Book Review: The Essential Abolitionist is a must read

“How is human trafficking defined”? “Which is more common, labor or sex trafficking”? “What are the challenges faced in combating human trafficking”?

These are just some of the questions that are posed, and answered, in John Vanek’s excellent primer on all things related to human trafficking. As the former head of the San Jose Human Trafficking Task Force, John is one of the top experts in the nation on this topic. His book guides the reader through the basics of defining human trafficking and the people who become traffickers, and then explores ways to combat this issue that is so prevalent in the U.S. and throughout the world today. There are challenges in addressing human trafficking – and John clearly spells them out in his book. One important challenge is that of creating partnerships and a collaborative approach to supporting victims.

What I found most inspiring about this book is that there is a role for everyone, due to the many types of agencies that must be involved in responding to the issue. The various roles are outlined in John’s book in a very organized and cohesive manner, and I was excited to learn that one can even be a “connector” – connecting a victim with the agencies that can best support them, or simply creating partnerships with applicable agencies and getting everyone “on the same page” in their human trafficking response.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in this important topic. I invite everyone to attend John’s presentation and book-signing at the El Dorado County Library, 6:00 p.m. on April 26. It’s sure to be an interesting evening that will inspire all attendees to make a difference in their community.