Customer Reviews

A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy

5 star:		(31)
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WOW what an eye opening book. While the author got the idea of not buying anything from china right at Christmas, my awakening has come while packing to move. When I have discovered even the upscale items I had paid thru the nose for, from LL Bean, Smith and Hawkens, even Lenox items, all had Made in China on them.

I also appreciate the authors sense of humor which makes this book an easier read, since it makes you see the problem without becoming a xenophobic type person who also hates the Chinese. In fact she notes its American businesses who have taken American jobs overseas where they can have cheap made goods and higher profits at home that is the real problem.

Am so happy the author wrote this book, which I think should be in every library in America not only because it reminds us of how made in China makes up a good 90% of what we have in our homes. It also goes beyond the issues of out souring and loss of American jobs, to the whole comsumerism and materialism that has Americans by the throat. Even the dang plastic they use to make Visa, Mastercard, Discovery and American Express is made in China.

Look at the millions of cell phones, iPods, iPhones, video games, and all the high tech items Americans stand in line to be the first to buy. All made in China. And bought by an increasingly obese sit at home and do nothing, consumers.

And as she noted the shoes for kids whose feet grow faster than a corn field, and sold at all the major stores that families with kids frequent, all seem to have the made in China label. Same with virtually every toy and most school supplies. She even writes of going out of her way to buy made in Italy shoes for the kids. Makes me wonder where Stride Rite shoes we used to buy that were made here in the states are now made.

Even her husband found that when a repair for something in the house needed doing that places like Lowe's, Home Depot etc had the parts needed but also Made in China on the box. Items may be cheaper on the surface but what are the deeper costs?

If Americans were willing to pay fifty cents more and they knew the item would result in Made in USA and a job here at home for a fellow American I firmly believe that people would pay up.

Am going to give my copy to the local library where more people can be challenged.

So do you know where the vast majority of the stuff in your house and life is made? Have you ever given it much thought? Try reading A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy by Sara Bongiorni for an entertaining and eye-opening look at just how much we have come to depend on China for everyday life. Besides being a laugh-out-loud read, it will cause you to start looking a bit more carefully at that "Made In" tag...

Contents: Introduction; Farewell, My Concubine; Red Shoes; Rise and China; Manufacturing Dissent; A Modest Proposal; Mothers of Invention; Summer of Discontent; Red Tide; China Dreams; Meltdown; The China Season; Road's End; Epilogue; About the Author; Index

Sara Bongiorni, the author, decided on January 1, 2005, that her and her family would spend a year without buying anything made in China. This wasn't a radical "WE MUST BUY AMERICAN!" reaction, rather an experiment to see if it was possible to live without feeding the growing economic tiger across the Pacific. Factor in the elements of a husband and two young children, and it becomes a task far beyond what she had imagined. With her journalistic background, she set off on an adventure that taxed her will, her patience, and her sanity. And you, the reader, get to come along for the ride and the laughs.

The rules were simple. Nothing could be purchased that had a "Made In China" sticker on it. Gifts received by others could be made in China, but there would be no family purchases that fell in that category. What she and her husband quickly found is that there are vast consumer areas that are nearly all Chinese-dominated. Toys? Nearly all made in China. Lamps? Made in China. Shoes for the kids? China. Electronics? Yup, China. It was possible to find exceptions to these rules, but it usually meant hours (or days) of searching, in addition to spending far more money than they were used to. Birthday candles for cakes? China. Holiday decorations? China. That one special toy that your child just HAS to have at Christmas because Santa will come through? Count on it being made in China. The interplay of emotions and dialogue between her and everyone else had me reading passages to my wife (and both of us laughing). And I could relate to her schemes to get around the boycott by mentioning to her mother-in-law what exactly so-and-so wanted for their birthday, knowing it could come in as a gift but not as a purchase. Desperation makes cowards of us all. While there were a few mistaken buys (as well as a few knowing "mistakes" by "the Weaker Link"), overall the boycott was pretty closely adhered to. Not that there weren't some times when giving in would have been easier on everyone, however...

The underlying message in all this is that we've abandoned large areas of industry and commerce to others who will manufacture it for far less money than American and European workers. While we might be able to get the $49 DVD player and the $10 red sneakers for the kids at Wal-Mart, the question is... what happens when all the decent jobs are shipped off and we can't afford even the basics? Manufacturing in China might keep prices much lower, but it also eliminates the jobs that offer wages to pay for those goods. Bongiorni does a great job of making those points without turning the book into a diatribe against global trade. The average person is much more likely to read a book like this, enjoy the story, and start to grasp the important points. A business book about the same subject with stats and theories would probably never get opened...

I read this book in about one day, as I couldn't put it down. And when I went to work today, I started flipping over a few things on my desk. China, China, China... While I'm not ready to take the same drastic actions of the author, I will be much more aware of just what I'm doing when I pick up that household item that I absolutely *need*. Maybe, just maybe, I'll flip over a few more options before I decide.

I actually rushed out to buy this book this weekend after reading an online news story that interviewed this author. The book sounded intriguing. A Year Without "MADE IN CHINA": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy by Sara Bongiorni is, as the title says, the story about how the author and her family attempted to avoid products MADE IN CHINA for an entire year and the difficulties and frustrations (and humorous things, too) they encounter along the way . The book was so engaging that I sat down and read the entire thing, cover to cover, in between doing my laundry. As I loaded the wash machine, I found myself looking at the labels of each article of clothing I was throwing in. It never really occurred to me how much of what we buy is actually MADE IN CHINA. It also never occurred to me how difficult it would be to kick China out (especially for folks with kids). I thought I would offer this book up to my husband to read next (and I probably still will), but I suspect that it might not resonate with him simply because, in my opinion, it's a bit too kid-heavy so he might find himself annoyed with that (we're child-free). Reading this book felt like, to me, having a long conversation over coffee with a girlfriend. It's definitely worth a read, especially for those who are in charge of doing most of the shopping for their families. It will definitely make you more mindful about what you're buying and considerate of your own role in the global economy. Mind you this book is NOT about demonizing China, but rather understanding how dependent we are on China for certain things (especially shoes and children's toys) and how indulgent a society we really are. Or at least that's what I took away from it.

Don't waste your money (I didn't I read it from the library)- here is the book in sum:

- Privileged family of four decides to not purchase items from China for one year
- They get to keep already purchased items and any items given to them during this year
- The rationale behind this decision is not well thought out
- Book is written in a kind of whiny diary format- very tedious reading and at times you feel the author is neurotic and as the book drags on she becomes more obsessive compulsive.
- Mother puts family's welfare at risk by not buying sunglasses for husband even though he has a "tumor on his retina", shoes for their growing son, or barrettes for their daughter "so she could see"- all in the name of this endeavor
- Even though rat-traps are American made- author lets the mice run her house for weeks to apparently months before actually dispatching them. Where is this woman's common sense? Remember the plague? Hantavirus? They are not called vermin for nothing.
- Author gets around the "don't buy from China rule" by coercing/manipulating family members to "gifting" needed items so she can still say she is boycotting China because these items were not purchased by the family. What is the point of the boycott again?
- Family gets to purchase items from China again after the year is over.
- Sounds to me an "experiment" which is nothing but fodder for a lame book


Wasted opportunities
Nowhere in this book was there a conscious effort to decrease the family's desire for materialism. Unfortunate. There was never a discussion of wants versus needs, which this book cries out for. Never any thought to buying at second hand stores or from artisans and craft outlets- very sad. I would have enjoyed knowing about what was easily found and made in USA and web links and resources etc.
The forward is actually more interesting than the whole book. There is never any detailed analysis of the economy of China, conditions of their workers, trade imbalance or the impact this has had on China's environment. No mention of the lead in their products. It would have been interesting to compare the carbon footprint of getting an item from China versus traveling to numerous stores looking for said item versus having it shipped.
There was so much more that could have been done with this subject.

The book went from one item to another that needed replacing, and the author's struggles with finding replacements not made in China. The author also focuses the book a lot on gifts to her children. What the book completely missed was the re-evaluation of how much "stuff" we really need. Not once does the author consider purchasing a product used or even foregoing the physical gift and giving the gift of experience for someone. For example, the author's husband wants to purchase a blow-up pool for their son's birthday. What about using the local pool or looking for a used pool at a garage sale, second-hand store, or Craigslist? A simple example of reuse is birthday candles. At one point in the book, the author cons her sister into bringing birthday candles to her husband's birthday party because all birthday candles are made in China. She clearly violated the boycott, but then she turns around and throws them away and later uses tea lites for her daughter's birthday because tea lites aren't made in China. What about reusing the candles----eliminate the waste?! I have used the same birthday candles for 5 years now and they still have plenty of use left in them.

I was flabbergasted at the sheer amount of gifts the author's children receive throughout the year. Again, it comes down to values and giving kids toys for everything which only sets the expectation of more toy giving. It's that word again, STUFF. How about the author take her children to the Zoo, park, swimming pool, or treat them with ice cream? Why must she belabor the Made in China products when she's in the store trying to find Halloween decorations, when there are probably fresh pumpkins outside of retail stores and grocery stores in her area?

What about finding alternatives for things and use your creativity? For example, the author hims and haws over the lack of beach toys her children have at the beach and then proceeds to steal all of the "forgotten" beach toys left on the sand when families leave. How about using other containers (e.g. yogurt tubs, ice cream pails, etc.) that produce the same or similar effect even if they aren't brightly colored with star fish imprinted on the sides?

Has our ability to be creative in gift giving completely diminished? Giving the gift of experience has so much more meaning and memories than a plastic figurine, whether it comes from China or not. I understand that the book was trying to make a point about China globalization, but the book could have had more substance if it evaluated Americans' attachment to stuff; and how we can get the same quality of happiness without all that stuff. Think of how much time the author spent researching and fretting about trying to find non made in china stuff that could have been directed towards time with her children, volunteering in the community, etc.

A Year Without "Made in China" is the author Sara Bongiorni's account of her family's experience boycotting all items manufactured in China for an entire year. Bongiorni makes it clear in the first chapter that there is no noble cause or ethical reasons for this boycott, it is simply an "experiment," to see if her family can succeed in banning Chinese merchandise from their lives.

The author's somewhat frivolous reason for the boycott, as well as her family's die-hard consumerism makes me think they were not quite cut out for the challenge to begin with. I was appalled at the way the parents, not the children, stated that they needed an inflatable swimming pool and squirt guns. Bongiorni also needs a gadget to make piecrusts. I was also disappointed in her lack of imagination in seeking out alternatives to Chinese products. Why didn't they try to find items second-hand? Or look at handmade items from U.S. crafters to give as gifts? Instead, the author complains about the hours and hours she spends driving from mall to mall. And she was very quick to dismiss the idea of using the computers at the library to print when her ink cartridge ran out. In fact, the Bongiorni's seem to spend a lot of energy trying to find ways around their boycott that they could be using to find creative alternatives to the items they want.

I also got a little tired of reading about how good-looking and perfect the author's husband is. I couldn't help think that this was Bongiorni's attempt at apologizing to him for dragging him into the boycott, which he never seemed truly on-board with.

The book did make me more aware of how much of the stuff we buy comes from China, and with the recent toy recalls it seems looking into alternatives might not be such a bad idea

I had such great hopes for this book. When I first learned of it, I had started to try to be more aware of where the products that I purchase are made, and to try to choose US-made products where choices were reasonably available.

So I was encouraged to see that others had undertaken similar ventures, and hoped to find support and a kindred spirit.

Alas, I nearly gave up on the book a fourth of the way through. About the time that the author condescendingly dubbed her husband as "the weakest link" and proclaimed him the greatest danger to her lofty project, I began to get a sour taste in my mouth.

I managed to muddle through though, cringing through endless pages of neurotic obsession about whether she'd somehow permanently damaged her five year old by refusing to buy him whatever passing fancy he thought he couldn't live without, interspersed with conspiracy-theory paranoia about whether her husband was secretly comforting the enemy.

The worst parts were the gleeful discoveries of goods made in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Pakistan, as if suddenly patronizing the sweatshops of those countries would save the world from China. In the end, it turned out to be more about endless self-analysis than about China, globalization, or the betterment of her family.

A great concept, unfortunately one that failed from the start.

Unlike many mainstream Chinese American families who flock to Chinese grocery stores on the weekends, my folks and I have been avoiding Chinese products- especially edibles (although if they are from china, you never know if they are truly "edible") for years. The recent news coverages are only tips of the iceberg on the condition of many Chinese factories, the quality of their products and the horrendous pollution we caused in these areas.

Nonetheless I find this book hilariously written as well as insightful. The author and her family however, seem to miss the ultimate point of their test in "globalization"- it is not enough to "avoid buying Chinese", what they should work on in a year is to avoid "spending for no reason" at all. After all the hullabaloo, look at elaborate Christmas shopping chapters in this book- the family is only "re-channeling" the american Dollar, and not really addressing the fundamental flaw and danger of being a part of spiraling consumerism.

I honestly expected more from this book than a weak willed woman who placated her family by promising to buy them anything made in China after the year was up. That is not a true boycott, nor is telling friends and family to buy you items made in China to cheat your self-imposed boycott. It is a great idea, taking the time to read where you products come from and trying to buy locally or in other non-China countries. But the way she did it was all wrong. She didn't teach her children all the important reasons of buying from other places, she just acting like it was such a burden to buy non-Chinese made products. I personally know it is not that hard to find items not made in China! All you have to do is a quick internet search and you turn up a TON. Melissa and Doug for instance make a TON of wonderful toys that are not made in China, items that would make even this woman's spoiled children happy.

Sadly you do not see her focusing on living with less either, her whole family is very materialistic, and demands lots of things. Obviously when you have an obsession with having hoards and hoards of stuff, it will be hard to find it all not made in China. She should have tried abandoning all the cheap plastic crap as well, her self-righteous attitude missed out how many dangerous chemicals are in plastic toys. She gave into her son a lot, there wasn't a lot of good parental guidance or teaching at all. It's sad, this really could have been a wonderful experience and a wonderful book. As a family they could have hunted thrift stores, found wonderful vintage toys, and marveled in their exciting finds. This could have been made into such an exciting, and very fun, adventure. She just complained and was so negative, and let it be a poor experience, giving people the wrong idea about trying to avoid certain types of products. YES it can be done, and it CAN be fun. Skip this book and look for others where it's actually a POSITIVE experience.

Let me state upfront that I am very interested in all things China because of my job. I was in China earlier this year for 2 1/2 weeks on a business trip, and was blown away by what I saw. Sara Bonjiori, a business reporter, adds yet another interesting slice to the debate on China in this book.

In "A Year Without "Made in China": One Family's True Life Adventure in the Global Economy" (252 pages), the author brings us the tale of her family (with her husband and 2 young children) of what life would be like to buy things not made in China for one full calendar year (2005). Not surprisingly, this is quite a hard feat to accomplish, and the author brings into full detail the problems this is posing in everyday life, but none more so than the impact it has on buying toys for her 2 young children. She picks up her 5 yr. old son's wishlist for Christmas: "Fire truck? Probably China. Sno-cone maker? Absolutely China. Superhero backpack? China. Lunch box? My best bet, China. Yogo? China. Sky Shark? China. Stuffed Bear? China. Light sword? China. I've checked, and more than once." Yet somehow, with some loopholes (such as gifts from other family members), they manage the best they can and get through it, more or less. The author also makes her dislike for Walmart clear, and I will join her in that. I mean, the direct link between sourcing products from China (as Walmart does obsessively) and the loss of US manufacuring jobs is clear, and what blows my mind is that many of those very same Walmart shoppers then turn around and complain about the loss of US manufacturing jobs!

The author brings her tale with lots of humor and resilience, and the pages flash by in no time. This book made me wonder if I could ever manage what the Bonjiorni family tried to accomplish, or if I even would have the stomach for it. This book drives home the point that China is truly everywhere in our daily lives, like it or not. For other excellent reading on the macro-economic changes that China is bringing onto the world, I highly recommend "China Shales the World" by James Kynge, "The Writing on the Wall" by Will Hutton and "The Elephant and the Dragon" by Robyn Meredith.