Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This book provides a comprehensive defense of third-world sweatshops. It explains how these sweatshops provide the best available opportunity to workers and how they play an important role in the process of development that eventually leads to better wages and working conditions. Using economic theory, the author argues that much of what the anti-sweatshop movement has agitated for would actually harm the very workers they intend to help by creating less desirable alternatives and undermining the process of development. Nowhere does this book put 'profits' or 'economic efficiency' above people. Improving the welfare of poorer citizens of third world countries is the goal, and the book explores which methods best achieve that goal. Out of Poverty will help readers understand how activists and policy makers can help third world workers.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Introduction
• 2 The anti-sweatshop movement
• 3 The economics of sweatshop wage determination
• 4 Don't cry for me Kathie Lee: how sweatshop wages compare to alternatives
• 5 Health, safety, and working conditions laws
• 6 Save the children?
• 7 Is it ethical to buy sweatshop products?
• 8 A history of sweatshops, 1780-2010
• 9 The process of economic development
• 10 What good can activists do?
• 11 Conclusion

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Powell (Texas Tech Univ.) provides an economic explanation for the presence of sweatshops in the world. Drawing on historical experiences of developed economies during the early stages of their development, the author argues that sweatshops provide opportunities for economies and that they will gradually disappear as countries mature. Powell points out that misplaced sweatshop activism can do more harm than good because it may result in slowing down the economic development process. In addition, sweatshops provide poor people in developing countries with better outcomes than the alternative of criminal activity (e.g., child and adult prostitution). The author also takes a strong stance against slavery as he parallels it to labor exploitation. At the end of the book, he offers suggestions for what activists can do to help poor workers in developing countries. Well written and free of economic jargon, the book is accessible to a large audience. Powell does not rely on mathematical modeling or quantitative methods but presents some basic economic principles to help elucidate his points. The book is required reading for anyone interested in the issue of development in general and sweatshops in particular. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. --Minh Quang Dao, Eastern Illinois University