Rating: 4
In a time crunch? A new feature to all my posts is a Twitter-sized review – summing it all up in 140 characters or less!
This book succinctly outlines globalization and how it affects individuals and companies beginning to compete in a global marketplace.
I will admit my bias towards this book upfront, as I’m reading it with an interest (and study) in Commerce. However, I think Friedman’s book should – and can – be read by anyone who has begun to notice that the world is becoming more and more flat. Starting with the sharp increase in communications towards the end of the Dot Com bubble, and continuing today with the compression of space and time by people able to collaborate on work from any corner of the world, the author argues that the world is effectively shrinking because companies (and more importantly, individuals) can interact on the global scale.
"One mark of a great book is that it makes you see things in a new way, and Mr. Friedman certainly succeeds in that goal."
The beginning sections of the book were a wonderful and informative lesson on the Internet, the World Wide Web, and the chaotic early days of the Information Age. I grew up with a computer and the internet at my fingertips, and yet even I can see how the past 30 years have been some of the most influential in the development of society as a whole. Friedman stresses the empowerment of the individual; as never before, we are able to upload whatever we wish in whichever medium we choose (this post is a great example), with the only requirements being a computer with internet access. Gone are the days of middle-men, when someone would have to approve of your thoughts before they were transmitted on the stage, on the radio, on the television set, or in the newspaper. I could go into detail at length here about how people the world over have been elevated due to globalization, but Friedman puts it much more eloquently in his book.
Last summer, I read a more recent work by Thomas L. Friedman: Hot, Flat and Crowded, and since then I have been hooked into the style of this internationally-acclaimed journalist from the New York Times. He writes with very clear and powerful prose, showcasing his vast experience while never boring readers as some non-fiction titles can do. Many of his insights are a direct result of his numerous travels and encounters with a wide variety of people and situations. Friedman has seen globalization at work first-hand, and his personal accounts bring a joie de vivre to this interactive tale. Quotes abound from lunches or teas he’s shared with CEOs, world leaders, activists, fellow journalists, entrepreneurs, and many more bring a real perspective on the issue at hand. I would dare to call this perspective a 360 degree view, with Friedman’s journalistic background evident in his rational approach including many different outlooks. The last chapter on imagination was truly inspiring and sent shivers down my spine, giving me hope for the future of our generation, but with an excellent caveat about the necessity of education and creativity.
Put simply, The World is Flat is an enjoyable read, and well worth it – you will have come out with more holistic view of the world we are currently living in, as well as the direction it is heading. I recommend this to anyone who will be working in the 21st century, and if you’ve business-inclined my only question is to why this isn’t already on your bookshelf.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VD3POU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=rissrea-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004VD3POU
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