Book Review
Book profiles worldwide slavery crisis

By Rebecca Bostic, The Catholic Sun
March 1, 2007

Slavery was outlawed in the United States in 1865 with the addition of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Yet most Americans are oblivious to the fact that they may be witnesses to slavery nearly every day.

Slavery is a growing epidemic in every continent. This dark world is explored by David Batstone, a professor of ethics at the University of San Francisco, in his book “Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade — and How We Can Fight It.”

Batstone’s title is not deceptive. Various forms of slave trade do exist — albeit on a different scale than in the 19th century. Then, slave traders took millions of Africans from their homeland in a public act many people accepted.

The slave rings Batstone uncovers are occurring on a much smaller scale, but are nonetheless affecting 27 million slaves, according to the author. He has decided to take action against it.

“Not for Sale” is a captivating read that is filled with poignant statistics and details different slave rings’ methods. Batstone’s description of types of slavery occurring in certain regions is supplemented by personal accounts from former slaves.

The book is not laden with an overwhelming amount of research. Batstone jumps from covering abolitionists and their organizations, to the slave groups they are fighting, to the former slaves themselves.

Thus, a reader learns about the issue of the slave trade in different regions of the world, empathizes with the plight of the victims and is inspired by the abolitionists trying to change the harsh realities throughout the world.

Sexual servitude is the focus of the chapters about Cambodia, Thailand and Europe. Women who are kidnapped, tricked and trapped into working in brothels are the storytellers in those chapters.

Forced soldiering is exposed in Uganda, where an army forces children to kill and pillage. The army constantly threatens to annihilate the children’s entire family if they show any sign of displeasure.

Batstone covers South Asia, the United States and Peru while discussing forced labor and sexual abuse. African girls who are brought to New England homes under the pretense of attending a good school are forced into domestic servitude without any of the benefits promised to their families.

By the end of “Not for Sale,” one not only feels educated about what is becoming a moral crisis, but also is left with a keen awareness that there is much more to be learned.

Yet Batstone did not write “Not for Sale” only to educate. It’s meant stir readers into action against global slavery.

“To inspire others to join the movement is my overriding purpose for writing this book,” Batstone said. “The abolitionists featured herein are truly extraordinary, but they cannot win the fight alone.”

While some fight corrupt governments and try to change the unjust systems that have created a ripe market for slavery, they are generally under-funded and overextended.

Batstone does his part to help by providing a list of abolitionist organizations one can learn about and aid.

This is not a book one should plan on reading to feel a vague sense of empathy for the characters and laying aside. Through his engaging style of writing and concrete ideas, Batstone makes sure the reader will react.

“There are times to read history, and there are times to make history. We live right now at one of those epic moments in the fight for human freedom,” Batstone said.

The fight did not end with William Wilberforce, Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Many battles lay ahead and Batstone is calling on people of the world to take action.

With his portrayal of slavery across the globe, it would be hard for any reader not to join the battle.

“Not for Sale” contains mature subject matter that some may find disturbing.

Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.