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Global Markets and Local Crafts: Thailand & Costa Rica Compared By Frederick F. Wherry (2008)
Reviewed by Caryl Johnson
What do the small cottage industries of Thailand and Costa Rica have in common in the global marketplace? The author of Global Markets and Local Crafts discusses in great detail the similarities and differences found in four craft villages in these two countries, located across the globe from each other. All of us have gone into a Pier-1 Imports®, Pottery Barn®, or the local department store and admired the handicrafts that may have been made in Thailand or Costa Rica. Have we ever thought about the individuals who crafted the items, their life styles, or the social and political influences on these artists? Have we given much thought to the large retailers and how they have become major players in the market for handicrafts? According to the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development, die global export of wooden furniture was $14.6 billion and of ceramics $1.4 billion, indicating the size of the trade.
This book addresses the "Three F's of...