The travels of a t-shirt in the global economy: an economist examines the markets, power and politics of world trade

Pietra Rivoli9780471648499, 0-471-64849-3

Praise for THE TRAVELS OF A T-SHIRT IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

“Engrossing . . . (Rivoli) goes wherever the T-shirt goes, and there are surprises around every corner . . . full of memorable characters and vivid scenes.” — Time
“An engaging and illuminating saga. . . . Rivoli follows her T-shirt along its route, but that is like saying that Melville follows his whale. . . . Her nuanced and fair-minded approach is all the more powerful for eschewing the pretense of ideological absolutism, and her telescopic look through a single industry has all the makings of an economics classic.” — The New York Times
“Rarely is a business book so well written that one would gladly stay up all night to finish it. Pietra Rivoli’s The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy is just such a page-turner.” — CIO magazine
“Succeeds admirably . . . T-shirts may not have changed the world, but their story is a useful account of how free trade and protectionism certainly have.” — Financial Times
“[A] fascinating exploration of the history, economics, and politics of world trade . . . The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy is a thought-provoking yarn that exhibits the ugly, the bad, and the good of globalization, and points to the unintended positive consequences of the clash between proponents and opponents of free trade.” — Star-Telegram (Fort Worth)
“Part travelogue, part history, and part economics, The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy is ALL storytelling, and in the grand style. A must-read.” —Peter J. Dougherty, Senior Economics Editor, Princeton University Press author of Who’s Afraid of Adam Smith?
“A readable and evenhanded treatment of the complexities of free trade . . . As Rivoli repeatedly makes clear, there is absolutely nothing free about free trade except the slogan.” — San Francisco Chronicle

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Table of contents :
CONTENTS……Page 6
PREFACE……Page 8
PROLOGUE……Page 14
PART I: KING COTTON: HOW AMERICA HAS DOMINATED THE GLOBAL COTTON INDUSTRY FOR 200 YEARS……Page 20
PART II: MADE IN CHINA……Page 78
PART III: TROUBLE AT THE BORDER: MY T-SHIRT RETURNS TO AMERICA……Page 128
PART IV: MY T-SHIRT FINALLY ENCOUNTERS A FREE MARKET: THE GLOBAL TRADE IN CAST-OFF T-SHIRTS……Page 192
CONCLUSION……Page 230
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS……Page 235
BIBLIOGRAPHY……Page 237
NOTES……Page 250
INDEX……Page 263