Scan barcode
A review by leesmyth
Modern Slavery: A Global Perspective by Siddharth Kara
4.0
Very interesting and informative, if somewhat dismal due to its subject matter. I particularly appreciated the narratives Kara shares from current and former slaves. The author strives for transparency about his definitions and methods, which I found helpful. He also from time to time mentions his personal struggles in dealing with the emotional/mental/spiritual impacts of his work, but does not dwell on that aspect at great length.
Overall, the tone and approach is convincing, fact-based advocacy. But for that very reason, a handful of mildly overblown statements toward the end really stood out for me. Example 1 (end of chapter 7): "We are what we eat, and if we eat the products of slavery, we are slaves." (I would disagree with the premise that we are what we eat, but even if it were true, his conclusion does not logically follow since we are not eating slaves.) Example 2 (start of chapter 8): "As long as there is even one slave in the world, the legitimacy of contemporary civilization is threatened." (Really? Even if that person is in some remote place that "contemporary civilization" hasn't reached? I realize it's a bit of hyperbole, but still.)
Overall, the tone and approach is convincing, fact-based advocacy. But for that very reason, a handful of mildly overblown statements toward the end really stood out for me. Example 1 (end of chapter 7): "We are what we eat, and if we eat the products of slavery, we are slaves." (I would disagree with the premise that we are what we eat, but even if it were true, his conclusion does not logically follow since we are not eating slaves.) Example 2 (start of chapter 8): "As long as there is even one slave in the world, the legitimacy of contemporary civilization is threatened." (Really? Even if that person is in some remote place that "contemporary civilization" hasn't reached? I realize it's a bit of hyperbole, but still.)