A powerful work of investigative nonfiction by Scott Carney that exposes the hidden global trade in human bodies and body parts. Based on five years of field research across India, the Philippines, Europe, and the United States, the book examines the ethical, legal, and economic forces behind a multibillion-dollar industry dealing in organs, blood, bones, human tissue, surrogacy, adoption, and even human hair.

Rather than focusing on a single story, Carney investigates real cases involving organ brokers, grave robbers, blood farmers, child traffickers, and fertility clinics. He meets people driven by poverty to sell kidneys, uncovers networks supplying human skeletons to medical schools, examines international adoption scandals, and questions how scientific progress has increased demand for human body parts. Throughout the book, he explores the moral gray areas where life-saving medicine intersects with exploitation and profit.

Written in a fast-paced, narrative style, The Red Market reads like a true-crime thriller while remaining deeply researched. Instead of offering simple answers, Carney challenges readers to confront difficult questions about globalization, medical ethics, poverty, and human dignity. The book has been praised for its investigative depth and won the 2012 Clarion Award for best nonfiction book.