- Paperback: 144 pages
- Publisher: Verso Books; illustrated edition edition (27 Mar 2001)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1859843344
- ISBN-13: 978-1859843345
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 11 x 1.1 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 618,879 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Dispensing with the marketing spin of orthodox economics, "The No Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade" tells the human story behind the things we consume, vividly revealing the reality as experienced by coffee-growers in Central America or workers making jeans in a Bangladesh sweatshop. David Ransom turns to examine the roles played by the WTO, UNCTAD, ILO, IMF, G7 and argues that even when their motives are benevolent their activities are either inadequate or misguided. He also offers a lively, digestible and radical guide for the general shopper as well as campaigners and specialists in development, globalization and international affairs.
From the Back Cover
World Trade was once the exclusive preserve of big business, run by transnational corporations more powerful than governments. Now the 'free' trade they favour is the focus of public concern everywhere - globalization and the World Trade Organization have seen to that.
But what's the alternative? The No-Nonsense Guide to Fair Trade gives you a good idea. Dispensing with the marketing spin of orthodox economics, it tells the human story behind the things we consume. In the divide between consumers and producers, rich and poor, North and South, it discovers positive options that are already available on supermarket shelves.
The threads of a complex issue are pulled together into a summary of key concepts and factual evidence - a lively, digestible and radical guide for the general reader as well as campaigners and specialists in development, globalization and international affairs.
'If trade undermines life, narrows it or impoverishes it, then it can destroy the world. If it enhances life, then it can change the world. That's why David Ransom's book is so urgent. It is a crucial part of the argument for trade with a different bottom line, and it's never been so important. That's why I'm delighted to commend it.' Anita Roddick, Founder & Co-Chair, The Body Shop
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Does exactly what it says on the tin,
By A Customer
This review is from: The No-nonsense Guide to Fair Trade (No-nonsense Guides) (Paperback)
As a shop manager new to the world of Fair Trade, I was grateful and relieved to discover that this book exists. Fair trade is a complicated and indepth ethos and this book gives insight and direction in a factual and informative way. There's no bias, no unbalanced viewpoints and it allows you to make up your own mind, whilst fully armed with the facts. It explores both sides of the coin - pointing out that not all fair trade is as perfect as it might make out. This book is a must for the modern, socially and environmentally aware shopper. It's an eye opener and a heart warmer and I could not do my job as well without it!!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thorough all-round guide for the literate beginner.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The No-nonsense Guide to Fair Trade (No-nonsense Guides) (Paperback)
Providing basic information in a clear and consise manner, this book covers the Fair Trade process and history from simple commodities, such as coffee, to more complex, such as denim jeans. It's a little dry in places, but is fairly comprehensive for the consumer with a conscience. An interesting read.
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Biased and with basic errors,
By
This review is from: The No-nonsense Guide to Fair Trade (No-nonsense Guides) (Paperback)
This book is a polemic, and there is nothing wrong with that, but the author should be honest about it, and it does not excuse the misrepresentation of basic facts and opposing arguments.
Any serious argument about trade has to deal with the concept of comparative advantage. This can be either accepted or rejected (providing argument in either case), but it cannot be ignored and it needs to be explained clearly and accurately. This is the biggest failing of this book. It does have a short section on comparative advantage, but the explanation is cursory, and the tone is sneering and supercilious. It concludes that comparative advantage is "Hard to prove, but it the right voice it [can] be made to sound pretty convincing." This failing is followed up with a huge factual mistake. The book claims that comparative advantage was not discovered by David Ricardo but by Mrs Jane Marcet, who the book claims published her description one year before Ricardo. Ricardo is given the credit, according to this book, because Ricardo was a rich man, whereas Marcet was a woman. The facts are that Ricardo published his work in 1817, whereas Marcet published her work (Conversations on Political Economy) in 1824. Further Marcet's book was intended by Marcet as a popular exposition of existing ideas. In any case the first description of comparative advantage was in an 1815 essay by Robert Torrens. The factual mistake is bad enough, but as the rest of the book, it is delivered in a supercilious manner. This book adds nothing to the debate, it contains serious errors, and is written in a self-righteous and superior tone. I would recommend that you don't buy it.
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