After reading Siddhartha Kara's book on Sex Trafficking, I wanted to learn about the situation in Canada.
Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking
By Benjamin Perrin
2010
298 pages
As intended, I got the sex trafficking story from a Canadian perspective. Shocking that the stories I'd read about in poorer nations was indeed happening in Canada. Shocking that men in Canada are also mega-assholes who make their money off buy, selling and abusing women and children, as well as buying sex from these victims. Shocking that law enforcement couldn't do much because the laws were poorly written and lenient. I wonder if this has changed though, as the book is five years old?
Perrin's book was useful in rounding out my knowledge of sex trafficking, but not as well written as Kara's. Where Kara's book was compelling and engrossing, Perrin's book was just...well a bit boring. It was well researched, and the personal stories where there, but I felt like he talked in circles and sometimes repeated concepts. I skimmed a lot. However, it was still worth a read and I still learned stuff.
Reading these two books together has me examining my purchases, especially from a forced labor perspective. How do I know where my clothes come from? How can I make more ethical clothing/goods purchases?
Recommended from the internet on this issue was...
Shopping for Good
Dara O'Rourke
2012
103 pages
I wanted information about ethical shopping: who/what/where/why/how. Instead I got a chapter from O'Rourke on why ethical shopping is good, followed by a number of essays from guest contributors essentially agreeing with O'Rourke: ethical shopping is good. Yeah, I know that. I wanted more than a preaching to the choir collection of essays. Oh well. At least it was short.
Invisible Chains: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking
By Benjamin Perrin
2010
298 pages
As intended, I got the sex trafficking story from a Canadian perspective. Shocking that the stories I'd read about in poorer nations was indeed happening in Canada. Shocking that men in Canada are also mega-assholes who make their money off buy, selling and abusing women and children, as well as buying sex from these victims. Shocking that law enforcement couldn't do much because the laws were poorly written and lenient. I wonder if this has changed though, as the book is five years old?
Perrin's book was useful in rounding out my knowledge of sex trafficking, but not as well written as Kara's. Where Kara's book was compelling and engrossing, Perrin's book was just...well a bit boring. It was well researched, and the personal stories where there, but I felt like he talked in circles and sometimes repeated concepts. I skimmed a lot. However, it was still worth a read and I still learned stuff.
Reading these two books together has me examining my purchases, especially from a forced labor perspective. How do I know where my clothes come from? How can I make more ethical clothing/goods purchases?
Recommended from the internet on this issue was...
Shopping for Good
Dara O'Rourke
2012
103 pages
I wanted information about ethical shopping: who/what/where/why/how. Instead I got a chapter from O'Rourke on why ethical shopping is good, followed by a number of essays from guest contributors essentially agreeing with O'Rourke: ethical shopping is good. Yeah, I know that. I wanted more than a preaching to the choir collection of essays. Oh well. At least it was short.
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