Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade--and How We Can Fight It

An Important Cause and a Jolt of Horrific Reality (for me at least) 2010-03-20

Reviewer: Sockanasa

The only reason I "read" this book was through another website's free download of the audio version in association with [...]. I'm glad I did listen and will now buy the hard copy for the reference material. Here is my take on the book's style and structure:

The writing style is balanced and non-distracting. The author isn't a Tolstoy, Steinbeck, nor any other brilliant writer, but the writing is clear, informative, and consistently engaging.

The structure of the book threw me off at first since he strives to give both the big picture of a situation (such as the extent of multinational crime rings, the number of enslaved people worldwide or in a certain region, the functioning of a particular NGO in that region, etc.) with facts & figures while also giving personal stories of slaves and abolitionists. That can be a daunting task. Therefore, the book is broken down at a high level by region (if I recall correctly Asia, Uganda, Europe, Peru, and the United States). Then under each region he breaks it down between the by big picture & personal accounts for that region, although the book content is much heavier on the personal side.

The big picture sections cover statistics, trends, abolitionist methodologies for that culture, underlying structural hurdles within the society, etc. Examples of the underlying social hurdles include corruption, imprisoning victims, shame, extortion, and ignorance. Each as it specifically manifests in each region. Although, the common theme is those with power reducing the powerless to property... utterly rejecting the inherent value of the people and beating, raping, and committing atrocities as a method to break the person.

Mixed in between are personal stories of slaves: child/adult sexual slaves, child/adult labor slaves, and child soldiers. In addition there are personal stories of abolitionists in that region: how they started, how they tackle the problem, and often how their stories end up intertwining with the personal stories of the slaves.

The difficulty for me at first was the transition where a slave's story was cut into multiple sections interrupted by the abolitionist's parallel story in the region or big picture descriptions. Then the author would return to the story and pick up where he left off.

Throughout the book the abolitionists the author profiles have one striking quality: very few of them specifically set out to be abolitionists and I don't think a single one expected that they could have such an impact. Most came face to face with it in the "real world" and just couldn't help but recognize the injustice and do something. That leads me to the wrap up of the book where the author challenges the reader with joining the abolitionist cause. He lists many ways others have taken up the cause and gives many examples of ways people have championed this cause and brought the underworld out into view. He also then lists many organizations and websites to begin the work. His firm conviction at the end (and you see as a thread through the book) is that we underestimate our power to change or help the abolition movement and he challenges the reader to exercise his/her power to the benefit of the weak and exploited.

It should be noted that the author doesn't pull any punches with regard to the atrocities committed. It is graphic and not an appropriate book for all ages. The stories are disturbing and on one occasion I nearly threw up. Having said that, the author doesn't seem to overstate, exaggerate, otherwise skew the data. For instance, the section on Uganda aligns well with other reliable news sources reporting on the child soldiers / sex slaves. He speaks very straight forward and lets the plain actions speak for themselves.

I did read one 3 star commentary that said he/she wanted more facts and statistics. You should know that this isn't a book to use to write a research paper on the money, numbers, statistics, etc. I'm sure there are other books out there that can help that individual, but I don't think it is a failure of this book. The subtitle of this book is "The Return of the Global Slave Trade and How We Can Fight It". I think that sums it up. Informing people about the existence and prevalence this multi-billion dollar industry, what the slaves and abolitionists face, and how to join the movement to rid slavery from our societies. As such it is directed more at a general reader being introduced to this dark side our society and then giving practical ways to get involved.

I do highly recommend reading this book, though, admittedly it is the only one I have read on the subject. I'm sure there are other great resources. However, I will say that throughout this book and now afterward, my mind returns again and again to the stories and I find myself contemplating the best way I can get involved. The story hasn't ended yet for me and that was the power of the book for me. It has lit a fire and now I'm just looking into how not if. Unknown to me, a friend also read the book (much before I did) and now she, her husband, and another couple have a site selling jewelry made by former slaves as they develop a skill to support themselves. She attributed this book to lighting the fire under them.

On a side note, [...] is just one of many NGO's fighting slavery worldwide. However, the author is clearly committed to the movement and not growing his own empire. The reader is continually hearing stories of NGO's in the field and at the end is an extensive list of NGO's, their mission statement, and how to contact them. You hear little about [...] as an entity.

The book that changed my life 2009-11-07

Reviewer: Sarah J. Morbitzer

I spent the week it took me to read this book crying, losing sleep, and unable to concentrate on anything but what I was learning.

I didn't want to know that teenage girls were being raped for profit in brothels. Or that little boys were brainwashed and forced to kill in rebel armies. Or that some of the products I bought were inexpensive because the person who produced them was forced to work for no pay.

And I didn't want to get involved.

But by the time I finished Not for Sale I knew I had to do something. Because if I ignored this and let it continue unchallenged I would be just as guilty as those who perpetuated these horrors in the first place.

This book changed me. I'm so glad it did. Working for the abolition of the modern-day slave trade is heartwrenching and exhilirating and discouraging and energizing. And completely worth it. I hope each person who reads this book will follow up by visiting [...] to find out ways they can also get involved. This is not going to end without our involvment.

Inspiring... 2009-10-10

Reviewer: DIBR

The tails are hard to read when still learning about the depth of human trafficking. But, it definitely inspires you to help and want to learn more.

Great Purchase 2009-08-11

Reviewer: Natasha Gilmore

This was a great purchase. I was impressed with everything about this book, from the content to the way it was written. The author did a great job mixing historical content, real life stories and the information on the organizations doing something about it.

Definitely recommend this book as a way to get an overview on many social injustices taking place in the world.

Are you ready to take the red pill? 2009-06-24

Reviewer: N. Davis

Do you remember the scene in The Matrix where Morpheus has given Neo the quick intro, including the horrifying truth about how humans have become merely an energy-producing commodity? And how Neo is overwhelmed to the point of throwing up? Well, that may well be how you feel after reading this book and learning that slavery is alive, prospering, and likely as close as your local massage parlor, restaurant, strip club, or fruit plantation.

There are many hard truths here (did you know there are more slaves now than ever before? 27m?), but if you believe that it's better to know such truths (and fight them) than to remain safely in a cuddly world of illusion, you should read this book, pass it on, and then join or support one of the brave organizations standing up for human rights and justice.