Threads: Gender, Labor, and Power in the Global Apparel Industry

Book Description

Americans have been shocked by media reports of the dismal working conditions in factories that make clothing for U.S. companies. But while well intentioned, many of these reports about child labor and sweatshop practices rely on stereotypes of how Third World factories operate, ignoring the complex economic dynamics driving the global apparel industry.

To dispel these misunderstandings, Jane L. Collins visited two very different apparel firms and their factories in the United States and Mexico. Moving from corporate headquarters to factory floors, her study traces the diverse ties that link First and Third World workers and managers, producers and consumers. Collins examines how the transnational economics of the apparel industry allow firms to relocate or subcontract their work anywhere in the world, making it much harder for garment workers in the United States or any other country to demand fair pay and humane working conditions.

Putting a human face on globalization, Threads shows not only how international trade affects local communities but also how workers can organize in this new environment to more effectively demand better treatment from their distant corporate employers.

Customer Reviews:

The ongoing struggle for fair wages and working conditions.......2006-12-17

"Threads" by Jane L. Collins is a fascinating short history and analysis of the rapidly changing apparel industry. Ms. Collins compares and contrasts manufacturing practices in the U.S. and Mexico to understand how labor and power relations have been effected by globalization. Offering important insight and understanding about the dynamics of the international economy, Ms. Collins theorizes about how an increasingly stressed workforce might be able to organize across borders and secure a decent living.

Ms. Collins contends that apparel manufacturing has long been a highly contested economic sector due to its low barriers to entry and low levels of concentration. Ms. Collins briefly recounts the history of apparel production and conflict to demonstrate that workplace conditions were improved as a result of struggle. But as information technology has allowed producers to more easily subcontract production work to offshore locations, Ms. Collins finds that manufacturers are increasingly able to exploit localities where inexperienced and predominantly female workers who often possess little understanding of wage labor, yet alone for which multinational corporation they might ultimately be working for, find themselves to be nearly powerless to bargain for better conditions. Countering the notion that such menial and poorly paid work might offer the host nation with a developmental stepping stone to something better, the author convincingly argues that the practice of subcontracting is specifically intended to erode labor power in order to secure profits for investors.

Ms. Collins' ethnographic study of manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Mexico tests both the mass production model and the idea that the production of "fashion goods", or garments of high value that require skilled tailoring, will necessarily remain close to design centers in Los Angeles and New York. Ms. Collins relates the sad story of the demise of Tultex in Martinsville, VA to illustrate how U.S. wage levels for undifferentiated knitwear products could not be sustained in the face of offshore wage pressure and fierce competition with branded merchandisers. Ms. Collins also explains how the Burlmex plant in Mexico successfully blended Taylorist workplace regimens with statistical process controls to produce both an inexpensive and high-quality product that some critics had contended could not be made outside the U.S.

Importantly, Ms. Collins reveals that the source of this intensified wage competition is U.S.-based multinationals. Ms. Collins discusses the strategic importance of the import quota system and how it favors deep-pocketed businesses who can coordinate relationships with multiple suppliers around the world. As fewer big corporations exert control, subcontractors are squeezed to the point where the prevailing wage has become unliveable for the typical worker. But Ms. Collins finds hope in how some women have organized at the community level in the maquiladoras, bridging work and home issues into their struggle for fair wages and working conditions. The author also points to successful international union solidarity and consumer campaigns as evidence that some mechanisms may exist to challenge capital across borders.

I strongly recommend this well-researched and highly readable book to everyone.

Book Description

Oscillators have traditionally been described in books for specialist needs and as such have suffered from being inaccessible to the practitioner. This book takes a practical approach and provides much-needed insights into the design of oscillators, the servicing of systems heavily dependent upon them and the tailoring of practical oscillators to specific demands. To this end maths and formulae are kept to a minimum and only used where appropriate to an understanding of the theory.

Once grasped, the theory of the general oscillator is easily put into practical use in actual oscillators. The final two chapters present a collection of oscillators from which the practising engineer or the hobbyist can obtain useful guidance for many kinds of projects.

Irving Gottlieb is a leading author of many books for practising engineers, technicians and students of electronic and electrical engineering.

First Newnes title by this best-selling author

Clarity and crispness in an often obscure field

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2001-09-22

I expected a tutorial and design guide, but this book turned out to be just a brief introduction to a few oscillators. It does start off with a good introduction (feedback theory, LC tanks, etc.) but falls short with a proper explaination on actual oscillators. Recommended only if you have a prior understanding of oscillators.

Useful but not perfect.......2001-06-06

I don't know, this is quite a good little book but something is definitely missing. It covers a lot on oscillator theory but when I needed to build a special saw tooth oscillator, it had no information at all. It seems to have a blind spot for practical circuits and ideas and above all certain equations. (scratching my head I wondered if the censors had banned oscillators slightly recently) It is still a good book though and if you've never seen a klystron before is very interesting.

A decent text for the electronic homebrewer. Minor typos........1998-11-25

First, my background. I'm a software engineer by profession. I've got an undergraduate degree in Applied Math. I'm interested in radio frequency electronics as a hobby -- I'm licensed as an amateur radio operator in the US and I'm particularly interested in building my own equipment.

I bought this book pretty much blind, and have been pleased with it overall. I think it's helped me understand and build RF oscillators with more confidence. It's certainly not filled with abstruse mathematics; it is practical, as the title claims. It's also not filled with construction hints, although it's not entirely devoid of them.

It primarily consists of a general discussion of oscillation, followed by a catalog of various types of oscillators, including both tube and solid state designs. Design parameters and special features of the various circuit types are discussed.

The inclusion of tube circuits gives the book a bit of a historical feel, although I don't think that was the intent.

On the down side, there are numerous small typographical errors, and places where diagrams and drawings have been corrected with pen and ink.

That being said, the binding is very nice and the overall layout is decent, IMO, and all the typographical errors were minor and easily corrected by this reader from context.

If you're interested in more detail on radio frequency design and aren't afraid of some (minimal amount of) math, also check out "Introduction To Radio Frequency Design" by Wes Hayward, a fine book.

Customer Reviews:

Science Geek Humor ..........2004-05-01

... if you don't like science, you won't like this book. But if you've spent too many hours in a lab coat working on your advisor's projects while you own languishes in a corner, this might appeal.

Including short works by John Updike, Leo Szilard (!), Lester del Rey, and many more, the humor is closer to "Parkinson's Law" (C. Northcote Parkinson is in this book too!) than to "Saturday Night Live" ... so it won't appeal to everyone ... but if you appreciate the difference between a lipid and a lipstick, you may enjoy this.

My favorites in the book: "Psychoanalysis of Missle Failures" and "Hiawatha's Lipid"

An unusual humorous book........1997-11-27

This book, out of print for approximately 25 years, was written to prove that scientists really DO have a sense of humor. It is a collection of humorous short stories each loosely based upon some scientific issue, idea or concern. The title story typifies what the reader will find within!

A stress analysis of a strapless evening gown and other essays for a scientific age

Average customer rating:

A stress analysis of a strapless evening gown and other essays for a scientific age
Robert A Baker
Manufacturer: DoubleDay
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Science & Scientists | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007E9QMW

A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown

Average customer rating:

A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown
Robert Baker
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IOUARG

The Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown and Other Essays for a Scientifi

Average customer rating:

The Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown and Other Essays for a Scientifi
Robert (editor) Baker
Manufacturer: Prentice - Hall Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UINF7W

Average customer rating:

A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown and other Essays for a Scientific Age
Robert A. Baker
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H5A3F0

Average customer rating:

A Stress analysis Of a Strapless Evening Gown and other essays for a Scientific Age

Manufacturer: Doubleday Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HZH4UW

Average customer rating:

A STRESS ANALYSIS OF A STRAPLESS EVENING GOWN, AND OTHER ESSAYS FOR A..
Robert Allen Baker
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWR1C0

Average customer rating:

A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown

Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown
Robert A.(editor) Baker
Manufacturer: Doubleday Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KPD85Y

Average customer rating:

A Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown
Robert A. Baker
Manufacturer: Prentice-Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LZC5CK

Book Description

A fitting tribute to the troubled genius who revolutionized electric bass playing and bridged the gaps between jazz, RandB, rock and funk. From his early days in RandB club bands through his international stardom with fusion group Weather Report and on to his solo career and tragic death at age 35, this book portrays the life and music of Jaco Pastorius, the self-proclaimed "world's greatest bass player." This special anniversary edition features new interviews with Jaco's childhood friends, prominent bass players of Jaco's era and afterward, and girlfriend Teresa Nagell, who was with Jaco in the last few years of his life. Some incidents from the first edition have been further researched and expanded to become full chapters. Exclusive to this edition, the CD features newly revealed music tracks from Jaco's early years along with spoken testimonials from Jaco's friends and colleagues. The book also contains new, never-before-seen photos acquired from the Pastorius estate.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining, but is it accurate?.......2007-07-19

First off, the title is great. There is no doubt that Jaco is one of the most (if not the most) gifted bass players of all time. The book documents his life as a young boy who picked up the bass (after he could not play drums any longer because he broke his arm), his career and his later years when he suffered from mental illness and died at 33. I bring up the question of accuracy as it has been raised by others as well.

One criticism about the book has been that it sensationalizes Jaco's destructive behaviour and takes away from his legacy. This is a point made by Metheny (who was a friend and a fellow musician) in the liner notes of Jaco's debut album. Also I have asked the opinion of (via a short e-mail) Jaco's second wife. Her website that details some minor inaccuracies that exist in the first edition.

That being said the book is well written and gives insight into Jaco's life. Milkowski (who is a music journalist) portrays Jaco as an extremely gifted, hard working and narcisisstic man who self destructs at the end due to bipolar disease. The clues to Jaco's illness are evident from his early years. He plays tirelessly and at times seldom sleeps. At the end of his life he self destructs due to a number of reasons including refusal comply with treatment for his illness,drugs and drinking.
One has to wonder what it says about our society that no one helped Jaco when he was clearly suffering towards the end. I posted the same question to Jaco's wife and her answer was that one has to be willing to accept help.

Mental illness is still misunderstood my most of the world. People who suffer from it can be hard to deal with and be around. I hope that if the same scenario plays out today, with better understanding of mental illness, the outcome would be different. But I am not an optimist.

David.......2006-11-02

This book is a well done biography worth reading. Unfortunately it focuses mostly on the sensationalism of Jaco's life. Looking back what you remember is story after story of his out of control behavior, and attempts to explain it by blaming the negative people in his life. I would have liked to have heard more of his successes. It is an excellent book for musicians, but even better for anyone in the field of mental health.

This extrodinary man had serious mental health problems. It seems the only time he had a chance was when he was arrested and put in Bellevue psychiatric hospital. Unfortunately he always convinced friends to get him out. Even the author admits to this mistake.

This without a doubt one of the saddest books I have ever read especially since I know and love his music and talent. But also because had he lasted another 10 years, new drugs may have helped.

However there were too many hangers on and bad influences. It reminds me of the old Rodney Dangerfield joke in which he states,"I appeal to people who can do me absolutely no good."

In this book there is plenty of blame to go around.

A different type of read.......2006-08-21

This book reads at times like a hagiography of Jaco. Yeah, Jaco's flaws are enumerated, but there is an obvious worship of Jaco by the author. Having said that, it is still a good book. It is a very thorough biography. It is a little different, in that it helps to have a knowledge of the intricacies of music, e.g., specific chord changes are mentioned. Yo, I took piano, so I don't know a D chord from a G chord on a guitar. Still, I enjoyed the book and learned a lot.

The 40 minute CD that comes with the book, is a real nice bonus by the author. Thanks.

An Outstanding Biography.......2006-08-09

I remember Jaco Pastorius through several great concerts with Weather Report and a sizzling show with Word of Mouth at the Cleveland Agora.

For those who had the chance to appreciate his music live or for so many that are grooving to Jaco many years after his death, the updated biography - with a CD that includes additional material - by Bill Milkowski is the best way to piece together the complicated rise and fall of the brilliant musician.

Milkowski has exhaustive interviews with musicians, family members, media, friends and lovers that are split in chapters to coincide with his years as a musician with a dream, the height of musical achievement and then leaving Weather Report, and the controversial years after leaving the group that found Jaco spiralling out of control personally and musically.

That Jaco was a musical genius cannot be denied. The book will leave you wondering why Jaco - as with too many artists - took his gift and tossed it into the abyss of "what could have been."

jaco lives.......2005-12-24

Well i would like to state that this book is a great read but also to tell you all the my father acually grew up in Ft. Lauderdal a few house down from where him, and was a close friend of his until my dad was drafted into the army. When he came back he lost contact. So he was the one who first told me about him, so i decided to pick up this book. I recommed it to anyone who want to learn about this master of the bass.

Jaco: The Extraordinary and the Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius, "the World's Greatest Bass Player"

Average customer rating:

It's all we got
You Can't Put it Down
Jaco was my hero
If you thought you knew about Jaco tragic life,you MUST read
Jaco will always be "The Greatest"!

Jaco: The Extraordinary and the Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius, "the World's Greatest Bass Player"
Bill Milkowski
Manufacturer: Backbeat Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Entertainment Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0879303611

Customer Reviews:

It's all we got.......2007-01-05

Milkowski does not do justice to the artist or person of Jaco. This seems a greater let down being that he actually hung with the guy quite a bit. There is so much to Jaco's story that seems to have been glanced over. Being as though I anticipated this so much probably contributes to my lack of enthusiasm for it. Could have been much better. It is just the only book on him.

You Can't Put it Down.......2000-02-12

Jaco was a genius trapped on this planet! He inspired me to keep going even though his talent may never be reached by a common man. Sad and Amazing!

Jaco was my hero.......1999-12-15

I couldn't believe it when I finally found a book about Jaco. Where have I been? I was thinking of writing my master's thesis about Jaco a couple of years ago. But how could I top this book. What a great read. I read it in 2 days. I couldn't put it down. Of course when you love someone's music, and are amazed and saddened by someone's life like Jaco's, it's not hard completely diving into the book and not coming up for air. I wish someone would option this book for a movie. It's a great, yet tragic tale.

If you thought you knew about Jaco tragic life,you MUST read.......1999-08-04

I thought I pretty much had an idea about Jaco's tragic life,but after reading this book I learned so much more.I do not read alot of books but this book kept my interest from beginning to end.If you play the bass you must read this book so you can understand how much you owe Jaco,if you do not play bass[which I do not]but have a love for music and are interested in look at rare individual you must read this book.Jaco like so many b4 him[Jimi,Janis,Brain Jones etc]had that special flare and magic and just tried to live to much oof life,in Jaco's case a mental disorder as well as drugs did not help.So from 1 lover of music [I play drums] to all who are in that catergory,please read this book.

Jaco will always be "The Greatest"!.......1999-06-11

I picked up this book out of curiousity after buying Jaco's solo album. I heard of him and I wanted to read about him. This book has changed my views on the music industry and performing and has ultimately made me a better musician. Jaco single handedly revolutionaized the electric bass to unimaginable proportions. No bass player should ever go without a Jaco album and no musician should go without reading this book. Informative, tragic and educational. I love this book and have have read it through four times. Jaco and his music will live in my heart forever.

Jaco : The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius

Average customer rating:

Jaco : The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius
Bill Milkowski
Manufacturer: Backbeat Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PS56NS

Book Description

Down with the regional pundits! We all know how much Rush Limbaugh, Gordon Liddy, Bill O'Reilly, and Ann Coulter suck. The bafflers have, hoever, and they launch a full frontal assault on the small time grippers, professional cynics, and wel paid bitter men of Omaha, Indianapolis, Denver, St. Louis, and Kansas City.

Customer Reviews:

Reviewing "Cigars".......2007-07-23

As a non-smoker I never thought that I would appreciate a book dedicated to such an odoriforous vice as I do with "The Art of Fine Cigars". It's actually a very informative little book that outlines this "smoking art" from the history of smoking cigars, the choosing of the tobacco leaves, the curing of the selected leaves, the storage of the selected ones, all the way to the proper ways of smoking the finished product. Again, I'm not a smoker but I did find what this book had to say interesting. It makes for great topics of conversation at parties and providing trivia knowledge around your friends so they can go on thinking "what a brain!". This book is very compact but very prestigious looking. It'll dress up your bookshelf.

A decent beginners tome.......2001-01-30

The only reason I didnt give it a higher rating is because like anything else these days, this book being 4 or 5 years old, the info on cigar brands is already very dated. The rest of it is a fine read on how to select, light, smoke and care for your stogies.

Wonderful!.......1997-04-20

This is a great book if you're looking to get acquainted with cigars. Its truly relaxed approach is best appreciated while smoking a cigar

Book Description

* Unique entry-level guide to Domain Name System (DNS), which translates Internet host names into IP addresses and is used with all Internet servers
* Shows how to install, configure, and troubleshoot DNS on both Windows and UNIX servers
* Helps people seeking technology certifications bone up on DNS theory, terminology, and architecture-a requirement in several popular exams
* Includes real-world examples based on the author's daily experience with both large and small networks

Customer Reviews:

It's MARK Minasi.......2005-12-30

If you know so much, you would know it is MARK Minasi, not Mike Minasi.

So so..not real good not real bad.......2004-03-19

The book is so so. It's really not for anyone that doesn't have a working knowledge networks or computers. There are sections that are not very well-explained and i've run across grammatical errors.

The book is not without some value but it could be much better written. I wonder if Mike Minasi has written any books on DNS...his books are usually pretty good. :)

Average customer rating:
DNS Fur Dummies (Fur Dummies S.)
Blair Rampling
Manufacturer: Wiley-VCH
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 3527701141

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books