About book Where Am I Wearing: A Global Tour To The Countries, Factories, And People That Make Our Clothes (2008)
Where Am I Wearing? by Kelsey Timmerman, was an excellent example of a nonfiction book that is not only informing about the realities of the garment industry, but helping and relating to the average unknowing American through examples of normal people from around the world. This piece of literature explores the stereotypes of developing countries and garment factories. It really opens the readers' understanding of where their common department store clothes come from and the work behind them. The author clearly adds a different point of view and makes this an important feature in the chapters. Kelsey makes a point to add a different person or perspective almost every ten pages if not more. As readers, we get to learn the lives of many, but just as a flimpse into their livs. And to think that those glimpses were just their work life. all readers will become a little bit more rounded than they were before they ready this book. It's not a book asking for a handout, it's a book trying to show that the people who majorally make clothes are noramal thinking humans just as we are. The book was appropriate and complete. Kelsey kepts the range for audience at a large angle and the language is very basic, yet sophisticated and sometimes humurous. His (the author's) voice was very strong in this book, as he describes his travels. Less rhetorical strategies, and more schemes for those lit analyzers. The progression from chapter to chapter is perfect. It's like moving your slowly into a swimming pool until the water reaches your chin, but your too excited from being in the swimming pool to actually realize that the water is about to envelope you from head to toe. Again, I will mention the organization of this book. It was very organized to the pieces of clothing. It does give a good introduction from the start about his good old american life and how he had always dressed well etc. I really liked the background informaiton given at the beginning of each chapter after the hooks. The chapter hooks were very commendable, especially the fact that they never digressed from the beginning of the book. The humor was placed delicately in this book and in all the right places. It was placed very well. The writing was definitely more than what I expected because of the title and the cover. I though it was going to be all about fashion and the author was going to be pathetic and self righteous, but instead the author was down to earth and really made me feel like I was on this journey with him. No one else could have done it better. The most interesting component is the organization and the humor for me. This book will definitely be in my top ten. I really like the premise of the book and enjoyed Timmerman's approach to bringing to life the challenges of consuming in a global marketplace. He made me really pause and think about the way I consume. But, ultimately I'm not sure I have the will power, energy, or faith that changing my buying habits will change the lives of the front-line factory workers around the world. I guess I don't trust big businesses and their ability to pass the increased revenues earned from increased product costs down to the factory workers who deserve the raise. Even if we pay more for a product doesn't mean they will pay their workers more.Unfortunately, WHERE AM I WEARING (like several other books in this same genre) has left me with a feeling of helplessness for our world. As much as I think about it, I can't wrap my mind around any solutions. And, I get frustrated that the authors rarely attempt to articulate solutions. I just wish we could live in a world where there was more equality and fairness...As I pause and think about this book, the one point that really stands out to me is how lucky I was to be born where I was, into the family I have, and to live the life that I lead. I thought this quote on pg. 66 was super powerful and sums up my thinking: "If you've graduated from college, you are more educated than 95 percent of the rest of the world. One-sixth of the world lives on less than $1.23 per day. Nobel Prize-winning economist and social scientist Herbert Simon estimated that "social capital" (a functioning government, access to technology, abundant natural resources) is responsible for at least 90 percent of what people earn in wealthy societies like the United States. Warren Buffett said, "If you stick me down in the middle of Bangladesh or Peru, you'll find out how much this talent is going to produce in the wrong kind of soil." We were born in the right kind of soil."
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Received as an ARC. Looks like something American's need to read, so it's on my pile...
—blue1995m3
