Recent Books

Anker, Christien van den. The Political Economy of New Slavery. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2004.

Anker is a political theorist who deals with issues of global import that cannot be solved by individual nations. This book covers multiple facets of the battle against modern slavery in an international context. Particularly of use to a researcher would be the portions devoted to international law and global policy. Anker examines the impact of globalization on worldwide slavery as well as the effectiveness of policy designed to address slavery. She also weighs the effectiveness of programs proposed to aid slavery victims.


Batstone, David. Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade – and How We Can Fight It. 1st ed. New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 2007.

This book raises awareness of the modern abolitionist movement and the extent of modern slavery. Journalist Batstone exposes the reaches of slavery and advocates for those who are frequently a target: children. The book also delves into one of the reasons for the perpetuation of slavery: it is one of the most profitable criminal practices in existence. A well-researched book, this would be an excellent source for a journalist seeking information on the measures being taken to address slavery around the world.

Córdova, Efrén. Modern slavery: labor conditions in Cuba / Efrén Córdova, Eduardo García Moure; with an introduction by Juan Carlos Espinosa. Coral Gables, FL: Institute for Cuban & Cuban-American Studies, School of International Studies, University of Miami, 2000.

Cuban labor movement historian Efrén Córdova relates the historical developments leading to harsh work conditions in Cuba, including forced labor and child labor. While this source is not the most topical in that it covers a broad spectrum of working conditions in addition to slavery, it would provide an in-depth portrait of the conditions that lead to the perpetration of slavery in a country. Specifically, Córdova examines the development of Cuba’s socialist regime and the creation of a subdued workforce. Cuban workers do not have the right to strike and the communist government makes a profit on labor for overseas production. Córdova makes the argument that this climate allows for child slavery and worker exploitation.