I was ultimately disappointed with this book. I feel an opportunity to really explore the underlying issues concerning the ramifications of the world's dependence on cheap, low quality, Chinese manufactured goods was lost. So too was a discussion of its impact locally, in China, and most specifically, on its people and environment. The book simply devolved into a play-by-play account of how the author went about replacing Chinese goods with others, also mostly sourced from overseas and while this was interesting for a couple of chapters, it could not support a whole book. It seemed Bongiorni was actively avoiding offending anyone and was boycotting Chinese goods for a year simply to see if it could be done. So what? ( )

Came across the Chinese version (Taiwan) of the book and was intrigued, so I tried to find the original English version.

The author never did really explain why she started the whole boycott in the first place, and from what I can tell, it made just about as much sense as the American boycott of French products (due to France's criticism of the Iraq War) or, let's face it, the Chinese boycott of the same. (Poor France.)

As such, the book seems to have been published not because it was substantial or meaningful, but because China was a hot topic and the publisher was hoping to make a quick buck. There was no deeper insight to be gained from this whole exercise, precisely because the author never attempted to offer any.

In the end, this might have made an interesting blog, but it wasn't that worthwhile of a book. ( )

Could you imagine going for an entire year without buying anything that was made in China? That is what the author and her family decide to do. This book chronicles their struggles ... from buying children's shoes to getting toner for the printer. It was also interesting to hear about the lengths she went to to stay true to her quest. I defy anyone to read this book without becoming aware of just how many of the products you use everyday come from China. I found myself picking up just about everything I wore or used after reading this book to see where it was made. Although the book has some commentary about the global economy and the impact of so many of our consumer goods being made in China, it is more of a personal story about one family's experiences. ( )

This is a story of one family's year long experiment in global awareness via retail shopping. As a result of media influences and too much acquisition over Christmas, a family decides to go China-free for the following 12 months. Knowing this to be a live test, they soon learn their friends and family are not as supportive as they assumed. A lighthearted read, it raises awareness of how much of retail America is not profiting America at all. This is a fun entertaining read that will end the end if you're not careful make you a label reader too! Does the experiment last the year or continue for years to come? You'll have to read to find out! ( )

On Christmas of 04, Bongiorni made a startling revelation. Almost all the presents were made in China, actually not all, just more than half. There were 25 presents from China and 14 for the rest of the World, so fifty-six percent of the presents were from China. To me, it doesn’t seem that bad considering the amount of Chinese products out there. To Bongiorni it seems like things have gotten out of hand.

Therefore, she made a decision, a decision that would prove to be a hard, but fulfilling experience. She decided then that she and her family were going to boycott Chinese products for an entire year.

When she first made that decision, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, ‘Good luck.” Living without Chinese products seems like it would be impossible. Shoes, electronics, even clothing. Everything seems to be made in China, which does beg the question, when did Chinese products take over the consumer world?

If you read the foreword and the introduction to this novel, it seems like Bongiorni is going to answer this question and tackle the loss of jobs for Americans, because of this. If you are expecting this, I’m sorry to say the question doesn’t really get answered.

This novel isn’t about China and the consumer world. There are some comments made about Wal Mart and some statistics, but overall it’s just about the struggles of one family who tried to boycott China for a year. The boycott is only an experiment, so there aren’t really any hidden motives for it.

Despite this, I did like the novel. It was an interesting read and I enjoyed watching the family try to go through with the boycott. My only problem is the restrictions in the boycott. It seemed a little vague. The family couldn’t buy any Chinese products, but if they received them as gifts, then it would be acceptable. This little leeway does help Bongiorni get her sister in law to buy her some things, which I thought, took away from this experience. If you could get others to buy what you needed, then that defeats the purpose of this experiment.

Another thing that annoyed me a little bit was the descriptions of the husband, Kevin. The novel states that he has movie star good looks, which I’m sure every wife feels that way about her husband, but it just seemed a little out of place in this novel. Also, I didn’t like how he was referred to the Weakest Link, since it seemed like he was a bit better in not buying Chinese products then Bongiorni was.

Definitely check this out though. It was a fun read and it almost makes me want to try this out. I don’t think I will though, there are some really good video games coming out that I need to purchase. Maybe one day though.

3.5/5 ( )