The World is Flat

Author : Thomas Friedman : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

Genre : Non- Fiction

Publisher : Planeta Publishing

Year : 2006

Ranking : 3.8 / 5

Synopsis

The World is Flat, A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century is a book written by the American journalist Thomas L. Friedman. In the same, he analyzes globalization, especially in the XXI century. The title is a metaphor for the world as a flat playing field with regard to trade, in which competitors have equal opportunities. First published in 2005, the book appeared a year later in an updated and expanded version, and again in 2007.

In his book, The World is Flat, Friedman recounts a journey to Bangalore, India, when he realized globalization has changed core economic concepts. In his opinion, this flattening is a product of a convergence of personal computer with fiber-optic micro cable with the rise of work flow software. He termed this period as Globalization 3.0, differentiating this period from the previous Globalization 1.0 (in which countries and governments were the main protagonists) and the Globalization 2.0 (in which multinational companies led the way in driving global integration).

Friedman recounts many examples of companies based in India and China that, by providing labor from typists and call center operators to accountants and computer programmers, have become integral parts of complex global supply chains for companies such as Dell, AOL, and Microsoft. Friedman's Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention is discussed in the book's penultimate chapter.

Friedman repeatedly uses lists as an organizational device to communicate key concepts, usually numbered, and often with a provocative label. Two example lists are the ten forces that flattened the world, and three points of convergence.

The Author

Thomas Loren Friedman (born July 20, 1953) is an American journalist, columnist and author. Write a twice-weekly column for The New York Times and has written extensively on foreign affairs including global trade, the Middle East, globalization and environmental issues, and has won the Pulitzer Prize three times.

1. 1983: For its coverage of the war in Lebanon. A distinguished example of international reporting .
2. 1988 : Coverage To Israel : An outstanding example of reporting on international affairs .
3. 2002: Their Review By illuminating the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat

Friedman studied at the University of Minnesota for two years, but later moved to Brandeis University and graduated summa cum laude in 1975 with a degree in Mediterranean studies. Also in 2006, Friedman instructed an economics class at his alma mater, Brandeis University, and was a guest speaker at Brandeis in 2007.

After graduating from Brandeis, he attended Oxford University as a Marshall scholarship student, earning a M. Phil . in Middle East Studies. It has often been said that Professor Albert Hourani has been one of its major academic influences. And, it has been criticized immensely for your writing style where constantly uses metaphors and analogies.

Personal Experience with This Book

The truth is, that this is one of the many books I had to read during the course of my career. Personally when I was assigned to read this book I was not much happy about it because it was a homework for a matter which at that time I did not have much interest in. However, as I read more I got to be interested in the subject. The book turned out to help to awake the interest I needed in this matter and I am immensely grateful to its author for that.

“The world is flat “is a book that, in my opinion, open your eyes. What I mean is that we are all currently living in this globalized world with the mass media, the internet, the connection between people, companies and governments, but very few people really stop and think ... wow this was not like this before. Very few people really analyze the situation from the point of view as Friedman does.

It is true that the book’s level of theoretical explanations and written style has many flaws. I found flaws now mainly because I'm a little more aware of the situation than when I first read it. However, considering that the author is not an economist, much less, the book is based on personal experiences; I do not consider this to be such a bad thing. On the contrary, I think it gives a “plus" to the book because it really makes any person to be able to read and understand it perfectly.

The only thing that annoyed me about the book is how extensive it is. The author often vague explaining his points of view, it's like going round and round and round in the same spot and reading becomes a bit monotonous and boring. That's why I did not give a higher rating to the book. But that does not mean the topic is not interesting or that the arguments do not have any value.

I recommend this book to any person. The world is still not well educated in the “Globalization” issue. We all talk about globalization without fully understanding what it really means. But, Are we totally aware of what globalization has led to government or business level? Do we know what happens in the production lines of the thousands of products we use every day? Many people do not know or do not care to know such things. I personally find it fascinating. I liked the book very much for its educational content overall. Since I 'm always asking myself things and I love to know more and more of my surroundings. So I think anyone can read this book and find it as good as I did. Only you must have some patience to read it and that's it.

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