In Unraveled, Maxine Bedat chronicles the birth — and death — of a pair of jeans, and exposes the fractures in our global supply chains, and our relationships to each other, ourselves, and the planet.

Take a look at your favorite pair of jeans. Maybe the tag says Made in Bangladesh or Made in Sri Lanka. But do you know where they really came from, how many thousands of miles they crossed, or the number of hands who picked, spun, wove, dyed, packaged, shipped, and sold them to get to you? The fashion industry operates with radical opacity, and it’s only getting worse to disguise countless environmental and labor abuses. It epitomizes the ravages inherent in the global economy, and all in the name of ensuring that we keep buying more.

Told with piercing insight and unprecedented reporting, Unraveled challenges us to use our relationship with our jeans — and all that we wear — to reclaim our central role as citizens to refashion a society in which all people can thrive and preserve the planet for generations to come.