Kevin Bales's disturbing investigation of conditions in Thailand, Mauritania, Brazil, Pakistan, India, and parts of America and Europe reveals the nature of the new slavery and how it has adapted to the global economy. But one thing remains the same: violence. People are still taken by force and held against their wills through fear.

Bales interviews actual slaves, slaveholders, and public officials to reveal the lives of slaves, including enslaved brickmakers in Pakistan, sex slaves in Thailand, and domestic slaves in France. Throughout he uncovers the economic and social forces that sustain slavery, from the corruption of local governments to the complicity of multinational corporations. He pinpoints just who benefits from the incredible profits of the new slavery.

And he shows how the lives of these slaves are bound by our own through our purchase of slave-made products or mutual funds that invest in companies using slave labor. In his conclusion, Bales offers suggestions for how individuals and governments can combat slavery and describes successful antislavery actions by international and local organizations.