The World is Flat
Thomas Friedman is the Foreign Affairs columnist for the New York Times and a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner. His other books, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, From Beirut to Jerusalem, and Longitudes and Attitudes were highly acclaimed. When I heard that this book dealt with technology issues I thought it would be a perfect choice for my leisure-time reading. Yet I procrastinated because I really disliked the title. The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. We all know the world is not flat and a history of the Twenty-first Century sounded extremely boring. It wasn't until several friends praised the book that I decided it was a must-read for me.
Thomas Friedman quickly makes his point about the title. He explains that it comes from the "flattening" of barriers. The digital revolution has leveled the playing field and now allows individuals to compete on a global basis. Friedman's coherent thinking and excellent examples make it easy to understand the current state of technical advances and how they have affected the entire world.
According to Friedman we are in the third stage of globalization. Globalization 1.0 occurred from 1492-1820 when the world shrunk from large to medium and countries colonized the world. Globalization 2.0 was from the early 1800's until 2000. During this time, the world went from medium to small with efforts spearheaded by corporations from around the world. Globalization 3.0, occurring now, is shrinking the world from small to tiny. It is built around the efforts of individuals and small groups, involving people of every race and every color.
Friedman uses detailed research to make his points. He talks of the falling of the Berlin wall and the supply-chaining practices of Wal-Mart. He explains in detail how technology has flattened the world, including the influence of Netscape, Google, Yahoo! MSN, and the Internet. There is much about outsourcing and off-shoring and the role of China and India in providing services.
The book is filled with interesting examples that help us understand the ongoing technical trends. I knew that UPS provided delivery service but I didn't know that they also provide internal logistics for many other companies. I was surprised to learn that UPS employees repair Toshiba laptops, supply Nike gym shoes, and deliver Papa John's pizzas. These and other examples make the book fast-paced and interesting.
This is one globalization story that you may want to read. The World is Flat is a call to action. If Friedman is correct, the global economic playing field is being leveled and most Americans are not ready. Friedman advocates that we should all be preparing for this globalization and adapting to the part of it that is already here. We should realize the importance of science and technology and prepare our students properly for those studies. We should be ready for the challenges that we are facing from talented and highly motivated workforces in China and India.
Even after reading it, I still believe that Friedman could have given this book a better title, but he could not have made his points about the digital revolution any more clearly.
Specifications
Title: The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First
Century
Author: Thomas L. Friedman
Hardback 488 pages
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ISBN: 0374292884
Price: $27.50
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century can be purchased at Barnes & Noble
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About the Author
Sandy Berger is a nationally-known author and has written several books on computers.
