Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves

This book is meant to be a presentation of Kevin Bales' plan to end modern day slavery in 25 years. That stated, it is put to best use by people who have no background of the subject, or had no idea slavery still existed. For experts or near experts, it may seem a bit young. When I picked it up, I had no idea. Now, about two years later, I train others on this subject professionally, and consistently recommend this as the place to start. It is an EXCELLENT ground work for anyone new to this topic. The book includes facts and statistics, real-life stories and photographs, as well as references and explanations of key terms. It also remains consistent and easy to read at all times.

Very informative book with valuable insights on what can be done to diminish slavery. The author is clearly knowledgeable in this field. I found this to be a great resource to learn from.

This was a very informative book. It had a lot of insight of how we could fight slavery and help work on ending it. It gave great accounts of people who were in bondage as well.

The research that went into this book is some of the best I have seen. When I was done reading I had a much greater understanding as to why slavery exists and what I could do about it.

Outstanding expose of the institution of slavery around the world. Eye-opening!

This book is highly informative and educational and I would highly recommend it to those who are desiring to learn more about modern day slavery.

The book was in perfect condition and came in the mail way faster than anticipated. Thanks!

Many people falsely believe that slavery ends whenever a legislature outlaws the practice. But many people will employ slavery if it makes them more money or provides some sexual or psychological gratification. By being on the receiving end of force, intimidation, and overwork, ordinary people can fall into being slaves. Many poor families unintentionally sell their children into slavery under the misapprehension that their youngster is headed for a better life. Kevin Bales rips the veil away that hides the horrors of sex slaves, children tied to their rug looms, unpaid agricultural workers, and exploited household workers that comprise many of todays millions and millions of slaves. You'll be astonished by the facts behind today's slavery. For example, slaves are dirt cheap because of the growth in the population of poor people. This is bad news for slaves because those who enslave them don't even bother to keep slaves alive and healthy. It's too cheap to get another slave. The book next looks at the many reasons why slavery continues: People not recognizing slavery when they see it in front of them; slaves not understanding that people around them would help; and a lack of concerted international and governmental action. Instead, brave slave freers quietly look for missing children, track them down, and plot raids to run off with slaves before owners can counter attack. You can support those efforts by donating monthly to Free the Slaves (the organization Professor Bales heads) or Anti-Slavery International. I signed up to do so. I suspect you will, too. Professor Bales also addresses those with power about how they can change what is being done so that fewer people will be enslaved and those who are enslaved will gain freedom. But those who are freed also need a lot of help. The good news is that people are very good at overcoming adversity, and freed slaves often commit themselves to helping others avoid this terrible circumstance. One of the most effective methods is to inform agricultural communities of slaves what they can do to free themselves economically and physically from coercion and inherited debts. Governments need to attack the problem at the national level rather than keeping a blind eye as Japan does to sex slaves brought into the country through entertainer visas. Brazil is held as a positive example that could use some more funding. Professor Bales suggests that developed countries may want to subsidize anti-slavery efforts done by responsible governments in poorer nations. International organizations can also play a role in bringing attention and coordinating multinational efforts. Consumers can insist that those they buy products and services from investigate the sources of those offerings to be sure they are certified to be free of slave labor content (a particular problem for cocoa cultivation in Africa). If you believe that everyone should be free, you need to act on that belief by reading this book and picking something you can do to help free at least one slave. You can do it!

The title of this book really caught my eye: Hasn't slevery been abolished everywhere? Well, yes and no. Kevin Bales shows us in this book how slavery, while illegal in every part of the world, still exists. It exists in India, where small boys spend their days in dark huts breathing dust and tying knots all day until their fingers bleed so wealthier people can have "hand-made" carpets, it exists in Africa where hopeless people labor without pay in the cocoa fields so we can have chocolate bars, and it exists in Brazil where workers covered with scars and burns must literally walk on hot coals making charcoal used in the manufacturing of iron and steel. Reading about these cases is difficult, because it is obvious that slave-made good are in our communities and homes here in the US. How can this be? Kevin Bales makes a strong case that slavery really serves no purpose and continues to exist largely because of poverty and ignorance. Countries that have substantial slavery in their midst are not doing better economically than those that don't. Slavery contributes little to the world economy. And there is universal agreement among the countries of the world that slavery should not exist. So why is it still with us? The answer lies in the kind of poverty that is hard for those of us with adequate incomes to even imagine. When a village is so poor that parents cannot feed their children, they become prey to hustlers who promise to take their sons and daughters and give them work and training so they can support themselves. Instead, the children are taken to worksites where they are used like beasts of burden, forced to work for no pay and left to die if they become too weak or sick to go on. Ignorance plays a role too, as people with no education do not realize that such treatment is illegal. The book gives us real stories and real incidents to illustrate how slavery can still exist ... and how it can be stopped. In India, a group of fearless workers take action to free the children enslaved in the rug industry. The freed children are taken to an ashram where they are given food and education about their rights and their potential as human beings. The Indian government provides a payment of $450 to each of these children, and Bales tells us of a boy who returned to his village and used his money to buy a cow. Other children did the same, and just having these cows to produce milk that could be sold to create an income made a huge difference to the village. But maybe even more important than the cows was the knowledge these boys brought back: knowledge that unscrupulous people might still try to enslave village children and that this was illegal and the village should resist and understand their rights. The most suprising thing about the effort to end slavery is how complicated it can be. There is so much more involved than just getting every country to outlaw slavery. Because it is an international crime, there is no one authority that can be invoked to free slaves. Bales discusses how organizations at all levels can be involved and how much patience and research is needed to make a real difference. He offers many helpful suggestions in this book, which is well-written and well-organized. I highly recommend this book, which will surprise and shock readers, to anyone concerned with human rights (and that should be all of us!)

"You powerful ones are unconcerned about your slaves; because of your position you lose touch with your brothers." Mozart "In 1865 slaves were freed in the United States and dumped into the economy without access to credit, education or political participation...what was done virtually guaranteed their long-term second -class citizenship...just like the American emancipation of 1865 the abolition of slavery in Nepal in 2000 was botched" In the beginning the author did not believe there was a global problem with trafficking, however his own birds eye experience shown to him by the very people in the field, has convinced him that slave trafficking was, is and maybe always has been a problem. Unknowingly or knowingly the author has shown the modern anti-slave campaign that was started in England then on to the U.S., during the early centuries, while successful in those country's was ultimately, transferred to other geopolitical areas then hidden, protected or disguised as something else, then brought back at least to the U.S. Starting in 1926 the Slavery Convention sponsored by the League of Nations, England sought to protect slavery in their Colonies and the U. S. excluded forced labor for private purposes, to protect Southern states that were still practicing slavery. India currently has the largest amount of slaves, however the slavery system set up in Japan was surprising. Brazil has the best systems/laws/ in place to fight their country's trafficking. The author offers a variety of real manageable strategies for ending slavery including compensation for the groups that were wronged, psychological evaluations, health care, jail time and confiscation of property as remedies and deterrents. Including a viable plan to get the United Nations, World Trade Organization, UNICEF, International Criminal Court and World Bank more involved in the antislavery fight. What is needed now is long term support for those in the field who are actively engaged in the abolition of slaves.

This book is meant to be a presentation of Kevin Bales' plan to end modern day slavery in 25 years. That stated, it is put to best use by people who have no background of the subject, or had no idea slavery still existed. For experts or near experts, it may seem a bit young. When I picked it up, I had no idea. Now, about two years later, I train others on this subject professionally, and consistently recommend this as the place to start. It is an EXCELLENT ground work for anyone new to this topic. The book includes facts and statistics, real-life stories and photographs, as well as references and explanations of key terms. It also remains consistent and easy to read at all times.

Very informative book with valuable insights on what can be done to diminish slavery. The author is clearly knowledgeable in this field. I found this to be a great resource to learn from.

This was a very informative book. It had a lot of insight of how we could fight slavery and help work on ending it. It gave great accounts of people who were in bondage as well.

The research that went into this book is some of the best I have seen. When I was done reading I had a much greater understanding as to why slavery exists and what I could do about it.

Outstanding expose of the institution of slavery around the world. Eye-opening!

This book is highly informative and educational and I would highly recommend it to those who are desiring to learn more about modern day slavery.

The book was in perfect condition and came in the mail way faster than anticipated. Thanks!

Many people falsely believe that slavery ends whenever a legislature outlaws the practice. But many people will employ slavery if it makes them more money or provides some sexual or psychological gratification. By being on the receiving end of force, intimidation, and overwork, ordinary people can fall into being slaves. Many poor families unintentionally sell their children into slavery under the misapprehension that their youngster is headed for a better life. Kevin Bales rips the veil away that hides the horrors of sex slaves, children tied to their rug looms, unpaid agricultural workers, and exploited household workers that comprise many of todays millions and millions of slaves. You'll be astonished by the facts behind today's slavery. For example, slaves are dirt cheap because of the growth in the population of poor people. This is bad news for slaves because those who enslave them don't even bother to keep slaves alive and healthy. It's too cheap to get another slave. The book next looks at the many reasons why slavery continues: People not recognizing slavery when they see it in front of them; slaves not understanding that people around them would help; and a lack of concerted international and governmental action. Instead, brave slave freers quietly look for missing children, track them down, and plot raids to run off with slaves before owners can counter attack. You can support those efforts by donating monthly to Free the Slaves (the organization Professor Bales heads) or Anti-Slavery International. I signed up to do so. I suspect you will, too. Professor Bales also addresses those with power about how they can change what is being done so that fewer people will be enslaved and those who are enslaved will gain freedom. But those who are freed also need a lot of help. The good news is that people are very good at overcoming adversity, and freed slaves often commit themselves to helping others avoid this terrible circumstance. One of the most effective methods is to inform agricultural communities of slaves what they can do to free themselves economically and physically from coercion and inherited debts. Governments need to attack the problem at the national level rather than keeping a blind eye as Japan does to sex slaves brought into the country through entertainer visas. Brazil is held as a positive example that could use some more funding. Professor Bales suggests that developed countries may want to subsidize anti-slavery efforts done by responsible governments in poorer nations. International organizations can also play a role in bringing attention and coordinating multinational efforts. Consumers can insist that those they buy products and services from investigate the sources of those offerings to be sure they are certified to be free of slave labor content (a particular problem for cocoa cultivation in Africa). If you believe that everyone should be free, you need to act on that belief by reading this book and picking something you can do to help free at least one slave. You can do it!

The title of this book really caught my eye: Hasn't slevery been abolished everywhere? Well, yes and no. Kevin Bales shows us in this book how slavery, while illegal in every part of the world, still exists. It exists in India, where small boys spend their days in dark huts breathing dust and tying knots all day until their fingers bleed so wealthier people can have "hand-made" carpets, it exists in Africa where hopeless people labor without pay in the cocoa fields so we can have chocolate bars, and it exists in Brazil where workers covered with scars and burns must literally walk on hot coals making charcoal used in the manufacturing of iron and steel. Reading about these cases is difficult, because it is obvious that slave-made good are in our communities and homes here in the US. How can this be? Kevin Bales makes a strong case that slavery really serves no purpose and continues to exist largely because of poverty and ignorance. Countries that have substantial slavery in their midst are not doing better economically than those that don't. Slavery contributes little to the world economy. And there is universal agreement among the countries of the world that slavery should not exist. So why is it still with us? The answer lies in the kind of poverty that is hard for those of us with adequate incomes to even imagine. When a village is so poor that parents cannot feed their children, they become prey to hustlers who promise to take their sons and daughters and give them work and training so they can support themselves. Instead, the children are taken to worksites where they are used like beasts of burden, forced to work for no pay and left to die if they become too weak or sick to go on. Ignorance plays a role too, as people with no education do not realize that such treatment is illegal. The book gives us real stories and real incidents to illustrate how slavery can still exist ... and how it can be stopped. In India, a group of fearless workers take action to free the children enslaved in the rug industry. The freed children are taken to an ashram where they are given food and education about their rights and their potential as human beings. The Indian government provides a payment of $450 to each of these children, and Bales tells us of a boy who returned to his village and used his money to buy a cow. Other children did the same, and just having these cows to produce milk that could be sold to create an income made a huge difference to the village. But maybe even more important than the cows was the knowledge these boys brought back: knowledge that unscrupulous people might still try to enslave village children and that this was illegal and the village should resist and understand their rights. The most suprising thing about the effort to end slavery is how complicated it can be. There is so much more involved than just getting every country to outlaw slavery. Because it is an international crime, there is no one authority that can be invoked to free slaves. Bales discusses how organizations at all levels can be involved and how much patience and research is needed to make a real difference. He offers many helpful suggestions in this book, which is well-written and well-organized. I highly recommend this book, which will surprise and shock readers, to anyone concerned with human rights (and that should be all of us!)

"You powerful ones are unconcerned about your slaves; because of your position you lose touch with your brothers." Mozart "In 1865 slaves were freed in the United States and dumped into the economy without access to credit, education or political participation...what was done virtually guaranteed their long-term second -class citizenship...just like the American emancipation of 1865 the abolition of slavery in Nepal in 2000 was botched" In the beginning the author did not believe there was a global problem with trafficking, however his own birds eye experience shown to him by the very people in the field, has convinced him that slave trafficking was, is and maybe always has been a problem. Unknowingly or knowingly the author has shown the modern anti-slave campaign that was started in England then on to the U.S., during the early centuries, while successful in those country's was ultimately, transferred to other geopolitical areas then hidden, protected or disguised as something else, then brought back at least to the U.S. Starting in 1926 the Slavery Convention sponsored by the League of Nations, England sought to protect slavery in their Colonies and the U. S. excluded forced labor for private purposes, to protect Southern states that were still practicing slavery. India currently has the largest amount of slaves, however the slavery system set up in Japan was surprising. Brazil has the best systems/laws/ in place to fight their country's trafficking. The author offers a variety of real manageable strategies for ending slavery including compensation for the groups that were wronged, psychological evaluations, health care, jail time and confiscation of property as remedies and deterrents. Including a viable plan to get the United Nations, World Trade Organization, UNICEF, International Criminal Court and World Bank more involved in the antislavery fight. What is needed now is long term support for those in the field who are actively engaged in the abolition of slaves.

Professor Bales believes that slavery can be ended worldwide, perhaps even within our lifetime, and he tells us how he thinks it can be done. Altho not totally convinced, I devoutly hope he is right, and his program is certainly worth supporting; even if it 'merely' reduces the number of slaves by ninety percent or so, then like the anti-lock brakes that only saved my life once, it will be worth the cost. At the end of each of the chapters 3 thru 8, there is a very good summary of things that need to be done by individuals, governments, or businesses to free slaves and/or make the world more UNSAFE for slaveholders. Freed slaves make some of the best anti-slavery workers, so freeing slaves tends to be a positive-feedback operation. Governments need to enforce the anti-slavery laws, and businesses should police their supply chains to make sure they are not tainted with slavery. Professor Bales commends Ford Motor Company for its immediate response to demand that none of its suppliers of iron/steel use slave-produced charcoal, and he commends Hershey and Mars for quickly moving to keep from buying slave-made cocoa and cocoa butter. Conspicuously absent is any such mention of the third major chocolate company, Nestle (remembered for selling infant formula to poor African families, resulting in many infant deaths). One key fact which gives reasonable hope that the whole project of ending slavery may be doable was discovered by statistician Robert Smith, who found that "it is the amount of slavery that best explains differences in human development between countries." (p. 219.) Professor Bales comments: "Obviously, slavery ruins the lives of slaves, but this research indicates that slavery is a major cause of depressed economies, low literacy levels, and shorter lifespans for ALL citizens in poor countries." (ibid.) "As it turns out, not only does combating poverty help to end slavery, but combating slavery helps to end poverty." (ibid.) Another discovery that has helped greatly in the fight against poverty is the seemingly obvious fact that women are people too. Professor Bales doesn't mention it, but in this connection it seems eminently reasonable to suggest that another action conducive to ending slavery and poverty would be elimination of the cruel, barbaric, and often lethally unsanitary practise of female genital mutilation. (See

I know this goes against the rules but I had to jump back to see where and why anyone would have given this book 4 stars. They all have their reasons, though I don't agree. Is the author correct in assurting that we can end slavery? I don't know for sure. What I do know is that it won't come to end if people decide just to skim the book, say to themselves "doubtful it will end", and then set the book back on their shelf. Beyond governments and large bodies like the U.N., this book shows how you and I as people who are reading a book can and need to play an important role in helping to rid the world of this dirty little secret. This is not a book of numbers, statistics and assigning blame. We can assign blame and be comfortably unhappy about situations of slavery in the past. This book will make you want to be an active voice against the slavery happening today... a slavery for which we are all complicit to varying degrees. To be unknowingly complicit is one thing. To know and not care, or to try to unknow... that is something altogether worse. I didn't find this book to be depressing at all. This is not just another round of bad news. This book doesn't come across as another pile of atrocities to stack on the worldwide "things to do" list. There are real things you and I can do to help bring slavery to an end, and they don't involve handing over your retirement money to charities. Buy it, check it out from the library or steal it. Read this and use the bullet point sorts of pages as guidelines for what you can directly do to affect change. Think of this book as a verb. It shouldn't be a noun sitting there on your table showing off how much of a humanitarian you consider yourself to be. It should be a verb doing the little things we can all do to bring people into freedom.

When I started to read "Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves" I was expecting to find a call to arms in a very loud voice. Instead what I found was a very profoundly thoughtful book. Kevin Bales has taken modern slavery and put a face on it. Bales weaves various stories of former slaves and those whom try to free them with the economics of the times that produces slavery conditions. Bales explains in a clear and thoughtful voice without ranting that alienates many audiences how these deplorable conditions exist in the modern world. He explains that not all slave masters are evil. some are themselves on the brink of starvation. Bales also does a masterful job of explaining how countries try to put and end to slavery with various degrees of success. The most troubling portion of the book for me is that there is slavery here in America. He explains that most of it goes unnoticed because we are not educated to look for it. It is a blind spot in America. His one story that serves as the example is unnerving because that slave was lucky because of the cop involved followed up on a hunch, not because she saw a slave. Bales also does a superb job of explaining that not all stories end up with a happy ending and one story serves a warning of pushing too much too far too fast. Bales uses a calm steady voice throughout the book except when it comes to India and the reader understands he is very angry with this country. Bale spends a great deal of time talking about the slavery of children. He never pushes the readers nose into the fact there is plenty of sexual abuse of children. He does however mention it more than once without dwelling on details. Somehow it is more horrible than in depth explanations. This book spends a great deal of time explaining the dynamics of slavery and how cheap it could be to free everybody. Bales really does believe it is about economics and it wouldn't take much to end it right now. Highly Recommended.

The quotation, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good men to do nothing," is generally attributed to Edmund Burke although it fails to appear in any of his works, however after reading this entreaty from Kevin Bales, I can't envision a more trenchant comment. It is not difficult to imagine most readers will, if not already cognizant of the occurrences, come away from this book in agreement slavery is an abomination all too prevalent in modern society. Who other than a sociopath would exhibit such amoral proclivities as exemplified by any articulated justification for a divergent point of view? Well... In this presentation, Kevin Bales offers a wealth of anecdotal (and some empirical) evidence to support his position and is undeniably an invigorated advocate of change. I ended the book with the sense he inferred societal neglect was the root cause of slavery's perpetual status, a postulation that could equally as well be applicable to a swathe of present day global ills including rampant poverty, child abuse and hunger. While is it problematic to argue against classical egalitarianism, this work impresses me as another instance where the author is too consumed with individualistic perceptions of a crisis and concomitant identification of solutions to objectively weigh potential consequence. I do not consider myself a literalist and I hope Bales is employing hyperbole in his quest to motivate others, as opposed to truly believing his suggested actions will effectively eradicate slavery in so-called developing nations, or the deteriorating developed ones, for that matter. He calls for cooperation amongst a universe of peoples who find little agreement otherwise. He implicitly poses questions regarding moral relativism, ethical action, the debilitating impact of hierarchical societies and the fundamental concept of human good but glosses over inculcated encumbrances as though humankind is of a single mind, in synchronous alignment with his thought processes. Ending Slavery is of value, especially for those who may be unfamiliar or oblivious to perfidious practices perpetrated in essentially every country, in fact, as Bales portends, every community. However, the Lockean solutions promulgated here are utopian ideals that have scant likelihood of overcoming the tethering of cultural, religious and economic differentiations.

I was a bit aware of the problem of modern slavery in the 21st century, particularly child labor and sweatshops. However, like so many Americans, it was a back burner issue, something for someone else to take care of. After all, what could I do when the sweatshops were usually on another continent entirely? How wrong I was. In the sequel to his "Disposable People", Dr. Bales lays it all out on the line--what's wrong, why it's wrong, what is (and isn't) being done--and what needs to be done by consumers, organizations, and governments to put slavery to an end. This latter part is particularly crucial, because I think a lot of people who would otherwise want to stop slavery might not know what, exactly, we can do. The sad thing is, through our worldwide governmental organizations, small anti-slavery groups, and consumer awareness, we have the tools in place to make these things happen. Bales points out critical errors that prevent these tools from being effectively utilized, from corrupt and/or overly bureaucratic governments to violent slaveowners, and even consumer apathy. And, not surprisingly, some of the richest countries object to the potential change in the global economy should slaves be freed. Yet Bales shows us the benefits of freeing slaves--economic, political, and ethical. We are left with not only a sense of urgency, but also a bunch of potential solutions--being aware of our purchases, putting consumer pressure on industries that make use of slave-made goods, contacting our elected officials and telling them they need to be paying more attention, and even being aware of potential slaves in our own neighborhoods. This book is absolutely necessary to the ongoing dialogue--and increase in action--regarding modern slavery.

The first law to abolish slavery was enacted in 1807. Unfortunately there are tens of thousands of slaves in America today. America does not enforce anti-slavery laws because, among other things, it is not understood that some people are enslaved in this modern age. A defense against slavery is education. Children rescued from slavery have proved to be resilient. India has the largest number of slaves in the world. Slaveholders work to isolate and disempower their victims. Ending slavery means oppressive power relations are brought to the surface and reversed. Slavery in Nepal was abolished on paper in 1926. There were about 2.5 million slaves in Nepal recently. In 2000 bond laborers challenged the traditional hierarchy in that country. Abolition of the bonded status was attempted by royal decree. Sadly emancipation and eviction happened simultaneously. By 2007 the situation in Nepal was still dire. People, the evicted ones, died in refugee camps. One hundred fifty thousand to two hundred thousand foreign women work in Japan in the entertainment trade. There are charcoal workers, slaves, in Brazil. President Lula da Silva set up a national commission for the eradication of slave labor. For slavery to be eliminated there must be robust legal institutions and protection and support for freed slaves. The UN has done excellent slavery work. It could be even more effective except it suffers from a culture of not liking to upset the status quo. In Africa slave labor is been used in the cultivation of cotton and cocoa. Programs devised to work with the poorest, most disadvantaged communities end up being vehicles for the abolition of slavery also. The book is a very good one. The information conveyed is shocking.

'Ending Slavery: How We Free Today's Slaves' is an important look at the #1 problem/disgrace of human existence: slavery. We are so used to thinking of slavery as packaging up Africans with iron shackles and we think that just because that isn't going on any more that that must mean slavery isn't going on any more right? WRONG. Slavery still is practiced in it's traditional forms, of course the people that are part of said trade don't advertise like Coca Cola or McDonalds. Of course this is not the only form of slavery as workers slaving 17 hours a days for pennies cannot possibly be considered real work by any rational person. Slavery is one of those problems that isn't going to get much of a voice. Since we don't see the shackles and whips in the spotlight any more and cotton is picked by machines rather than dark pigmented hands we just ignore it. We have enough of our own problems but the bottom line is that our problems don't compare to the problems of the subject matter of this book. If you are fortunate enough to be reading this review you have internet access of some form and you are probably being paid more than 5 cents a day with a lot less labor involved. Slavery is a problem today just as much as it was hundreds of years ago, it has just taken a more friendly "Wal-Mart" form that pays a pittance with a smile or does it the old way in quiet and dark of the night. If you want to learn about slavery in today's day and age this book will teach you the horrors of the world. And through education maybe something will come of it to one day end slavery forever (just probably not in our lifetimes). ***** RECOMMENDED

From my work with Amnesty International, I was aware of the ongoing problem of slavery in the world. But this book is one of very few which tackle the breadth and depth of this horrible practice. This book is probably best suited for policy makers, educators, students of human rights and international policy, and researchers. It is definately not a book to read in one sitting, and may not be for the casual reader. But I definately applaud the author for adding so much to the body of research already out there on this subject. For me, the most powerful part of this book is exploring how corporations are using slave labor, then making those items available in the Western World, including the US. It's very clear that the first thing we should do is educate our elected officials and policy-makers, outlaw products made with slave labor, and eliminate the financial incentives of slavery. That would chop one leg out from under the black market industry of slavery, and would get us much closer to a slave-free world. I have two criticisms of the book. First, the author discusses slave-produced products and debt bondage, but I believe there are levels and categories of indentured servitude that were not mentioned here, that should also be considered in this same category. Ending slavery will not end the trend of huge corporations in America and elsewhere using economic exploitation to force people to work for minimal wages. Second, I know from other readings (particularly Dr Anne Wilson Schaeff) that the sex slave trade, particularly child sex slaves, is much, much larger than he suggests. I do applaud the author for this exhaustive and thorough work. If this is a subject you are interested in, I definitely recommend this book.

One cannot fail to be moved by this book. Unless, of course, you are one of those who gain from the slave trade or to put it in it's polite euphamistic form, a people trafficker. Bales offers a harrowing account of modern day slavery, from beginning to end and sets out a plan to end it. While the focus of the book is primarily on the less developed world he acknowledges the existance of slaves in contemporary America, but the concentration onto Less Develop Countries is a recognition that the solution to the problem s there will result in freedom of the greatest numbers from their bondage. It will not be an easy task but bringing consumer attention to the contribution of slaves to the consumer goods which they consume in great numbers will undoubtedly make politicians sit up and take notice. This is no mere account of the existance of slavery in today's world, it is a call to arms and an action plan to boot. Bales recognises the existance of a think tank with a mission to end all slavery, but the change in ideas required takes time. Encourage everyone to read this book them pass it on to someone involved in opinion formation and bring the issue to their attention. By this small action readers will help bring this issue to the fore and we can raise our heads above the parapet of the daily grind and know that we have taken the first small steps to bringing real freedom to millions of sufferers worldwide.

My sister told me recently about reading Disposable People, the first book by this author about slavery that still exist in the world today. She was very moved by the book. I started my reading on the subject with this book, Ending Slavery. I found myself quite shocked and horrified with the accounts of slavery I found there, especially those involving children, which were many of the cases. Slavery almost doesn't seem like strong enough a word for how these children are treated, such as those forced to make rugs or fish in extremely dangerous condition. The ideas for ending slavery and the accounts of times this has been done successfully were very inspiring. Often, the freed slaves themselves and their families are the most powerful voice, as so many slaves are children taken from their families by trickery. The author explains so well how desperately poor many of the families so tricked are, lest we feel somehow they don't care for their children---often it's a case of dying of starvation or taking the chance that the sweet talking stranger is telling the truth. I think I should have read the books in a different order, however. This book seems a bit like a continuation of Disposable People, and I felt a little like some of the accounts were not as full as they might be, and that I would understand the situation better with more background knowledge. Overall, much more than a book, a well thought out guide to how we could really do something to end this horror.

After reading Kevin Bales's book, ENDING SLAVERY: HOW WE FREE TODAY'S SLAVES, one may find that one of the issues that has scarred the history and people of particular western societies still exists in developed countries. Not only is the book an informative read, but it is also a call for action. Bales confronts the issue of present day slavery head on, and takes a proactive approach on his part as well as for those who read the book to do take part to end slavery. The main premise of the book is precisely about slavery in the twenty-first century and what can be done to deter and to resolve the problem. The chapters contain pertinent information of the different regions of the world and the people who are affected; the book almost reads like a handbook or textbook for ending slavery 101. But one of the insightful discussions of the book is when Bales reflects on the historic past as it relates to social, economic, and global history. He implements the Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution and other instances within his discussion, and emphasizes the complexities of the problem in terms of economic demand placed on those who rely on this form of unscrupulous labor. ENDING SLAVERY is an important book that may inform and aware readers of what is still occurring in the world today. Unfortunately, slavery still exists, and is not an issue that is etched in history books. Thus this is not ancient history.

Bales original book,

Kevin Bales' purpose in "Ending Slavery" is simple - to alert the world that slavery still does exist. Slavery not only exists in the world of Indian rug makers, it also exists in suburban Washington DC. Modern day slavery is more nefarious because of its subtlety and should be alarming because it has become historically cheaper to have slaves. According to Bales, 27 million people worldwide are enslaved. His argument for why the enslavers should give up their slaves lies in economics - the "revenue" generated by slavery is insignificant. His argument does have a rather peculiar side effect though. By repeatedly stating the number of slaves (27 million) and their relative economic insignificance (vis-a-vis the Southern United States just prior to the American Civil War) he actually pushes his reader to figure out just what proportion of the world's population is enslaved. The answer: 0.4%. Obviously Bales is not arguing that because only 0.4% of the world population is enslaved is "no big deal" All peculiarity aside, the personal stories of deprivation and liberation are truly heart-wrenching. There should be cause for concern considering that the economic costs of slavery are declining, the regulation of slavery is lax in certain countries, the utter poverty of some nations and increasing population may signal a rise in slavery. Definitely a worthwhile read.

bales offers the reader an excellent anthropological-approach / summary of a selection of current locations in which we find slavery across the globe. he describes some of the factors that contribute to ongoing measures that fuel the demand for slavery, usually harsh economic conditions, lack of precise and clearly defined legislation, light sanctions, intergenerational lack of education and vocational skills that return the freed slave to slavery. bales discusses the needs of groups that work to free the enslaved and he elaborates upon many of the difficulties that antislavery workers might find. bales brings vast first-hand knowledge to this text. the text, i feel, might contribute to the literature in a more germane manner if it were to include a chapter written by a psychologist addressing issues the freed enslaved face, a chapter written by a vocational educator to address building skill deficits, a chapter written by an attorney / prosecutor / legislator to deal with designing laws and prosecuting them, a chapter written by an economist to address financial pressures. this book was a very inspiring book that is likely to bring together those disparate forces throughout the antislavery movement into a unified voice that, we hope, through this book, enhances its effectiveness.

Just the word slavery is traumatic in the twenty-first century. As a rather typical American, I was not aware that slavery really existed any more, except in a few very remote and underdeveloped places. Ending Slavery opened my eyes to the realization that slavery is still alive and active (although very hidden) in the United States. It is also part of the production chain of many of the things that I buy on a daily basis. That is one reason to care. Another very basic reason to become aware of this issue is that, even today, it is the causes of diminished humanity. We are all linked together by our membership in the human family and, when one is abused, we all feel that abuse. Ending Slavery is a true call to action. It is well written and well researched. It uses real life experiences of slaves to enhance our understanding without sensationalizing their lives. For those who care about issues of poverty and human self-worth, this book is most highly recommended.

Americans learn, as school children, that slavery is bad, that it is illegal, that the trade of slavery was abolished during the United States Civil War. We are not told that slavery continues to this very day, even in "civilized countries like the US." ENDING SLAVERY is a mind-blowing book, interspersing real stories of real survivors throughout the statistics. This, understandably, makes the book much easier to read than if it were nothing but graphs! Readers learn about the exploitation of children in India who are forced to make rugs. Readers learn about the degradation of women teased with the offer of a better life in Japan; when they arrive in the Promised Land, they are told of [illegal] debts that they have incurred, and that they must prostitute themselves to pay these debts. Readers are appalled to learn that, in San Diego, California, a Mexican doctor told the newspaper El Universal: "... in one hour, I counted that one little girl had been with 35 men, one after the other." -- Ending Slavery, page 71 We learn of the children enslaved to harvest and carry cacao beans, THE most important ingredient in chocolate. We learn of men, stripped of clothing and stripped of dignity, working in ovens in the forests of Brazil, to make the charcoal that is used for the "pig iron" required for everything from cars to faucets. "... The U.S. Department of State estimates that as many as 17,500 people are brought into the coun- try **each year** and forced into agricultural work, prostitution, domestic service, or sweatshop labor." -- Ending Slavery, page 9 see also 2006 Trafficking in Persons report on the Department of State web site: [...] "...According to one UN estimate, up to 800,000 people are trafficked into slavery each year, transported from one country to another, or within countries..." -- Ending Slavery, page 155 see also "Modern Day Slaves Exist..." on the Department of State web site: [...] I've included URLs to Department of State web sites along with two quotes from ENDING SLAVERY, to offer validity to the quotes for any reader who simply cannot believe the author. So many Americans are worried about the huge number of people who enter the United States illegally. We must wonder if the numbers are skewed, including the slaves ("forced labor" is just a way of prettying up a wretched word!) who are promised jobs and forced into indentured servitude. Note that this book would make a wonderful gift not only for anyone interested in human rights, but for law students, your political representative, the owner of a store you frequent because it promises slave-free goods, and students (high school age) reporting on slavery in the 19th century US (who will be able to compare and contrast). ENDING SLAVERY not only discusses the problems faced by slaves and by the governments of many countries, but it also discusses possible temporary or permanent solutions for the points raised. It is wonderfully written and beautifully organized. It gives links to free resources for schools, and video that can be watched at no cost. Furthermore, the endnotes are thorough and, in many cases, offer parallel reading or URLs. ENDING SLAVERY does an amazing job of educating, and of continuing to educate even when one is done with the book itself.I may have read ENDING SLAVERY in two days, but I won't be done learning from it for quite some time.

I was so glad to see this book in print after really having been oblivious to the international Slave Trade industry and the horrifying effects it is having on the human race. Upwards of 25 million slaves, many in the US and Canada. Who would believe it, yet, Kevin Bales, gives us stories about those who sought freedom, and those who attempt to assist those in the stranglehold of captivity. I think this book should be given first, national attention in the USA and then the world. Why is the UN silent on this? There is a word where it is written that people would be trading in the bodies and souls of men (people). This book is sad, riveting, yet very depressing at times. There is a call to action, yet, there needs to be even more of one. Maybe that can be done on Amazon. I happened to see the book on an obscure bookshelf in my local bookstore and asked the manager to highlight the book some how. This is news for today that we need to hear about now. Let's do our part to indentify and help end slavery of all kinds.

For anyone who has ever doubted that forced labor is still a problem in the 21st century when, in our inflated egotism over our supposed enlightenment, we believe that we in the developed and even developing world should have overcome such a barbaric practice, Bales' book is a much needed wake up call. For me personally, the most important facet was the early point that something is either slavery or it isn't, and we should call it what it is rather than, in my view, assuage our consciences with weasel adjective "virtual," "-like," or "near." The book is also informative in that it provides the reader with an inside look at how the slave trade is being combated in the modern world, sometimes successfully, and sometimes not. This insider's view is both helpful and disturbing. His advice as to how the individual can contribute to freeing slaves (and why its in all of our best interests to do so), both in big and small ways, should be helpful to anyone looking to make the world a more humane place by ending a truly inhumane practice.

Modern-day slavery is something that we all hear of from time to time, but only rarely does anything occur to make the problem an immediate concern. This book is a call to action in ending slavery and the conditions that promote its continuation throughout the world. Kevin Bales gives examples of slavery, tells of approaches to end the problem in the examples given, and tries to raise public consciousness about this supremely evil practice. He suggests ways in which the reader may learn to recognize slavery when he encounters it; also, he asks for monetary support for the efforts of those on the front lines of the battle. I wish I had read his original book, Disposable People, before I read this one. Although Ending Slavery is an interesting book, it is a bit formulaic, and its content is as much a cry for help as an informative description of the problem; therefore, it had something of the feel of an add-on to the earlier book. Please don't let that caveat keep you from reading either book; the topic is an absorbing one, and it is truly something that all of us need to know. All I am saying is that if you are approaching the topic fresh, I think that you would gain better insight into the problem if you read Disposable People first, and then let Ending Slavery tell you more about what to do to help if you want to.

I will confess from the start that I did not read this book cover to cover, but I still believe it deserves four stars. I started out reading the first few chapters, and then skimmed, jumped around and looked at the end-of-the book suggestions. I truly respect Mr. Bales for his research and ideals. I wish his prognosis, that we really can end slavery, were realistic, but I am afraid it is not, for the same reasons that other "ideals" such as socialism or communism will never really work. Unfortunately, this world has, and always will have, "bad" people including ranging from sociopaths to people with severe personality disorders, people who will enslave others whether or not it is "right" or even financially worthwhile. Call me a pessimist, but I think I am a realist. That being said, it does not mean that the rest of us shouldn't make all possible efforts to erradicate the dehumanizing practice of slavery, be it illegal or "legal" in its particular context. Mr. Bales identifies actions that you and I can take to -- if not eliminate -- reduce the practice around the world. And for that he is to be strongly commended for his well-written and researched book. It is a strong resource for anyone who wants to stop reading about these atrocities, and wants to take action.

Dr. Bales writes prolifically and expertly on the subject of modern slavery and human trafficking. This book gives a comprehensive overview of the situation and what can be done about it. He intersperses the facts and figures with human stories that wrench at one's heart. He also writes with hope and a call-to-arms to inspire us to believe it's not an insurmountable problem, but there is much to be done and we can all do our part whether it's keeping an eye out for the problem in our communities, or showing support either with time or money. Dr. Bales really "walks the talk" and is a modern Hero. I met him once and he is a lovely, down-to-earth individual.

Though slavery is illegal almost everywhere, it persists in many forms in even the wealthiest countries. Kevin Bales is president of Free the Slaves, an organization seeking to end this scourge. This book provides a good introduction to the scope of the problem, some of its causes, and some ideas for ending it. Given its persistence in an age of abolition, I think Bales' diagnosis of its causes is probably too simple - - there must be serious structural reasons why it is so hard to eliminate even when it is illegal. Similarly, I think many of his proposals for ending slavery tend too much toward addressing the symptoms (slavery itself) and not the deeper causes. So, the book isn't perfect. But Bales makes a convincing case that the problem is important, and that we - - me and you, to be precise - - can and should do something about it. Though I doubt his proposal will eliminate slavery, they will certainly reduce it. And that is a good thing.