Our Global Issues & Ethics Book Group is devoted to discussing books that cover the most relevant topics of our everyday lives. Our first selection of the year is A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery by E. Benjamin Skinner. There are more slaves in the world today than at any time in history. After spending four years visiting a dozen countries where slavery flourishes, Skinner tells the story, in gripping narrative style, of individuals who live in slavery, those who have escaped from bondage, those who own or traffic in slaves, and the mixed political motives of those who seek to combat the crime. The Washington Post said, "[Skinner's] book is meant both to inform and to enrage—and it succeeds on both counts." and Walter Russell Mead called it, "A riveting, haunting book about slavery that brings readers face to face with the slaves—and slave masters and dealers—of today. From the deserts of Sudan to the slums of Haiti and the brothels of Europe and Asia, Skinner takes us inside the trade in human flesh—now flourishing as never before in world history. A Crime So Monstrous also introduces us to the abolitionists today: ordinary human beings who have decided this ancient evil must finally be brought to an end. The book will shock you, anger you and make you care."