Book: "The Travels of a
T-Shirt in the Global Economy: An Economist Examines the
Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade" by
Pietra Rivoli. Wiley Publisher. 2005.
ISBN: 0-471-64849-3
Book Summary
In The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global
Economy, business professor Pietra Rivoli takes the reader on a
fascinating around-the-world adventure to reveal the life story of her
six-dollar T-shirt. Traveling from a West Texas cotton field to a
Chinese factory, and from trade negotiations in Washington to a used
clothing market in Africa, Rivoli examines international trade through
the life story of this simple product. Combining a compelling story
with substantive scholarship, Rivoli shows that both globalization's
critics and its cheerleaders have oversimplified the world of
international trade.
As Rivoli spoke with businesspeople
around the world who played a part in her T-shirt's life, she was
forced to confront her own assumptions about the political,
economic, and ethical effects of globalization. Trained as a
classical economist, Rivoli expected the story of her T-shirt to
reveal the undeniable benefits of global free trade and the
misguided ideas of the anti-globalization movement. Instead, she
found that "free markets" usually aren't free; that even the
staunchest allies of free trade regularly benefit from its
restriction; and that the alleged "victims" of globalization are
often its greatest beneficiaries. While the globalization debate
remains centered on the perils versus the promise of competitive
economic markets, Rivoli finds that the life story of her T-shirt
turns as much on power and politics as it does on markets.
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy uses a simple
T-shirt to reveal the politics and the human side of the
globalization debate. Within the fabric of every product are
fascinating businesses, good and bad politics, revealing
histories, and especially the hopes and dreams of real people.
These people's stories — and the story of the T-shirt that ties
them together — present the most nuanced look yet at the economics
and politics of globalization. (Source: Powells.com)
About the Author
Pietra Rivoli, PhD, is Associate Professor at Georgetown
University's McDonough School of Business, where she
specializes in international business, finance, and social
issues in business. She is the author of International
Business and has been published in numerous academic journals,
including the Journal of International Business Studies, the
Journal of Business Ethics, Business Ethics Quarterly, and the
Journal of Money, Credit and Banking.
