Since the publication of her book No Logo in 2000, Naomi Klein has become the spokeswoman and unofficial leader of anti-globalization. Naomi Klein was born in Montreal on 5 May 1970. Klein's family background is one of political activism. Her father was a Vietnam War protester, and her mother is a filmmaker who achieved critical success with an anti-pornography film. Klein's grandfather was fired after labor organizing within the Disney organization.
Before No Logo hit the bestseller list, Naomi Klein was an unknown journalist, but her book, which has won two major awards and took four years to write, became the bible of the anti-globalization movement. No Logo has been described as a visionary book that explains exactly the power, corruption, and manipulative marketing techniques of large corporations. The book takes an in depth look at the big brand names that are omnipresent in today's consumer worshiping society.
No Logo was held up by many activists as validation for protests, such as the one at the World Trade Organization meeting (WTO) in 1999. No Logo actually came out a few weeks after the WTO meeting was shut down due to the protests. The name Naomi Klein suddenly became synonymous with taking a stand against corrupt corporations.
Naomi Klein does not claim to have the answers to the problems of globalization. She investigates stories such as child labor, sweatshops, and the breaking of laws by corporations, and she reports the facts. The fact that she does not have all the answers to the problems she writes about has earned Klein her fair share of critics.
Some of Klein's critics have claimed that she is an angry, 32-year-old adolescent who looks around the world and sees nothing she likes. However, judging by her sell out talks and best selling books, Klein is voicing an opinion that strikes true for a great many people. No Logo has been translated into 15 languages and kicked off a spate of books and films concerned with the future of the planet.
In 2002, Naomi Klein published her second book, Fences and Windows. Fences and Windows is an eyewitness account of globalization and the consequences it has on the world. It consists of speeches and articles Klein has written on the subject. All proceeds from the book are given to activist organizations concerned with anti-globalization.
Naomi Klein has also publicly stood up against the Bush administration and the War in Iraq. Her recent reports and investigations can be found in magazines and newspapers such as The Nation, The Guardian and Harper's Magazine. Naomi Klein does not pretend to have all the answers to globalization, but if she has made even one corporation think twice about engaging in unethical practices, she will have done more than enough to put her critics to shame.
