Selected Product:
| The World Is Flat
Paperback
Edition: 2Rev Ed
Author: Thomas Friedman
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd (UK)
Release Date: July 2007
ISBN-10: 0141034890
ISBN-13: 9780141034898
Average Customer Rating:
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Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America
ISBN-10: 0374166854
ISBN-13: 9780374166854
List Price:$27.95
The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization
ISBN-10: 0385499345
ISBN-13: 9780385499347
List Price:$15.95
Competing in a Flat World: Building Enterprises for a Borderless World
ISBN-10: 0132332906
ISBN-13: 9780132332903
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The World Is Flat?: A Critical Analysis of New York Times Bestseller by Thomas Friedman
ISBN-10: 0929652045
ISBN-13: 9780929652047
List Price:$24.95
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Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Flattery might get you nowhere
| Customer Rating:   | This book is anything but a broad and well-considered critique of where the author sees us heading. I suppose it can best be viewed as a survival kit for our current century. "Survival" does not inherently make life more interesting, beautiful or purposeful. For the fortunate few who find the projected future particularly adaptive, the life ahead of us might be bright and rosy. But for the many, it could simply spell out a higher level of consumerism and considerable ennui.
On the plus side Mr. Friedman manages to provoke the reader into a speculative frame of mind and a critique of our evolving world -- should "it" manage to survive! In the pursuit of an affordable future for most of us and a frantic pursuit for wealth-maintenance by the few, will traditional quality of life issues continue to even get addressed, let alone preserved? Can we afford to treat global war(n)ing as somewhat of a side issue while its growing impact creeps down the coastline of the Americas and threatens more havoc. If the world economy is becoming so robust, why can't we solve the energy and environmental crises and possibly save future humanity? What does the current failing in this regard reflect about contemporary human values and real quality of life issues?
Overall, I found the book to be a vivid and accurate depiction of where we are and where we are heading - certainly worth reading. But there is a paucity of philosophical underpinnings that weakens the foundation for projecting a vastly brighter future ahead of us.
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Way too long, I know a lot of famous people, by the way everything is Bush's fault
| Customer Rating: | This book would have been much better if it had been kept to 200-250 pages. I am disappointed in myself that I kept reading the same thing over and over thinking that eventually some new content would appear. It was tedious how the author had to point out how many famous people he knew. To some extent, this can add credibility, but it was taken to extreme levels in this book.
The book is very partisan, blaming republicans for many problems without making a very strong link. Far from a fair and balanced analysis.
That said, the book is a good summary of technological developments in the last 10-15 years. There were some good insights, however, I can't wholeheartedly recommend given how repetitive the book is. |
And the sky is falling
| Customer Rating: | | This book is an eye-poping-opener to what is happening in the history of economics. This was a mandatory read to the completion of my college degree because most industry leaders have read and believe it. The truth is most industry workers will have to compete for their job internationally. However I like to believe the other side of the coin as Friedman's views are negative towards America's position. After recently touring a secured industry compound a material physicist told me, "We're sending them the 20th Century and building the 21st for ourselves." |
Rockefeller asset assures us that globalization is GROOVY-Baby!
| Customer Rating: | | Council on Foreign Relations propaganda minister Thomas Friedman writes a decent book trying to convince us that globalization is a great thing. Depends who you are, I suppose. CFR members will do great as part of the world oligarchy. Regular shmoes will enjoy the thrills of competing with factory workers from third world countries who work for 10 dollars a week. Hahaha. Can't blame him though, Friedman's smart enough to play for the winning team. The way to get ahead in the world is figure out who's in charge, then work to advance their agenda. |
The Idea of a Flat World
| Customer Rating: | When I first started reading this book I did not know what to expect. "The World is Flat"? Once I got into it I realized what Friedman was saying. I really enjoyed reading this book. I really liked how Friedman referred to the globalization as "leveling the playing field". I had never really thought of it that way up until now. He really opened my eyes to a lot of new things. Friedman brings you a real life encounter on how technology has affected our culture. I never realized how "flat" the world was actually becoming, until I read this book. I never realized just how many services could be outsourced and how many jobs go overseas. Friedman points out some very interesting services that are outsourced. One example was that when you get an x-ray it could be sent overseas and reviewed by another doctor! There were many services that I had no idea that they could be outsourced.
Friedman really puts it into perspective when he lists the different things that are causing the world to become a flat one. He lists several different occurrences that are leading us to a flatter world. This book also opens your eyes to where you stand in this flattening world. Friedman speaks about making yourself more valuable, because there is a lot more competition now. It is not just sufficient to be expertly skilled in one area, but we need to broaden our skills so that we are more valuable.
This book points out many factors that are leading us to a flatter world. Most of them have to do with technology and communication. If these were the only factors to be concerned with then the world would be a flat one, but there are many more. Friedman points out the factors that will keep the world from being flat. He points out that there are still many countries that do not have this concept of technology. Technology is not what they are concerned with each day. Instead they are concerned with surviving and providing for their families. Our world will never truly be flat until we ALL have the opportunity to take advantage of technology and communication.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. The above were just some of the things that I took from my reading. I think that this was a surprising concept. I would have never realized this concept of a flat world if I had not read this book. I think that it is a very good idea on how the world is changing tremendously due to technology. Of course there are a few points that I don't agree with. In one part of the book he compares O.J. Simpson trial and the attacks of 9/11, which I thought was a poor choice. However, as a whole, I think that this book is definitely worth reading. You would be surprised just how much you did not know about globalization. This book was used in our technology and culture class, and I think that this was a great example of how they affect each other.
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