An introduction to slavery in the world today, in rich and developing nations alike. Clearly and concisely written for young adult readers.

Twenty-seven million people — young and old, men and women — are locked in bondage worldwide. Slavery Today traces the products created by this inhuman system from the jungle and farm through the global markets and into our lives and homes.

Co-authored by the world's leading experts on modern slavery, it unpacks the controversies over prostitution and the buying back of slaves while setting out solutions and demonstrating how readers can get involved in the global anti-slavery movement.

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." — Globe and Mail

Becky Cornell has published on US anti-slavery law, and is an aide in the United States Congress, where she serves an advisor on human trafficking and human rights. She lives in Washington.

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Going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders for his book Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, Kevin Bales exposed how modern slavery penetrates the global economy and flows into the things we buy. Disposable People was named by the Association of British Universities as one of “100 World-Changing Discoveries” and published in ten languages. He co-founded the NGO Free the Slaves, which has liberated thousands of slaves worldwide. Bales is the Professor of Contemporary Slavery at the University of Nottingham and Lead Author of the Global Slavery Index. The film based on his work, Slavery: A Global Investigation, won a Peabody and two Emmys. Check out his TED Talk.

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Jane Springer is the author of Genocide, part of the Groundwork Guides series for which she is also the series editor. She is a consultant in international development and has lived and worked in Mozambique and India. She is the author of Listen to Us: The World's Working Children and translator of the Portuguese-language books Nest Egg and Tales from the Amazon. Jane Springer lives in Toronto.

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• Commended, Booklist Top 10 Youth Series - Nonfiction

...the authors work hard to bring the issues to life for their readers.

Canadian Literature

The book's short chapters should give readers plenty to talk about...Bales and Cornell employ clear, jargon-free language that...doesn't shy away from the seriousness and horror of modern-day slavery.

Quill & Quire

Authoritative and passionate...a horrifying account of contemporary slavery across the globe...for readers who want to get involved...

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