false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255589075m/2753515.jpg 2753515 5 To be a moral witness is perhaps the highest calling of journalism, and in this unforgettable, highly readable account of contemporary slavery, author Benjamin Skinner travels around the globe to personally tell stories that need to be told -- and heard.<P>As Samantha Power and Philip Gourevitch did for genocide, Skinner has now done for modern-day slavery. With years of reporting in such places as Haiti, Sudan, India, Eastern Europe, The Netherlands, and, yes, even suburban America, he has produced a vivid testament and moving reportage on one of the great evils of our time. <P>There are more slaves in the world today than at any time in history. After spending four years visiting a dozen countries where slavery flourishes, Skinner tells the story, in gripping narrative style, of individuals who live in slavery, those who have escaped from bondage, those who own or traffic in slaves, and the mixed political motives of those who seek to combat the crime.<P>Skinner infiltrates trafficking networks and slave sales on five continents, exposing a modern flesh trade never before portrayed in such proximity. From mega-harems in Dubai to illicit brothels in Bucharest, from slave quarries in India to child markets in Haiti, he explores the underside of a world we scarcely recognize as our own and lays bare a parallel universe where human beings are bought, sold, used, and discarded. He travels from the White House to war zones and immerses us in the political and flesh-and-blood battles on the front lines of the unheralded new abolitionist movement.<P>At the heart of the story are the slaves themselves. Their stories are heartbreaking but, in the midst of tragedy, readers discover a quiet dignity that leads some slaves to resist and aspire to freedom. Despite being abandoned by the international community, despite suffering a crime so monstrous as to strip their awareness of their own humanity, somehow, some enslaved men regain their dignity, some enslaved women learn to trust men, and some enslaved children manage to be kids. Skinner bears witness for them, and for the millions who are held in the shadows.<P>In so doing, he has written one of the most morally courageous books of our time, one that will long linger in the conscience of all who encounter it, and one that -- just perhaps -- may move the world to constructive action. 2779214 book 11 3 2008 A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery total:116|5:5|4:2|3:2|2:2|1:0| 116 476 337 49 4 1 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 11 17:57:26 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 11 18:09:07 -0700 2008
Surprising: There are, literally, millions of slaves in the world today.

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I already knew that slavery exists in our time. I knew it exists as multi-generational debt bondage in India, when one member of a family got a loan, and his grandchildren labor to pay off the much larger amount (the...more...]]> 5 1 false false Fri Sep 26 15:16:29 -0700 2008 Fri Sep 26 19:10:37 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 07:27:58 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 23 06:44:36 -0700 2009 this book, but I'd definitely recommend people to go read about modern slavery. Skinner does a good job introducing his reader to the different forms of slavery that still exist today, beyond the sex trafficking that most people are now aware of, and get you...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Apr 16 14:34:16 -0700 2009 Sun May 24 21:58:57 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Sep 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Feb 28 13:09:36 -0800 2008 Mon Sep 15 16:27:26 -0700 2008 As free citizens in a political democracy, we have a responsibility to be interested and involved in the affairs of the human community, be it at the local or the global level.
Paul Wellstone

Slavery continues today. Skinner concisely defines a slave as a person, forced to work, thr...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 21 14:28:19 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 21 14:31:03 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 07 12:14:19 -0700 2009 Sun Jun 07 12:21:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Aug 18 14:40:45 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 14:49:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Mar 15 17:35:34 -0700 2009 Sat Jun 06 13:00:25 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Jul 28 23:03:05 -0700 2008 Mon Jul 28 23:06:39 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Mon Mar 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 17:44:07 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 18 14:16:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 13 11:22:15 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 15 11:25:42 -0700 2008 Skinner poses as a person interested in purchasing a slave/slaves in order to discover and report on...more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Oct 15 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 14 13:02:43 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 19 18:21:19 -0700 2008 1
Skinner will open your eyes to the reality that slavery not only still ex...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 09 13:29:48 -0700 2008 Wed Sep 10 19:16:42 -0700 2008 1 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Nov 13 20:01:51 -0800 2009 Fri Nov 13 20:04:58 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Aug 28 08:18:10 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 28 08:19:08 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Dec 11 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 26 12:34:05 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 11 09:36:54 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Thu May 07 18:28:50 -0700 2009 Thu May 07 18:31:00 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Tue Dec 09 22:24:42 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 09 22:25:10 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=2753515