Details
Synopsis
In THE WORLD IS FLAT, the highly-regarded New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman advances the work on globalization that made his THE LEXUS AND THE OLIVE TREE a bestseller. Claiming that the world is now at an important historical point--as important as the changes brought by the discoveries by Columbus or by the Industrial Revolution--Friedman analyzes the events, inventions, and business practices that have resulted in a changed world, one he calls Globalization 3.0. In this "brave new world," the economic playing field has been leveled: whereas the economic prizes formerly went to rich and powerful western nations almost by default, all is now up for grabs, according to Friedman.
Friedman identifies what he calls ten "flatteners" that, together, have brought about this new business environment. His investigations take him to India, where he learns about outsourcing and call centers; to China, where he learns about offshoring and supply chains; and to America, where he sees firsthand how Walmart functions and how UPS has broken new ground in working to support smaller companies. He explains difficult concepts, illustrates them through case studies, and brings everything together to support his main thesis that the world is "flat," or less of an obstacle course. He points out that this totally changed and charged global business environment, while it opens up markets worldwide, also poses threats to America. Whereas exuberant (and often youthful) entrepreneurial knowledge workers are finding new opportunity, so too are terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda, who are finding ways to exploit this new set of rules. Friedman discusses the profound political implications of globalization, including how the very notion of nationhood may be in question. He explains why he takes a sanguine view of practices such as outsourcing, while warning that America will be left behind unless it rises to the occasion, as it has in the past, and joins in the game. THE WORLD IS FLAT is a major statement from one of America's premier commentators on current events. A New York Times Notable Book of the Year for 2005.
| Size | | Length: | 488 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.8 in | | Weight: | 28.0 oz |
Publisher's Notes
First Line: "No one ever gave me directions like this on a golf course before: "Aim at either Microsoft or IBM." I was standing on the first tee at the KGA Golf Club in downtown Bangalore, in southern India, when my playing partner pointed at two shiny glass-and-steel buildings off in the distance, just behind the first green."
Industry Reviews
"[A]n enthralling read. To his credit, Friedman embraces much of his flat world's complexity, and his reporting brings to vibrant life some beguiling characters and trends....It is also more lively, provocative and sophisticated than the overwhelming bulk of foreign policy commentary these days....[A] terrifically stimulating book...."
Washington Post Book World - Warren Bass (04/03/2005)
"[E]xcellent....The metaphor of a flat world, used by Friedman to describe the next phase of globalization, is ingenious....Friedman has a flair for business reporting....[The book's] fundamental insight is true and deeply important."
New York Times Book Review - Fareed Zakaria (05/01/2005)
"[An] exciting and very readable account of globalization....[H]e provides a compelling case that something big is going on....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."
New York Times - Joseph Stiglitz (04/30/2005)
"As he has done in previous books Friedman has expressed a powerful larger mood, and in this respect THE WORLD IS FLAT may prove a prescient guide to future American foreign policy....There are many books announcing a global economic transformation and suggesting that governments can be reengineered to adapt to it in much the same way as corporations. THE WORLD IS FLAT is an outstanding example of this genre."
New York Review of Books - John Gray (08/11/2005)
"[Friedman] is an energetic reporter and good storyteller. His new book teems with interesting anecdotes about innovative companies, technologies and business processes."
Nation - George Scialabba (06/13/2005)
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