Journalist Bongiorni, on a post-Christmas day mired deep in plastictoys and electronics equipment, makes up her mind to live for ayear without buying any products made in China, a decision spurredless by notions of idealism or fair trade--though she doesnote troubling statistics on job loss and trade deficits--thansimply „to see if it can be done.“ In this more personal vein, Bongiorni tells often funny, occasionally humiliating storiescentering around her difficulty procuring sneakers, sunglasses, DVDplayers and toys for two young children and a skeptical husband. With little insight into global economics or China's manufacturingpractices, readers may question the point of singling out Chinawhen cheap, sweatshop-produced products from other countries arefair game (though Bongiorni cheerfully admits the flaws in herproject, she doesn't consider fixing them). Still, Bongiorni is agraceful, self-deprecating writer, and her comic adventures inself-imposed inconvenience cast an interesting sideways glance atthe personal effects of globalism, even if it doesn't easilyconnect to the bigger picture.(July) (PublishersWeekly, August 6, 2007)
"a wry look at the ingenuity it takes to shun the planet'sfastest-growing economy.„ (Bloomberg News)
“The West's dependence on Chinese exports was neatly summedup„ (The Telegraph, Sunday 12th August 2007)
“What the year-long experiment did achieve, was to switch onBongiorni as a consumer and make her alive to the complexities andshifting power of the international economy. (FinancialTimes, Saturday 25th August)
„... a fascinating and entertaining look at just how muchof a challenge an average consumer faces... to avoid buyingChinese goods.“ (Supply Management, Thursday 31stJanuary 2008)