Fugitive Denim: A Moving Story of People and Pants in the Borderless World of Global Trade

I read this book for a book review for my international business class and really enjoyed it.I didn't feel that I was led astray by the synopsis either. I found the the mix between character development, history, economic, social, and political issues to be well dispersed throughout which made this a fairly easy read (ie. I do not enjoy politics but there was enough to compliment the story without getting bored and tuning it out.)I think that if there was anything that I felt was off-putting would be the author sometimes makes quips that seem a bit distracting and misplaced at times.

a very well researched journey of something i had little awareness of before. certainly i knew that cotton wasn't a fantastic sustainable fibre, that in developing worlds the working conditions (and pay) are deplorable. but the greater impact of desiring and demanding cheaper has far more impact than i imagined.this book has given me a lot to think about - my own moral dilemma. as a seamstress trying to avoid man made textiles i am supporting a trade that saddens me. i am endeavouring to find other solutions that won't exploit somebody in the textile process. impossible dream? perhaps... but this book vibrates with an urgency that we must do our best.

Yes, there's good content here hidden among a lot of useless and boring details (like how one cotton tester likes to knot his ties), but it's such a slog to get through. I am finding about 10% of it to be interesting and useful, the rest off topic and dull. I am skimming now and likely won't finish it. For me it was an unfortunate purchase.

For me this book was packed with really great information on not only denim but the clothing business in general. It's amazing the cost of one garment for both the environment, labor and our wallets.

Like many I purchased this for college sociology and it was a pretty cool story despite being forced into purchasing it. You never know the journey of your favorite jeans until you read a story like this.

horrible

A month or so ago, I received a call from an excited colleague who was wondering if I'd be willing to review a book for her. It seems her friend had just successfully published a book and was to begin publicizing it in a round of events. My reply was, "Sure, have the publisher send me a copy." A couple of weeks later, a review copy of Fugitive Denim arrived and I thought, "What have I done? This may be tough to get through." Well, instead I had a tough time putting it down. Far from a dry treatise on globalization, I found myself immersed in the lives of several characters and wanting to know more about them and how they were "getting along." Ms. Snyder, in discussing her book with friends took to joking that it was "about the people in your pants." Indeed! This intriguing story about the people who make our clothes educated me on some of the intricacies of globalization in general and the garment industry in particular. The peoples' stories are compelling; from Mehman Husseinov who loves cotton, to Rogan who designs denim garments with soul and style to Alison and Bono (Paul) Hewson who want to support workers worldwide and Scott, the auditor who said, "The only boundaries that exist, exist in your own mind." Snyder is an award winning (Overseas Press Award) investigative journalist. She has written for the New York Times Magazine, Slate, Glamour, Jane, Salon and the New Republic. Her considerable skills are on display in this book. She writes in a clear, concise manner with ample footnote and endnote support. Yet she has managed to weave story that wends its way from Cambodia to Azerbaijan to New York and points in between. Her ability to use an incredible amount of detail to build her characters successfully propels the story forward. Snyder has managed to put a wonderfully human face on a very complex issue of pitting our ecosystem against the undeniable forces of globalization and consumerism. From factories to responsible buyers, the story jets from country to country, from person to person and from celebrity to unsung hero.True to her profession, Snyder avoids preaching or forcing conclusions. Rather she puts facts in front of the reader, with the references for validation, and magically mixes the facts with an incredibly creative wit. Fugitive Denim makes the reader laugh, wonder, and shake her or his head at the sheer complexity of the treaties, quotas and labeling systems we have created.Fugitive Denim is an intelligent, compelling and well documented story that is a cut above other books on the pervasive effects of globalization in our lives. This is a must read for any government official or business executive involved in international sourcing or commerce - and who isn't these days?David KinnearCEO, dbkAssociates, Inc.[...]

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the people - from the cotton farmer in Azerbaijan to the factory workers in Cambodia. Seeing and feeling how the thread of the global denim trade intersected with their lives was fascinating. Understanding how interconnected the world really is at the personal level was also thought-provoking. By focusing on the people and not the institutions, Ms. Snyder allows the reader to understand the complexity of globalization. It defies easy generalizations: lives are both better and worse through their connection with this global supply chain. Either way, their lives - our lives - are changing and the challenge is to understand that change (at the personal and institutional level) and find productive, creative ways to deal with it. Ms. Snyder's book is a step along that path. An excellent read for anyone interested in better understanding the global age we are living in - or if you are just curious to know the mighty journey your jeans made before landing in your dresser drawer. They have a prior life as world travelers!