Hide this

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

A Year Without Made in China: One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy by Sara Bongiorni
Loading...

A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the…

by Sara Bongiorni

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
1381043,928 (3.12)14
Loading...
won't like will probably not like will probably like will like will love

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

English (9)  German (1)  All languages (10)
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
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? ( )
1 vote rubyredbooks | Jun 24, 2009 |
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. ( )
  litalex | Feb 6, 2009 |
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. ( )
1 vote Jenners26 | Dec 12, 2008 |
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! ( )
  readit2 | Aug 31, 2008 |
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
no reviews | add a review
You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Awards and honors
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
On January 1, 2005, my family embarked on a yearlong boycott of Chinese products. (Introduction)
Quotations
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

Book description

Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0470116137, Hardcover)

Includes a Foreword by Joel L. Naroff, PhD,
President, Naroff Economic Advisors, Inc.
Chief Economist, Commerce Bank

"Over the past century, Americans' images of China have fluctuated wildly from victim, to heroic fighter, to Communist fanatic. We have loved them and feared them. And now, as Sara Bongiorni shows in vivid personal terms, we are in a new phase where it is a little of both. China has become an economic giant that can step on our toes, but that we must embrace."
-John Maxwell Hamilton, Dean and Hopkins P. Breazeale Foundation Professor Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University

"When the writer resolves to forgo Chinese imports for one year, she leads her lively family in a fascinating experiment that requires surprising feats of will power and ingenuity. The family's adventure through the maze of modern America's consumer life is both thought provoking and delightful to read. Those little 'Made in China' labels will never seem the same again."
-Mark Fabiani, former White House special counsel and media/political consultant

"Breaking up is indeed hard to do, as Sara Bongiorni proves in this winning memoir of her household's one-year boycott of Chinese products. Equal parts Erma Bombeck and economics, A Year Without 'Made in China' is that lively miracle-a crash course in globalization that is also consummately entertaining."
-Danny Heitman, columnist for The Advocate (Baton Rouge)

"A funny and engaging story about one family's experiment in our global economy. The Bongiorni family does without sneakers, sunglasses, and printer cartridges, but develops a dogged creativity and much needed sense of humor. The myriad moral complexities in the relationship between American consumers and Chinese factory are evident in each shopping trip."
-Pietra Rivoli, PhD, Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University and author, The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy

"You will never go shopping the same way again! It's impossible to read Sara Bongiorni's book and not be captivated by the complexity and challenge of her task, and to then try it yourself for a day and fail miserably at it by lunchtime. This is the rare book that makes you think about how big global issues actually hit home, and it will have you discussing those issues with your friends."
-Chuck Jaffe, Senior Columnist, MarketWatch host, Your Money (www.yourmoneyradio.net)

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:10 -0400)

The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details.

Quick Links

Ebooks Audio Swap
1 pay0/163

Popular covers

 

Help/FAQs | About | Privacy/Terms | Blog | Contact | LibraryThing.com | APIs | WikiThing | Common Knowledge | 46,589,821 books!