate abolitionists, requires mention of the unpleasant acts accosting slaves.
Author David Batstone, an ethics professor at the University of San Francisco, interviewed hundreds of children for his book. Many of their stories contain the same thread: today's slaves are transported to foreign countries with the promise of work, but they have no legal protection or family networks, so they are enslaved.
The FBI projects that the slave trade will soon overtake illegal arms trade and drug trafficking to become the No. 1 criminal industry.
In the United States, Batstone says, citizens wince at the term "slavery" as applied to modern exploitation because they believe abolition ended slavery in the 19th century. But 200,000 people live enslaved in the U.S., according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Batstone related his first exposure to modern-day slavery: a tragic accident exposed that a local restaurant where he ate frequently held labor slaves.
This is an educational tool, not a pleasure read. It offers a global understanding of slavery by highlighting every level of authority on the issue - escaped slaves, abolitionists and governmental authorities.
The book ends with ideas for ending today's slave trade, suggestions that range from showing an educational movie to hiring and ex-slave.
The book describes regions of the world with the largest trafficking concerns: Cambodia and Thailand, South Asia, Uganda, Europe, Peru and the U.S.
The book is an uncomfortable read as it tracks childrens' journeys through trafficking rings. There are detailed accounts of kidnapping, forced sex, abuse and forced murder.
The aim of "Not for Sale," to motivate abolitionists, requires mention of the unpleasant acts accosting slaves.
Author David Batstone, an ethics professor at the University of San Francisco, interviewed hundreds of children for his book. Many of their stories contain the same thread: today's slaves are transported to foreign countries with the promise of work, but they have no legal protection or family networks, so they are enslaved.
The FBI projects that the slave trade will soon overtake illegal arms trade and drug trafficking to become the No. 1 criminal industry.
In the United States, Batstone says, citizens wince at the term "slavery" as applied to modern exploitation because they believe abolition ended slavery in the 19th century. But 200,000 people live enslaved in the U.S., according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Batstone related his first exposure to modern-day slavery: a tragic accident exposed that a local restaurant where he ate frequently held labor slaves.
This is an educational tool, not a pleasure read. It offers a global understanding of slavery by highlighting every level of authority on the issue - escaped slaves, abolitionists and governmental authorities.
The book ends with ideas for ending today's slave trade, suggestions that range from showing an educational movie to hiring and ex-slave.
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