Book Review: A Year Without "Made In China"

I came across this book through a recommendation by Suzanne at DearReader.com. The title alone intrigued me. When I read it, I couldn’t imagine going a year without Chinese products. I think of the toys, clothing, shoes, electronics, and home goods that come through the door of my home almost on a daily basis. Heck, if you pick up an item in my home (and probably yours too) there is a high likelihood that it has a “Made in China” sticker affixed to it somewhere. So, the thought of going a year without Chinese merchandise of any kind sounded like an interesting challenge that would make for entertaining, thought-provoking reading.

On to the review…

Title: A Year Without “Made In China”: One Family’s True Life Adventure in the Global Economy
Author: Sara Bongiorni
Publication Information: Wiley, 2007, 256 pages
Genre: Nonfiction/Social Sciences/Sociology/Business & Investing/Consumer Behavior

Explanation/Summary:
First of all, I need to tell you that this is not a spiteful “We hate China” book or anything of the sort. Rather, the author Bongiorni simply states, “I wanted our story to be a friendly, nonjudgmental look at the ways ordinary people are connected to the global economy.” And let me tell you, the story really is just that – a nonjudgmental look at how we as ordinary citizens of the United States are connected to the economy of, not only China, but the whole globe.

There are some interesting statistics given in the Foreword of the book by economist Joel Naroff. Naroff states that 15 percent of the $1.7 trillion spent on imported goods the US imported in 2006 came from China. Folks, that’s a lot of Happy Meal toys.

The story begins right after the Christmas of 2004. Bongiorni surveyed the “damage” after all the presents had been opened and noticed that the majority of the gifts opened had the label “Made in China.” She mused to her husband a thought about boycotting all Chinese purchases for one year. He “took the bait” and their family set off on an attempt at a year long journey of no Chinese merchandise. She did set a few ground rules for the year – all merchandise already in their home, regardless of origin, was accepted; and gifts from people outside the home were not limited to non-Chinese items. As expected, the author had some difficulties finding non-essential but necessary items like no-kill mouse traps, birthday candles, and child’s tennis shoes that were not “Made in China.” She was able to find suitable replacements, however, she paid dearly for them as the costs were exorbitantly high. ($68 for a 4-year-old’s Italian tennis shoes)

The book is quite enjoyable and is a quick read. Not to mention, it’s fairly educational. Bongiorni relates her tales of lessons in the global economy and with humor, wit and creativity. She endears herself to the reader, and she encourages the reader to be thoughtful of product origins.

The “take away” from this book is that we truly live in a global economy. While it might be possible to go a year without “Made in China”, it is not very likely.