Synopses & Reviews
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. 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 readable and evenhanded treatment of the complexities of world trade... As Rivoli repeatedly makes clear, there is absolutely nothing free about free trade except the slogan."
San Francisco Chronicle
"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."
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Review
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
Synopsis
This revised edition of the international bestseller (65,000 copies sold since 2005) now covers the biggest question Rivoli encounters from her readers: "What was the environmental impact of your t-shirt in Texas, China, Africa, etc.?" The new edition also explains what has happened to the main characters in the last 4 years, updates the latest political and economic developments that affect the story, and includes new teaching aids.
Synopsis
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy has been lauded by the New York Times, Financial Times, and reviewers worldwide. Translated into fourteen languages,
Travels has received numerous awards for its frank and nuanced discussion of global economic realities. Now updated and revised--including a discussion of environmental issues--this fascinating book illustrates crucial lessons in economics, politics, and globalization.
The major themes and conclusions from the first edition are intact, but in response to questions from readers and students around the world, the second edition now includes:
- Updates on the people, businesses, and politics involved in the production of the T-shirt.
- Discussions of environmental issues related to both international trade and the T-shirt's life story.
About the Author
Pietra Rivoli, PhD, is Professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, where she specializes in international business, finance, and social issues in business. Travels of a T-Shirt has won numerous awards and has been translated into fourteen languages.
Table of Contents
Preface to the Second Edition.
Prologue.
PART I: KING COTTON.
Chapter 1: How America Has Dominated the Global Cotton Industry for 200 Years.
Chapter 2: The History of American Cotton.
Chapter 3: Back at the Reinsch Farm.
Chapter 4: All God's Dangers Ain't the Subsidies.
PART II: MADE IN CHINA.
Chapter 5: Cotton Comes to China.
Chapter 6: The Long Race to the Bottom.
Chapter 7: Sisters in Time.
Chapter 8: The Unwitting Conspiracy.
PART III: TROUBLE AT THE BORDER.
Chapter 9: Returning to America.
Chapter 10: Dogs Snarling Together.
Chapter 11: Perverse Effects and Unintended Consequences of T-Shirt Trade Policy.
Chapter 12: 45 Clears of “Temporary” Protectionism Ends in 2009—Now What?
PART IV: MY T-SHIRT FINALLY ENCOUNTERS A FREE MARKET.
Chapter 13: Where T-shirts Go after the Salvation Army Bin.
Chapter 14: How Small Entrepreneurs Clothe east Africa with Old American T-Shirts.
Chapter 15: Mitumba: Friend or Foe to Africa?
Conclusion.
Acknowledgments.
Notes.
Bibliography.
Index.