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Title: The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
ISBN: 0374292795
Author:
Thomas L. Friedman
Publicate Date: 2006-04-18
Publish: 2006-04-18
List Price: $30.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.75
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $2.98
Amazon Merchant Price: $15.94
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Globablization and you.
The World is Flat is a great and thorough examination of what is currently going on in the world in regards to globalization. It starts out with a bleak portrait of America's economic future and lists the many factors leading to this demise. The book then takes us through the many factors that lead to what Friedman calls "a flat world." As the text continues Friedman explains how other countries are benefiting from a shrinking world via the technology that is available. He lists how some countries that are not rich in natural resources are mining the brains and strong work ethic of its populace. Friedman breaks down the current winners and losers of globalization and lists the factors and contributors of why certain groups seem to win so easily and others are barely winning and others seem to be losing. He does a great job of detailing the inhibitors and accelerants of economic growth in both 3rd world countries and even modern day America. He lists those factors out in great detail explaining why and how they affect the economic growth and shrinkage of countries. This book could serve as a guide to developing nations around the world as a National economic growth guide for dummies. The book ends with the author explaining how computers and the Internet are changing our world is changing around us. He spends some time prognosticating the future that our children and their children will inherit. Overall the book ends on a positive not that globalization will be as good for America as for the rest of the world. We will either adapt and thrive or die a slow economic death.
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2: Flawed in some places and ways, but still deserving of 5 stars
This book has a variety of flaws, and the parts that are not satisfying to read almost made me lean toward 4 or even 3 stars, but on the whole it is still fully deserving of 5 stars. An example of something I did not like is the excessive ramblings on Arabs and terrorism, which form part of the presumably new chapters that Friedman hastily slapped to the end of the book to address criticisms and shortcomings in prior editions (or so I imagine). These final chapters are laced with such seemingly inappropriate stretches that are far from the eloquent, structured style of the rest of the book.
Nevertheless, it is indeed in general a fairly well researched, eye-opening account of the perils and promises of globalization.
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3: Good Book
I am still reading this book to help me understand why both my daughter and son-in-law both lost their jobs after working for the same company for over 20 years. The book explains from the beginning how this country got into this mess with outsourcing and even though it does not make me feel better, it does a lot to help me underdstand HOW it happened. It is great reading for those who would like to know.
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4: Must Read for Everyone
I have to admit I am not one to read books relating to globalizations and technology, but after reading the first few pages I was trapped into wanting to read more. If the book had not been a requirement for a recent course taken I would have never imagined I would have read this book. There were always several books about which I felt more enthusiastic.
But this is one I'm glad I did come across purchase and read. I admire the amount of travel and listening and work that Friedman has put into the book. He has a knack for anecdote. He has a liking for imagery, and most of his images work well. Here's an example, illustrating the importance of technical standards. "Imagine a city where every neighborhood had a different interface for connecting the fire hose to the hydrant."
Globalization is, literally, a large and far-reaching topic. In writing a book on globalization including prescription, as well as description, does Friedman overreach? He is aware of the danger of doing so when discussing education, telling us that "I am not an educator" and that he doesn't want to "be utterly presumptuous."
But, in discussing "intellectual property," Friedman doesn't appear to have any such qualms. The person who sounds like the voice of reason in Friedman's account is Sam Palmisano of IBM; his quote (p. 254) is misleading as to the purpose of IP laws, and in a manner very much favoring patent-holders such as IBM.
For overreaching like this, and for other reasons, I do believe that The World Is Flat deserves some of the more extravagant praise heaped on it. In particular, it's a great book. It's a book I'd recommend to someone looking for a journalist-written account of globalization and for anyone who is interested in reading a awesome book that you can not put down after reading the first few pages. It's definitely a book that many people have read and are talking about. It's on an important subject that is constantly on the minds of all us each and everyday. And I would have to highly recommend this book and give it well deserved thumbs up!
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5: Opening my Eyes
"The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman is one of the most thought provoking books I have read. He talks about the way the world has been flattened by the Internet, technology and innovative thinking. The process of many of the services in America being outsourced to other countries is explained. I did not understand how this all happened. He goes step by step and explains his theory on this phenomenon. The fact that so many jobs are being outsourced to other countries is distressing, but he also touches on ways to change our thinking to keep up and keep our jobs or develop a new type of job or service.
The world has changed and thinking out of the box needs to be more of the norm and not the exception is America is going to excel. The problems with the education system in America is highlighted as well as what other countries are doing that has their children getting into the best schools in the world. This book made me think more about how the world is now and what I can do to help make it better as an individual, a parent and an American. I think you will be intrigued as I was reading this book if you keep an open mind and look at the possibilities available in the world today.
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