What a t-shirt can teach us about world trade The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy takes the reader on a fascinating, around-the-world journey to reveal the economic and political lessons from the life story of a simple product in a highly competitive global marketplace. Over a five-year period, business professor Pietra Rivoli traveled from a Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory, and from trade negotiations in Washington to a used clothing market in Africa, to investigate

firsthand compelling questions about the politics, economics, ethics, and history of today's international business landscape. Looking closely at the lives of Texas cotton farmers, Chinese textile producers, and other colorful characters from around the world, Rivoli uses her t-shirt to illustrate crucial lessons in the globalization debate and to demonstrate the impact of markets and politics on both rich and poor countries. A clear-eyed examination of the workings of the global economy,

as well as an engaging story, this important narrative reveals surprising secrets of success in world markets-and its price for individuals and communities around the world. Pietra Rivoli (Bethesda, MD) is Associate Professor at Georgetown University. She specializes in finance, international business, and social issues in business.