Made in China: A Prisoner, an SOS Letter, and the Hidden Cost of America's Cheap Goods
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- Create Date：2021-04-03 11:52:43
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Amelia Pang
- ISBN：1616209178
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Summary
A Most-Anticipated Book of the Year: Newsweek * Refinery29
“Timely and urgent 。 。 。 Pang is a dogged investigator。” —The New York Times Book Review
“Moving and powerful。” —Chris Hedges， Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author
Discover the truth behind the discounts
In 2012， an Oregon mother named Julie Keith opened up a package of Halloween decorations。 The cheap foam headstones had been five dollars at Kmart， too good a deal to pass up。 But when she opened the box， something shocking fell out: an SOS letter， handwritten in broken English。
“Sir: If you occassionally buy this product， please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization。 Thousands people here who are under the persicuton of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever。”
The note’s author， Sun Yi， was a mild-mannered Chinese engineer turned political prisoner， forced into grueling labor for campaigning for the freedom to join a forbidden meditation movement。 He was imprisoned alongside petty criminals， civil rights activists， and tens of thousands of others the Chinese government had decided to “reeducate，” carving foam gravestones and stitching clothing for more than fifteen hours a day。
In Made in China， investigative journalist Amelia Pang pulls back the curtain on Sun’s story and the stories of others like him， including the persecuted Uyghur minority group whose abuse and exploitation is rapidly gathering steam。 What she reveals is a closely guarded network of laogai—forced labor camps—that power the rapid pace of American consumerism。 Through extensive interviews and firsthand reportage， Pang shows us the true cost of America’s cheap goods and shares what is ultimately a call to action—urging us to ask more questions and demand more answers from the companies we patronize。
“Timely and urgent 。 。 。 Pang is a dogged investigator。” —The New York Times Book Review
“Moving and powerful。” —Chris Hedges， Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and author
Discover the truth behind the discounts
In 2012， an Oregon mother named Julie Keith opened up a package of Halloween decorations。 The cheap foam headstones had been five dollars at Kmart， too good a deal to pass up。 But when she opened the box， something shocking fell out: an SOS letter， handwritten in broken English。
“Sir: If you occassionally buy this product， please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization。 Thousands people here who are under the persicuton of the Chinese Communist Party Government will thank and remember you forever。”
The note’s author， Sun Yi， was a mild-mannered Chinese engineer turned political prisoner， forced into grueling labor for campaigning for the freedom to join a forbidden meditation movement。 He was imprisoned alongside petty criminals， civil rights activists， and tens of thousands of others the Chinese government had decided to “reeducate，” carving foam gravestones and stitching clothing for more than fifteen hours a day。
In Made in China， investigative journalist Amelia Pang pulls back the curtain on Sun’s story and the stories of others like him， including the persecuted Uyghur minority group whose abuse and exploitation is rapidly gathering steam。 What she reveals is a closely guarded network of laogai—forced labor camps—that power the rapid pace of American consumerism。 Through extensive interviews and firsthand reportage， Pang shows us the true cost of America’s cheap goods and shares what is ultimately a call to action—urging us to ask more questions and demand more answers from the companies we patronize。
Reviews
Patrick
，
Five stars for the courage it took the author to write this book。I know nothing about Falun Gong， and have no interest in what it claims。 I do know that whatever their belief is， there is no justification for the Chinese government to imprison its practitioners in forced labour camps， torture them， and harvest their organs for profit。The Gulag Archipelago is alive in China today， this very minute。 The only thing we can do is to consider the MORALITY of doing any form of business with China。 The Five stars for the courage it took the author to write this book。I know nothing about Falun Gong， and have no interest in what it claims。 I do know that whatever their belief is， there is no justification for the Chinese government to imprison its practitioners in forced labour camps， torture them， and harvest their organs for profit。The Gulag Archipelago is alive in China today， this very minute。 The only thing we can do is to consider the MORALITY of doing any form of business with China。 The only solution is to put money and profit aside， and pull out all manufacturing from China。 Money talks， and that is the only way to deal a blow to the Chinese Communist Party。Next time you pick up a toy， or a piece of stationary， put it back if it says "Made in China"。 Tell the salesperson why you are not buying that particular item。 Be willing to pay more for what you buy， or shop less for things you do not really need。 。。。more
Jessica
，
This is a hard read， but incredibly important。 I have learned so much from this relatively short book and Amelia does a wonderful job of telling Sun’s story。 This book has given me new insight into what I’m purchasing， and the importance of thrifting， doing research on where and how a company manufactures their goods， and why it’s important to avoid stores with fast fashion or incredibly cheap goods。 I received an ARC of this book from a Goodreads giveaway。
David
，
My excitement to read the book wasn't quite met by the experience but the message is strong and I'd recommend the book to most readers。The idea of an SOS letter in a bag of cheap Halloween decorations is so intriguing。 I don't think I've ever paused to try to imagine the people who've made the countless consumer goods I've used and this book reveals the depressing truths about forced labor （and more） under the CCP。 The book succeeds in laying out the systems of abuse and the reasoning behind the My excitement to read the book wasn't quite met by the experience but the message is strong and I'd recommend the book to most readers。The idea of an SOS letter in a bag of cheap Halloween decorations is so intriguing。 I don't think I've ever paused to try to imagine the people who've made the countless consumer goods I've used and this book reveals the depressing truths about forced labor （and more） under the CCP。 The book succeeds in laying out the systems of abuse and the reasoning behind the CCP's animus towards Falun Gong and ethnic minorities but it was almost a little too clinical in telling the stories。 It may be that I've read enough books about human rights abuses and torture to dim the visceral impacts but I did occasionally wonder how different authors would have presented the material。 In any event the story of Sun Yi is important， inspiring and thought provoking and well worth my time to read it。 。。。more
Kiley Heckman
，
Every American， every consumer of goods needs to read this book。 It's chilling， it's heartbreaking and it expands your horizon to what's really behind all the low cost goods。 There were so many times I had tears in my eyes and wanted to put the book down because I was so appalled at the deplorable conditions and torture Chinese Americans are put through because of us。 I walked through my house and looked at the origin of manufacture and everything I own is from China。 I'm disgusted。 I will be ch Every American， every consumer of goods needs to read this book。 It's chilling， it's heartbreaking and it expands your horizon to what's really behind all the low cost goods。 There were so many times I had tears in my eyes and wanted to put the book down because I was so appalled at the deplorable conditions and torture Chinese Americans are put through because of us。 I walked through my house and looked at the origin of manufacture and everything I own is from China。 I'm disgusted。 I will be changing my shopping behavior and will do my part to help be a voice of change。 No human being should ever be subjected to torture because of their beliefs， their religion or dissent of government。 Thank you Amelia Pang for opening my eyes。 We must do better。 。。。more
Ellen
，
"Really liked it" because it opened my eyes， made me question our consumerism， the factors propelling our spending habits， and the costs to those who are providing these goods in a closely guarded network of laogai （forced labor camps）。 The author calls us to action。 "Really liked it" because it opened my eyes， made me question our consumerism， the factors propelling our spending habits， and the costs to those who are providing these goods in a closely guarded network of laogai （forced labor camps）。 The author calls us to action。 。。。more
Oumaima Tiguint
，
This is one of the most most important books I've read in my entire life。 This is a must read for everyone as we all own "Made in China" products or products from brands that outsource from laogai factories。 This is was such a painful read but by knowing about these forced labor factories I will definitely make a conscious decision to change my spending habits。"The international community did little about Nazi Germany’s concentration camps until six million Jews had died。 It is unclear which dir This is one of the most most important books I've read in my entire life。 This is a must read for everyone as we all own "Made in China" products or products from brands that outsource from laogai factories。 This is was such a painful read but by knowing about these forced labor factories I will definitely make a conscious decision to change my spending habits。"The international community did little about Nazi Germany’s concentration camps until six million Jews had died。 It is unclear which direction the arc of history will bend this time， but it is evident we need systemic changes to address the full scope of the problem。 " 。。。more
Anthony
，
I was made in America。I hunt for bargains， compare items of similar function only to choose the cheapest one， and curse myself when I miss out on a good deal。 But this book has me feeling like I've got the whole arrangement fucked up。Much has been whispered about the brands that have partnered with China's forced-labor force; Nike， Zara， and H&M are among the most recognized for the practice by consumers， but up until recently， we have done little to confront what our unchecked consumerism has w I was made in America。I hunt for bargains， compare items of similar function only to choose the cheapest one， and curse myself when I miss out on a good deal。 But this book has me feeling like I've got the whole arrangement fucked up。Much has been whispered about the brands that have partnered with China's forced-labor force; Nike， Zara， and H&M are among the most recognized for the practice by consumers， but up until recently， we have done little to confront what our unchecked consumerism has wrought。 Made in China is the mirror in your closet。 Well-researched， well-cited， and well-written， Amelia Pang has crafted an exposé that simultaneously humanizes the headlines and provides hard data to substantiate its wider claims。The book achieves its repletion by alternating between Sun Yi's experiences as a forced laborer and thoroughgoing research。 The impact is considerable。 Pang's forays into Sun Yi's fight for liberty are gut-wrenching and sometimes vomit-inducing， akin to scenes from a nightmare made infinitely more disturbing by their reality。 She would have made a solid horror fiction writer had she not chosen more important work。 Her research is likewise hard-hitting， pouring exhaustively cited reports， statistics， interviews， and first-hand knowledge into the fray。 My only criticism is that Pang completely fails to acknowledge how exercising considered choice in what to buy is a privilege that those of lesser means will have trouble with。 It's easy to choose the ethically-sourced brand when you're good for it， but hard when you're struggling to feed your kids。The best exposés have the wherewithal to move us to action， and I hope Made in China continues to do the same。 Already， major brands are signaling that they will stop sourcing cotton from Xinjiang， a concrete sign that things are changing。 Although Pang admits that it's incredibly unlikely that we as consumers alone will be able to stop China's human rights violations， we can certainly make it less profitable for them by asking our favorite brands to stop utilizing Uighur forced labor。 I once had a friend from Thailand who told me that buying cheap goods is actually expensive。 I wonder if this is what they meant。 。。。more
Anne Hatchaway
，
This is the best book I’ve read this year。 。。。 If you have some great stories like this one， you can publish it on Novel Star， just submit your story to hardy@novelstar。top or joye@novelstar。top
Sara
，
I have to give five stars to a nonfiction book that is so compelling that it kept me up reading until the very end once I'd started it。 I am sure that there are plenty of good books on what goes on in China's factories， but this one reads like a detective novel and Pang has done a fantastic job of making her point。 Well written， sobering， and with calls to action。 We all need to read this book。 I vaguely knew about prison labor and worse in China， but now I feel I can no longer be as complacent I have to give five stars to a nonfiction book that is so compelling that it kept me up reading until the very end once I'd started it。 I am sure that there are plenty of good books on what goes on in China's factories， but this one reads like a detective novel and Pang has done a fantastic job of making her point。 Well written， sobering， and with calls to action。 We all need to read this book。 I vaguely knew about prison labor and worse in China， but now I feel I can no longer be as complacent as I was。 Great job， Amelia Pang！ 。。。more
Lisa
，
This is one of the most important books I have read。 It includes gut wrenching details of the suffering endured for our cheap goods。
Rae
，
When I choose to read this book I know it's gonna be hard。 It is emotionally trigger and I got to mentally prepare for this。 This book is a non fiction involve political and economic aspect， not to forget the topic on force labor in China。The story begin where Julie found a letter in her Halloween decorative box and soon matter brought up to Human Rights Organization。 We all know most of the item we use are made in China and after reading this book it makes me realize what i purchase could be fr When I choose to read this book I know it's gonna be hard。 It is emotionally trigger and I got to mentally prepare for this。 This book is a non fiction involve political and economic aspect， not to forget the topic on force labor in China。The story begin where Julie found a letter in her Halloween decorative box and soon matter brought up to Human Rights Organization。 We all know most of the item we use are made in China and after reading this book it makes me realize what i purchase could be from force labor。 Amelia Pang brings us to her journey to discover the system of China's forced labor camp， illegal practice of Falun Gong and the dark side of hidden cost of America's demand for low-cost goods。 We also get the story center on Sun Yi， who practice on Falun Gong and how he gone through all the torture during his forced labor period。Definitely recommend for everyone to read。 It's good to know what's happen at the backend process and trigger warning as this book content details on abuse， torture and rape。Thank you Times Reads for sending me review copy in exchange for honest review。 。。。more
Amanda
，
An incredibly sobering and necessary read。 Amelia Pang does an incredible job weaving together stories and research to make a compelling case for the hidden cost of America’s cheap goods。
Michele
，
I appreciated the "What We Can Do" that the author included at the end of the book。 I appreciated the "What We Can Do" that the author included at the end of the book。 。。。more
Sue
，
Everything we buy that is Made in China is suspect。 The items are likely so affordable because they were in part produced by unpaid workers in forced labor camps。 These could be cheap items from the Dollar Store， or they could be high end from Nordstrom’s。 This is the blunt message from Amelia Pang。The book builds its narrative around a man named Sun Yi， a follower of Falun Gong who was imprisoned in a forced-labor camp called Masanjia。 He took the audacious step of inserting a note in some of t Everything we buy that is Made in China is suspect。 The items are likely so affordable because they were in part produced by unpaid workers in forced labor camps。 These could be cheap items from the Dollar Store， or they could be high end from Nordstrom’s。 This is the blunt message from Amelia Pang。The book builds its narrative around a man named Sun Yi， a follower of Falun Gong who was imprisoned in a forced-labor camp called Masanjia。 He took the audacious step of inserting a note in some of the tchotchke packages he filled for American customers。 The note， written in both Chinese and English， read: “If you occasionally buy this product， please kindly resend this letter to the World Human Right Organization。” The book opens with an Oregon woman who opened some Halloween decorations for her child’s birthday party and received one of the notes。 Sun Yi’s story is gruesome， very difficult to read， but its arc provides the personal example that the situation cries for。 Pang is particularly successful when she juxtaposes the grim stories with what is happening in the consumer West， with its response to low prices and fast fashion， the kinds of production China is so good at。This book， sometimes uneven as it unfolds， leaves a clear and unforgettable， brute force warning。 As consumers， we simply have no idea and little opportunity to buy responsibly sourced items – unless we avoid “Made in China” labels entirely。 American companies which contract with Chinese manufacturers do not audit carefully enough to know whether those manufacturers are subcontracting to forced labor camps。 They may try， but a truly thorough audit is a very expensive undertaking。Pang positioned herself at camps like Masanjia and followed the trucks which pulled away from their doors。 They drove to legitimate manufacturing sites， so their products appeared to originate there。 The province of Xinjiang has offered incentives to companies which open factories near the camps – places where political dissidents， Uigurs， and Falun Gong are sequestered and tortured， underfed and brutally overworked。Pang urges consumers to contact corporations， but the US and Europe have significant trade arrangements with China。 Given the opaqueness of the Chinese system， the outcry would need to be deafening。 。。。more
Englewood Public Library
，
A woman in Oregon finds an SOS letter tucked in some cheap Halloween decorations she bought at K Mart。 The letter is a call for help from a man in China。This book follows the story of a Chinese man who is involved in a forbidden meditation group。 He is put into the laogai system （China’s equivalent of the gulags）。It is a difficult and challenging book to read。 The plight of the Uyghurs has come to attention around the world。 This book shows another group in similar circumstances。 The author tell A woman in Oregon finds an SOS letter tucked in some cheap Halloween decorations she bought at K Mart。 The letter is a call for help from a man in China。This book follows the story of a Chinese man who is involved in a forbidden meditation group。 He is put into the laogai system （China’s equivalent of the gulags）。It is a difficult and challenging book to read。 The plight of the Uyghurs has come to attention around the world。 This book shows another group in similar circumstances。 The author tells of the forced labor and torture in these work camps。 Much of the time they are producing cheap goods going to the West。 We are consuming what they produce。This book is a look into practices going on right now in our world。 I’m glad I read it。 Better to know what’s going on – and make my decisions accordingly。-Review by Flo at EPLWant to check it out？ Here's a link to the book in our catalog: https://bit。ly/3chNMzk 。。。more
Jean
，
This is an alarming and horrifying read of how America's appetite for cheap Chinese goods is driving the secret business of prisoners （many times incarcerated only for their beliefs） manufacturing those goods under extreme conditions。 In other words， TORTURE。 Our desire for something cheap is causing torture， YES。 Do you really need that X？ Can you buy used？ Very important read。 This is an alarming and horrifying read of how America's appetite for cheap Chinese goods is driving the secret business of prisoners （many times incarcerated only for their beliefs） manufacturing those goods under extreme conditions。 In other words， TORTURE。 Our desire for something cheap is causing torture， YES。 Do you really need that X？ Can you buy used？ Very important read。 。。。more
Andee
，
Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC in exchange for review。 Have you ever read/heard a story that was so good， so important， you knew you needed to keep reading - but with every word you felt as if you would throw up？ That is Amelia Pang's， Made In China。Embarrassingly enough， the event which brought this particular tale to life happened in the town in which I live， and I don't remember a dang thing about it。 In 2012， Julie， a Portland， OR resident opened a box of Halloween decorations she'd had i Thank you， NetGalley， for the ARC in exchange for review。 Have you ever read/heard a story that was so good， so important， you knew you needed to keep reading - but with every word you felt as if you would throw up？ That is Amelia Pang's， Made In China。Embarrassingly enough， the event which brought this particular tale to life happened in the town in which I live， and I don't remember a dang thing about it。 In 2012， Julie， a Portland， OR resident opened a box of Halloween decorations she'd had in her garage for 2 years。 In there was a note of desperation and help。 Sun Yi， an engineer and political prisoner， tortured and near death， faced certain death by including that note in a package of fake gravestones for the Western holiday of skeletons and dead people。 4 years had passed when Julie read that note， but the awareness was brought to light and so was Sun's story。 Amelia Pang pens accurate and sickening investigative journalism。 I wish I could force everyone to read this book。 The American population who clamors for American made goods are the same people buying cheap sh*% from Dollar Tree stores and mass produced tvs put together by forced labor。 This morning I woke up to news the Biden Administration is joining other countries by putting sanctions on Chinese goods until they can clean up the extreme human rights violations。 China responded by saying the USA is hypocritical and our sanctions mean nothing。 Our collective desire for "stuff" is the basis for what is happening in this argument。Made in China taught me a TON。 But I was already aware of the atrocities in China， rebel against fast fashion， and try to pay attention to where my goods are made。 The people who REALLY need to read this， won't。 And that breaks my heart more than you can imagine。 God help our souls for what we have done to His creation。 。。。more
Ron Turner
，
The Chinese Communist Party has millions of people in concentration camps。 It works them to death then harvest their organs。 The world shrugs。 Why？ Because capitalism is built on slave labor。 We don't care。 But we should because this is our future。 The Chinese model is spreading。 We already rely on imported slave labor in our fields and factories。 We've already turned prisons into work camps。 How long before we start sending the poor and the displaced to "vocational training" camps？ The Chinese Communist Party has millions of people in concentration camps。 It works them to death then harvest their organs。 The world shrugs。 Why？ Because capitalism is built on slave labor。 We don't care。 But we should because this is our future。 The Chinese model is spreading。 We already rely on imported slave labor in our fields and factories。 We've already turned prisons into work camps。 How long before we start sending the poor and the displaced to "vocational training" camps？ 。。。more
Betsy Mills
，
Beware of purchasing products made in China- the price of items may seem impossibly low in monetary value， but in terms of the price of human life and dignity- the price is impossibly high。
Laveille
，
What an amazing and incredible research。 I can't put it down。 Very eye opening as to the cycle that encourage prison/slave labor in China。。。 and probably the rest of the world including the US。 What an amazing and incredible research。 I can't put it down。 Very eye opening as to the cycle that encourage prison/slave labor in China。。。 and probably the rest of the world including the US。 。。。more
Marialyce （absltmom， yaya）
，
Buyer Beware！Imagine a race being systematically wiped out by a country。 Yes， indeed the thoughts of of Nazi Germany might enter your mind， but then we realize that this is happening to the Uyghur group in Northwest China。Imagine a country that looks at you are a group of salable organs and indeed this is exactly what China is doing。Many of us look to save money when buying products。 From the electronics to decorations during holidays， we are constantly searching out bargains never really thinki Buyer Beware！Imagine a race being systematically wiped out by a country。 Yes， indeed the thoughts of of Nazi Germany might enter your mind， but then we realize that this is happening to the Uyghur group in Northwest China。Imagine a country that looks at you are a group of salable organs and indeed this is exactly what China is doing。Many of us look to save money when buying products。 From the electronics to decorations during holidays， we are constantly searching out bargains never really thinking about where or how these things were made。In the Made in China book， we certainly get an eye opening and appalling look into the methods China uses to bring us those cheap bargains。 The settings where they are constructed are mainly labor camps where the poor workers are treated worse than animals， where they arrive in these places on trumped up charges， or be found to do something the government considers punishable。 There they labor hour after hour for despicable companies， in deplorable circumstances， eighteen hours a day seven days a week。 Medical care is nonexistent and family is prohibited at times from seeing their loved ones。It is even a fact that some are mined as organ givers， and there is a brisk trade for kidneys， lungs， etc。Although the United States government is aware of these practices， it is a struggle to try and find definitive proof for there always seems to be ways in which companies wiggle out of being fined and exposed。 Not much can be done for as we know， China is a communist country where every part of one’s life is watched and monitored。One can be held in prison， never having a trial， for practicing the wrong religion， saying a word against the regime， or even looking to gain a bit of respect for your fellow man。 Lawyers， doctors， and other professionals are imprisoned and sentences for all last years， if indeed they survive。There is a viable option for we consumers and that is to stop buying products that are made in China。 Money seems to be the only way to hit them and the only thing they care about。This book might just make you reevaluate how you purchase products。 What comes cheaply to we consumers bears a devastating price paid by countless millions。 Amalia Pang wrote a wonderful exhaustive book after much research into the fact that many our goods are made at the detriment and death of others。 ***Americans love their cheap goods。 We are super fans of the dollar stores， and never really glance at a label to see where the product comes from。 We are proud of ourselves because we "save" money and tend to purchase throwaway goods because it guarantees us an easier lifestyle。 In reading Made in China， we learn of the human toll it takes on the people who put together our goods。 It is a harrowing tale and one that both Jan and I have resolved to try and do our part with by buying less and making sure we buy products produced under the auspices that might govern fair and equitable employment。 *** 。。。more
JanB
，
In our quest to read more non-fiction， Marialyce and I settled on this book， and it was one that opened our eyes and caused us to examine our consumer habits。In 2012 a woman in Oregon opened up a Halloween decoration purchased at K-Mart when a slip of paper fell to the floor。 On it was written an appeal for help from Soon-Yi， a prisoner in China。 The woman contacted various human rights agencies as well as the press and went public。The author followed Sun Yi， an educated man imprisoned for his r In our quest to read more non-fiction， Marialyce and I settled on this book， and it was one that opened our eyes and caused us to examine our consumer habits。In 2012 a woman in Oregon opened up a Halloween decoration purchased at K-Mart when a slip of paper fell to the floor。 On it was written an appeal for help from Soon-Yi， a prisoner in China。 The woman contacted various human rights agencies as well as the press and went public。The author followed Sun Yi， an educated man imprisoned for his religious beliefs。 It was difficult to read a first-hand account of what happened to him and his fellow inmates。 Most of us know of the human rights abuses in China but few of us know how truly horrific they are。 The inmates endure unspeakable torture worse than we can imagine， and forced to work 15-20 hours a day。 Why？ So we can buy cheap décor， toys， clothing， and other consumer goods。 As horrendous as this is， China also sells the organs of prisoners for a tidy profit。 Their execution dates eerily match up to when an organ is needed。China’s Communist Party is to blame， of course， but so are we every time we choose to buy， and buy cheap。 I’m fortunate in that， when possible， I can choose to spend my money wisely in small businesses with ethical purchasing practices。 But for most， if not all， Americans it’s nearly impossible to avoid items made in China， and impossible to know if what we buy is made in the labor camps。 No U。S。 company who has manufacturing plants in China， including well-known brands， can ensure their goods are made without prison labor。 Chinese manufactures believe they have little choice in using forced labor in order to keep up with the consumer demand for cheap products。 They would be forced out of business if they raised their prices。 The only way to stop this is lowering our demand。There are U。S。 laws enacted to stop the flow of goods made by forced labor， but they are worthless words on paper。 The only thing that will stop it is for us to stop demanding cheap goods。 Having independent 3rd party inspections would help but it’s doubtful it would have a lasting impact because of China’s lack of transparency and a company’s habit of simply changing their name when sanctioned。The author ends the book with a list of questions to ask before we purchase something which basically boils down to: do I truly need this， or would something I own work just as well？ Do I need it enough to be willing to pay more for it？ If I buy it how often would I use it？ Would I be willing to get rid of three things if I do buy it？If we are honest with ourselves， we all have our weaknesses， whether it’s electronics， home décor， fashion， small cheap toys /stocking stuffers， and the like。 My husband and I have made a conscious effort to not buy more STUFF， and if we do， something needs to leave our house。 Our primary motivation was to simplify our lives， but now we have an even more compelling reason to buy less and buy responsibly。 According to one study， consumers wouldn’t buy something if told it was made in a labor camp。 But the effect went away in thirty minutes。 Our brain’s pleasure center lights up when we see something on sale or for less money than we would expect to pay。 The solution is to not shop for entertainment or buy simply because something is cheap。 Our consumerist society is causing untold suffering and torture worse than anything we can imagine。 We can no longer claim innocence and ignorance as an excuse。Thanks to my friend Jenna for putting this book on my radar！Our duo reviews can be found at https://yayareadslotsofbooks。wordpres。。。 。。。more
William Smith
，
Amelia Pang's Made In China isn't an emotionally easy-to-read book， but it's probably the most important book I've read in a long time。She does a thorough job taking one man's story， a struggle for human rights， from beginning to untimely end and making it accessible to someone like me。 My takeaway is that everything has a price and everything has a cost。 When the price is at or below cost， there's something very wrong and we need to pay attention to it and understand why。I'm a consumer of goods Amelia Pang's Made In China isn't an emotionally easy-to-read book， but it's probably the most important book I've read in a long time。She does a thorough job taking one man's story， a struggle for human rights， from beginning to untimely end and making it accessible to someone like me。 My takeaway is that everything has a price and everything has a cost。 When the price is at or below cost， there's something very wrong and we need to pay attention to it and understand why。I'm a consumer of goods， and， likely， most of them are from China。 How much do I see around me that was made by someone who was imprisoned simply because my demand for a cheap product drove an industry to imprison people for free labor？ I shudder thinking about it。I appreciate Pang's investigation into the laogai camps and her explanation of what "reeducation through labor" really means。 The last couple of paragraphs of her Author's Note detail just how much she personally witnessed to bring us this research and this story。 I'm grateful to her for introducing me to Sun Yi。 。。。more
Adah Udechukwu
，
Made in China is a great novel。 It opened my mind to a whole lot of stuff that i wasn't aware of。 Nasty stuff are happening in China and other countries and they aren't necessarily getting the publicity that they deserve。 Made in China is a great novel。 It opened my mind to a whole lot of stuff that i wasn't aware of。 Nasty stuff are happening in China and other countries and they aren't necessarily getting the publicity that they deserve。 。。。more
Stephanie
，
看到falun gong和epoch times就知道这书什么尿性了。好奇心这东西真是浪费时间。
Robin
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I really did not enjoy this book， for many reasons。 First， the subject matter is largely about torture and unfair labor conditions in China。 It was gag-inducing in certain parts。 Second， the author both blames Americans for their "demand" for cheap shit for causing the conditions that are found in China and then explains that torture has been occurring in China for decades upon decades upon decades。 Last I checked， Americans don't go around "demanding" cheap shit - they simply buy cheap shit as I really did not enjoy this book， for many reasons。 First， the subject matter is largely about torture and unfair labor conditions in China。 It was gag-inducing in certain parts。 Second， the author both blames Americans for their "demand" for cheap shit for causing the conditions that are found in China and then explains that torture has been occurring in China for decades upon decades upon decades。 Last I checked， Americans don't go around "demanding" cheap shit - they simply buy cheap shit as impulse because it's there。 Third， the person in the story keeps doing things that get him captured and put into labor camps and then tortured。 So， how about he stops doing the things that get him caught and that put his family at risk？ But， no worries， because at the end of the day， everything is ultimately the fault of American consumers。 。。。more
Rhishabh
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The book as suggested by the reviews does uncover some deep secrets about the country that is the most secretive governing even the internet they use！ But at the same time we have very similar conditions at many places such as Bangladesh for a matter of fact where companies from world wide are not paying to the labourers who are making their cloths！ And the information pertaining to this ain't even secretive as such！ Many brands that we ourselves wear are not paying these labourers。 Agreed the s The book as suggested by the reviews does uncover some deep secrets about the country that is the most secretive governing even the internet they use！ But at the same time we have very similar conditions at many places such as Bangladesh for a matter of fact where companies from world wide are not paying to the labourers who are making their cloths！ And the information pertaining to this ain't even secretive as such！ Many brands that we ourselves wear are not paying these labourers。 Agreed the situation ain't as worse as China but this is what Capitalism has done to us！ 。。。more
Shawn Lowe
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I hope this book and the information in it spread like wildfire。 Communism has been in America for far too long， and our country is descending rapidly into a one-party rule。 It is by design， and its abuses are already starting to appear。 What has been happening in China has been going on for centuries， but the CCP has made these forced labor camps their funding source。 Xi Jinping announced on March 9th at the military needs to prepare for war。 When he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos i I hope this book and the information in it spread like wildfire。 Communism has been in America for far too long， and our country is descending rapidly into a one-party rule。 It is by design， and its abuses are already starting to appear。 What has been happening in China has been going on for centuries， but the CCP has made these forced labor camps their funding source。 Xi Jinping announced on March 9th at the military needs to prepare for war。 When he spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January， he was clear that China intends to lead the great reset。 We live in truly terrifying times。 Freedom is something all humanity wants， and an elite few feel they have the right to trample freedom with impunity。 That the CCP has no regard for human life is increasingly obvious as the word gets out。 I'm concerned， though， that there will be little we can do now。 We can boycott， put pressure on corporations， but the truth is too many people in positions of power believe that what the CCP does daily is good for their businesses and their politics。I recently adopted a dog from the shelter。 I began purchasing those things that are necessary when adopting a new family member。 The only things that I could find that was made in America were Nylabones and some food。 Everything else was made in China。 Her crate， her beds， her collars， her leashes， her nail clippers， all of it was made in China。 I shopped and shopped to try to avoid buying anything made in China， and it simply was not possible。 I joined Petflow to have her food delivered。 I used to use Chewy， but they only care about the rapid response， not responsibility。 With Petflow， you can choose to search for those brands made in America。 It is limited。Many Americans hate President Trump。 Those who supported him understand that he knows that manufacturing is the foundation of any good economy。 He worked hard to put America and Americans first。 He established relationships to return manufacturing to the United States。 China knows too that manufacturing is the foundation of a strong economy and has utilized it to support the ongoing terrorism of their own people and expansion of Communism throughout the world。 This information is critical to get out to people， but it may be too late。 THROUGH BRUTE FORCE， the CCP has learned with a 99。9% conviction rate， because there is no due process， and spreading fear through torture， that they can indeed bring an entire nation to its knees to do its complete bidding at no cost to themselves。 They are Godless and soulless people。 。。。more
Brandon
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This book brings to light something that most people know about。 That cheap Chinese goods are made by exploited labor under horrendous conditions。 What most people are not aware of， including myself， is how bad those conditions are and where exactly these laborers come from。 Turns out that the idea of a Chinese bumpkin being abused in a sweatshop is not fully accurate。 A more accurate description would be political prisoners sentenced to a life of forced labor in a Chinese Goolag。 In these facto This book brings to light something that most people know about。 That cheap Chinese goods are made by exploited labor under horrendous conditions。 What most people are not aware of， including myself， is how bad those conditions are and where exactly these laborers come from。 Turns out that the idea of a Chinese bumpkin being abused in a sweatshop is not fully accurate。 A more accurate description would be political prisoners sentenced to a life of forced labor in a Chinese Goolag。 In these factory prisons， they will be forced to work 16-20 hour days for little or no money with the threat of torture and violence hanging over them。 The words 'Goolag' and 'Concentration Camps' are used liberally throughout and they are used correctly。 These death camps are the only comparisons that can be used to describe the horrors the inmates face daily。 Often convicted without a trial and sketchy charges by a labyrinth of Orwellian government agencies the violation of Human rights is obvious to anyone。 Modern China is Orwells '1984' realized in full。 The life of these prisoners are bleak and the persecution endless all for the sake of producing cheap， disposable goods for Western societies that have an addiction to consumption。 That is nothing new， of course， and the open secret is a smite to Western impulse buying: but the exposure of the wound is a smite on us all。 The book is written in a journalistic style - sparse yet detailed with little opinion - and that suits the story well。 After reading this book I didn't need to be told how wrong the system is or have an apologist try to soften my part in that system。 I could come to that conclusion all by myself。 This is a book that should be widely circulated not only because of the abuses it exposes or the guilt it makes one feel but because the story is too underreported。 This system of forced labor is not only used in pursuit of profit it is also employed to persecute religious practitioners and the people who try to change the system - everyone from lawyers to community organizers to family members。 This book is both powerful and enlightening showing the suffering that goes into producing the items that satisfy our shopping impulses and it is not a message to be proud of。 。。。more
Star Gater
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