Product Description

When Joe Bennett bought a five-pack of 'Made in China' underpants in his local New Zealand hypermarket for $8.59, he wondered who on earth could be making any money, let alone profit, from the exchange. How many processes and middlemen are involved? Where and how are the pants made? And who decides on the absorbent qualities of the gusset? Where Underpants Come From tells you all you need to know -- in fact, probably more -- about this mystery of global commerce. Leaving his supermarket trolley behind Joe embarks on an odyssey to the new factory of the world, China, to trace his pants back to their source. Along the way he discovers the extraordinarily balanced and intricate web of contacts and exchanges that makes global trade possible -- and rapidly elevating China to the status of world economic superpower. He also grapples with chopsticks, challenges his own prejudices and marvels at the contrasts in one of the world's oldest, but fastest changing, societies. Funny, wise and insightful, it is another wonderful journey from the author of A Land of Two Halves and Mustn't Grumble.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #262850 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Joe Bennett was born in Brighton and since leaving Cambridge University has taught English in a variety of countries including Canada, Spain and New Zealand. He lives in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Customer Reviews

He Got China Right!
I picked this book up in the Relay Bookstore in Hong Kong Airport on my way out of China on a business trip. I have been living in China for three and half years and have read several books on life in China and was drawn to it by the clever cover. The idea was very original and I thought I would give it a try, having never heard of the author.
Joe Bennett has hit the nail directly on the head about what makes the Chinese tick, and he harboured many pre conceived ideas about the Chinese before his trip, and found to his astonishment that he was wrong on so many fronts. The Chinese are a great race of people, much more open and fun than you would ever imagine and Joe talks you through his discovery with skill and incredible wit. I found myself reading out loud long pasaages to my wife, who is pleased that she can now read it for herself as I polished it off in three days flat.
If you like Bill Bryson, you should love this, because in my mind, Joe has much more talent and so much funnier. I have now ordered many extra copies to give to friends who have visited me and those that are thinking about it. As well as ordering some of Joes other titles.
Well done Joe, you have described perfectly what life is like living in the wonderful middle Kingdom. Its a book I have enjoyed so much, I could start right at the beginning and read all over again.

page turning underpant fun...
If you enjoy reading quirky travel books this, you may like this. I picked this up to read on hols, largely for the quirky title and because I enjoy reading travel books. Joe Bennett has a lovely personable, funny and human style and I found it hard to put down. I recently had a trip to Hong Kong, and his experiences in Shanghai were so reminiscent of my experience in Hong Kong that I REALLY want to go. Joe's descriptions of the many accommodating, kind and hard working people are never rude or deprecating, and his visits to factories make you think. I felt that it did start to fizzle out a bit towards the end, but on the whole was not taxing or irritating,or even worse, pompous - which if like me you only read on holiday you don't want to waste your life on.

Good, but not as funny.
When Joe Bennett bought a five pack of underpants in NZ for NZ$8.59, he wondered who could possibly be making any money from them, so he decided to trace the manufacturing process back to source. This book recounts his travels through China and Thailand trying to find out. It is an interesting journey through China, which might dispel a few western views about the Chinese, and shows their people to be friendly and on the whole helpful, just like any other races. As I say, it is interesting, and it is an easy read, but it lacks the really good humour that you find in his books of newspaper articles. That is the only reason I have only given it four stars, as I was expecting more humour. A good book from Joe, but not one of my favourites of his.