My cousin bought me this book when I was 17, me thinking it might actually be a "History" book, since it says "History of the 21st century" and I read about 3/4 of the god awful book, until I just could not read it anymore (especially when it got to chapters devoted to advice for businesses in globalization). I think was the first book I just could not finish because it was so awful to read.

First off his book has awful style and use confusing metaphors, you hear about flatteners and that the world is flat.

I couldn't help but make annotations every few pages about how weak his points were and how the ability to teleconference and for the middle class to Facebook does not at all address sweatshops, the painful transition of mass layoffs in industry due to trade agreements (including ours), increasing wealth disparity, and the widespread poverty in the world.

He even makes one argument about how a kid can look up all the info in the world on Google in Subsaharan Africa, so that means that we've all got equal opportunity. (And this point is defeated in that that kid won't have stable electricity source to charge his cell phone, and a ton of kids won't even have the money to have a cell phone!)

It was basically a bunch of cheerleading of advances in IT and Walmart and other's vertical integration of the supply chain.

I dunno about Thomas Friedman but I actually took really hard legitimate economics classes at university (3 actually)and I know exactly what the major economic theories promise, what the weaknesses of their assumptions are, where they don't easily apply. His implicit assumption is that the free flow of capital aka corporate globalization is good and uses metaphors and anectodes to try to proves thi and not actually spend time or citing social science proving that the world's economic playing field is being leveled (which is what he's trying to say by the world is flat"

He thinks that he can sum up the history of the 21st century by traveling first class and talking to CEOs in India and doesn't note the increasing wealth disparity in those countries.

I love Google, Yahoo, the web browser, and video chatting as much as the next person (which there are entire chapters dedicated to these different things) but that doesn't mean that I believe neoliberal economic globalization is great because we have Google.

This book really didn't have a great argument and did a poor job of providing evidence. I'd beg you to read something else on globalization or economics.

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century. is an interesting book by Thomas Friedman. I read this book shortly after I returned from Thailand. As such, my view of the book is different than it may have been. I do not share all of his views regarding globalization, but I am glad that I read this book. Also, this was a year ago so it has already become a part of a mass of information gathered from other books (inside of my head). That is why I decided to go back and review as many books as possible. I would like to remember where I read a given idea. Anywho, this review will not encompass this book so I recommend that you read it. I will say that the author provides a great summary of the 10 forces that he believes “flattened the world.” Including:

The Ten Forces That Flattened the World

1. 11/9/89 - When the Walls Came Down and the Windows Went Up

2. 8/9/95 – When Netscape Went Public

3. Work Flow Software

4. Open-Sourcing

5. Outsourcing

6. Offshoring:

7. Supply-Chaining

We get what we want. In season, out of season. Most of us don’t even know what, if anything, is in season in our communities. We want tomatoes, mangoes, and strawberries in January. We want them now. We want them cheaply. We want efficiency. So, we get them in our fancy plastic bags. They don’t taste right and they have a freakishly perfect appearance, but we have them anytime of day at most stores. Friedman points out that Wal-Mart is very efficient, in this regard. I do not shop at Wal-Mart. I used to. Most of my family does. I do not judge them for it, but I cannot shop there. They are the store to beat and so many companies look to them and change their own practices. Yes, I am a consumer. Yes, I sometimes shop at chain stores – hello Target, but I cannot stop into a Wal-Mart. It is a symbol of so much that I dislike. Also, I think their merchandize is so streamlined that it is crap-tastic!

This Wal-Mart topic is a bit of a cliché’ and causes an inner turmoil in most of us. Friedman describes it well:

“Yes, the consumer in us wants Wal-Mart prices, with all the fat gone. But the employee in us wants a little fat left on the bone, the way Costco does it, so that it can offer health care to almost all its employees, rather than just less than half of them, as Wal-Mart does. But the shareholder in us wants Wal-Mart’s profit margins, not Costco’s. Yet the citizen in us wants Costco’s benefits, rather than Wal-Mart’s, because the difference ultimately may have to be paid by society.” P221

“One can only hope that al the bad publicity Wal-Mart has received in the last few years will force it to understand that there is a fine line between a hyper efficient global supply chain that is helping people save money and improve their lives and one that has pursued cost cutting and profit margins to such a degree that whatever social benefits it is offering with one hand, it is taking away with the other.” P137.

8. Insourcing

This chapter was fascinating. I had noticed these things, but I hadn’t thought about the fact that this is “insourcing.” This is an interesting way that the small business folks can compete with the conglomerates. That central hub in Louisville is bringing in business.

9. In-forming

Hello, Google! “Google” a friend’s name and see what happens – not mine.

10. The Steroids – Digital, Mobile, Personal, and Virtual

He then discusses what he calls the” Quiet Crisis.” He describes ambition and education gaps that are present in our country. He makes a great point about the influence of mass media and the tendency for students to aspire to be celebrities and not innovators. Great quote:

“I was talking to a Chinese-American who works for Microsoft and has accompanied Bill Gates on visits to China. He said Gates is recognized everywhere he goes in China. Young people there hang from the rafters and scalp tickets just to hear him speak…In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears—and that is our problem.” P265

While I do not agree with every section of this book, I recommend that you read it. I would love to discuss it with you, but even if you don’t, keep the following thoughts in mind:

“While your lives have been powerfully shaped by 9/11, the world needs you to be forever the generation of 11/9—the generation of strategic optimist, the generation with more dreams than memories, the generation that wakes up each morning and not only imagines that things can be better but also acts on that imagination every day.” P269.

“So even though we can now imagine what could happen when we get on an airplane, we have to get on the plane anyway. Because the alternative to not getting on that plane is putting ourselves in our own cave. Imagination can’t just be about reruns. It also has to be about writing our own new script.” P450

This book didn’t depress me. It reminded me to keep striving for a more collaborative world.

Can it really be almost two years since I read, and re-read, and re-read this book? It was an eye-opener, to say the least! The author is a famous columnist whom I don't always agree with. However, that doesn't stop me from reading his columns or his wildly successful books. I believe that it's a good idea to consider all solid points of view so that I can make up my own mind with the best information.
This book was by far the best book on the history of Silicon Valley and the impact our technology has brought to the world. I. Had. No. Real. Idea. What? Walmart's doing what? Dell? That's how Dell does it? What? Collaboration with experts in China, India, Canada, etc. for my little businesses here in California? OK!
Once I got over the shock and began applying the facts to my own life, I found that this is THE top book of must-reads to understand business and life in the 21st century.

What an excellent book. It is a really compelling tale of the current state of the world in regards to free trade, outsourcing, and technology. I’ve never read a book before where I literally found myself agreeing with every point that was made. I thought all of his ideas were spot on.

He has a great way with words and with breaking concepts down into simple terms. But at the same time, still being able to remain technical. I especially liked his “Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention“. He is referring to Dell, the multi-national computer conglomerate. Whether or not you like Dell, you have to admit that their supply chain and usage of technology to get your computer order taken, assembled, and shipped is amazing. (For details on this supply chain, see pages 414 - 419 in the book.)

“No two countries that are both part of a major global supply chain, like Dell’s, will ever fight a war against each other as long as they are both part of the same global supply chain. Because people embedded in major global supply chains don’t want to fight old-time wars anymore. They want to make just-in-time deliveries of goods and services — and enjoy the rising standards of living that come with that.” — The World Is Flat, p. 421

He translates participation in what I would call “ultra-capitalism” as a so-called “cure” for war mongering. Ha! But I admit, it does certainly make sense.

It is an excellent book. Anyone who is involved in anything having to do with technology today should certainly read it. And for anyone else, it is a good insight into how quickly the world is changing, right under everyone’s noses.

Interesting book that discusses world trends: globalization, internet, outsourcing, supply-chaining, etc. This book gives an overall assessment of why the U.S. is losing its productive power and in the words of the author how we could fix it using innovation; academic institutions are not keeping up with the current labor needs nor are they preparing students to think outside the box and across fields.

“Almost all the students who make it to Caltech, one of the best scientific universities in the world, come from public schools. So it can be done. " Yes.

“In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears-and that is our problem.” Very true.

If you haven't been paying attention over the past 10-15 years to the changing of the global marketplace, this book is a must read. Even if you have been aware of it, this book is worth a skim. Friedman explores the technological changes as well as the political values which have caused the US to start losing competitiveness to China and India. Progressive pro-business governments in those two countries (yes even China) have embraced technological change and allowed them to rapidly catch up with the US. If you don't believe it, this is a book you definitely should read.

These are my quick thoughts:

1. Even though the trends remain the same, it is amazing how dated this book has become just 2 years after it was published due to the global financial crisis and the continued advancement of technology. I think Friedman should write an updated version and instead of calling it The World is Flat he should call it The World is Fu**ed.

2. The book is probably 300 pages too long (I read the expanded and revised version), but it is a relatively quick read. Once you get his thesis (which doesn't take too long) you can breeze through the rest. Though Friedman is an engaging enough writer to keep your interest, there is a lot of redundancy.

3. If you are in the anti-progress, anti-science republican party, this may be a tough read, but it is very fair, give it a chance, even if Friedman does gloss over some of the not so good parts of China and India.

4. Friedman is the best journalist on the Middle East and the sections where he touches upon how technology and government innovation (or lack of) have effected the Middle East are among the most interesting.

5. You don't need to be interested in business to be interested in this book. It goes beyond business. Friedman is really talking about huge cultural shifts that are occuring which are leading to the US losing it's place as the world leader.

Here are my favourite excerpts:

Zippies are between 15 and 25 with a zip in the stride. Oozes attitude, ambition and aspiration. Cool, confident and creative. Seeks challenges, loves risks and shuns fear. Indian zippies feel no guilt about making money or spending it.

In 1999, Yting Liu, a schoolgirl from Chengdu, China, got accepted to Harvard on a full scholarship. Her parents then wrote a hndbook on how they managed to prepare their daughter. The book became a best seller and by 2003 it had sold 3 million copies.

Girls, when I was growin up, my parents used to say to me, "Finish your dinner - people in China and India are starving. My advice to you is: Girls, finish your homework - people in China and India are starving for your jobs.

In a flat world there is fungible and nonfungible work. Work that can easily be digitized and transferred to lower-wage locations (e.g. India call centres) is fungible.

There are a lot of JAFAs (Just Another Fucking Artists) out there. So now I am an idea man. My clients just buy concepts. The JAFAs then do the art in-house or it gets outsourced.

The members of the first generation are nose-to-the-grindstone innovators; the second generation holds it all together; then their kids come along and get fat, dumb, and lazy and slowly squander it all.

Bill Gates is recognized everwhere he goes in China. Young people there hang from the rafters and scalp tickets just to hear him speak. In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears - and that is our problem.

Friedman's basic thesis is that the internet revolution has shifted globalization from the era of multi-national companies to now accessible individuals, thus making the world citizens more egalitarian in terms of their opportunities.
He cites the fall of the Berlin wall/communism as the first step in all this because geopolitically this made the world "whole" as well as the advent of personalized PC (Apple/microsoft-IBM) in which anyone can create their own content. The next step that happens is the wide availability of internet/www/fiberoptics that allowed individual content to be sent internationally but from the developing to the developed world and vice versa. Thirdly, the uploading (open-source revolution, blogging, podcasting) advent allowed anyone who wanted to be the author of their content to be an author and actually send it via internet all around the world.

One thing that strikes me about what Friedman describes is the unintentional consequences that occurs from entrepreneurship/innovation. For example besides Reagan's military build up that caused the USSR to go bankrupt and thus fall; he cites the advent of personalized PC as anti-totalitarian mechanism that eventually brought the fall of communism because of the free speech that can be had anonymously and thus hard to suppress by the totalitarian propaganda machine. Also, he cites the rise of really cheap international communication from the tech bubble and the government telecommunication deregulations act of 1996, that led create oversupply fiberoptic cables, which when the demand did not materialize eventually led cheaper telecommunications for consumers.

I found his thesis that bubbles are good for innovation an intriguing concept. According to his thesis, unrealistic bubbles causes a flood of money toward that overinvested sector to such an extent that it creates fast innovation from that sector. When the bubble eventually bursts, investors who invested in the bubble will get hurt but it creates such a cheap commodity that eventually consumers will benefit from it. The question now is does this extend to all sectors or is it true only for start-up sectors? That is, will we see innovation in real estate bubble akin to the tech bubble, if yes, I wonder what that would be? And if the bubble is good for innovation will Obama's financial regulation kill this spirit of innovation? Or will avoiding the pain that a bubble cause be good enough reason to have these regulation?

Fifthly, Friedman describes the process of outsourcing from India secondary to the Y2K, tech bubble, tech crash that created the comfort level for India technological brain as well as the means to freely cash in on these brains via the fiber optic cheap communication lines.

Sixthly, Friedman cites the fact that China has become fully a capitalist country by joining the WTO. Because China has the cheapest and most populace population in the world, they will be a target for cheap good manufacturing for decades to come. He states multi-nationals will definitely have to deal with China one way or another or they will be out of business. Friedman is optimistic that since China is now a capitalist country, democracy will surely follow. Just like any good globalization advocate, he cites off-shoring jobs to China really in the end is good for the US because the jobs oversees keeps jobs here. I think the US population really needs to be more highly skilled in the long run because it is clear from the business aspect of things that low-skill manufacturing jobs will by off-shored to China were the labor is cheaper and thus it is a big competitive advantage for multi-national firms to place them there.

Seventhly, Friedman talks about Wal-mart and their hyper-efficient global supply chain, especially now that Walmart's computers can talk to their suppliers computers. It works like this whenever you buy something the bar code in the item talks to the computer and the walmarts computer automatically links to their suppliers globally to tell them to produce that item. He states that this is a flattener event because with a hyper-efficient global supply chain companies can now buy their products from the cheapest most reliable source anywhere in the world and get it to the market (Walmart). So this allows suppliers to be global in their reach.

Eighthly, Friedman talks about UPS being the global supply chain manager for small to medium size business thereby allowing any company in the world to act as if it is a big multi-national firm with their own global supply chain. Firms sign up to UPS global supply chain and UPS does the global supply chain background for the company.

Ninthly, Friedman talks about Googles push for global search engines that allows anyone from anywhere in the world to seek global information from anything in the world. What differentiates Google from other search engines is apparently it finds stuff that is more relevant to your particular search whereas prior to google the search were more haphazard. Also, advertisers can have more targeted audience based on your specific search. The downside to this is of course the lack of privacy since anyone can look up information on you anytime they want. It is therefore appropriate that reality-TV has now become the most watch TV there is because essentially people at this point are living in such an open society that there is no use hiding once information.

Tenthly, Friedman talks about what is accelerating the flattening process. In his analysis, he points to VoIP, videoconferencing, digitization of all information, wireless capabilities, file-sharing all is making communication internationally so cheap that international business barriers are no virtually none existent. I think the coolest capability in this chapter was the wireless capability in having your wireless phone be your credit card, future ID card too.

In his third chapter, Friedman talks about the three convergence of the world is flat. The first convergence is that all 10 forces have simply converged without prior planning it is as if it were a serendipitous moment occurred in 2000. The second convergence event change company culture from heirachial to much more collaborative nature. He hypothesize it is companies who innovate in using this new internet infrastructure in new and meaningful ways that will get ahead. Third convergence that he discovered is that awakening of pent up entrepreneurial yearnings from China, India, and former USSR that were hidden by communism/socialism of the past.

Friedman's fourth chapter deals on what the flattening world means for "us" (government, companies, and individuals. He states that in this flattening world, multi-national companies no longer have loyalty to single country because they do business globally. So politicians in their effort to keep jobs homegrown will be at odds with multi-national business because they just want the cheapest source of labor.

This is good for investors and capital in general because capital always seek to be more efficient in its use, but bad for labor. That is homegrown labor will lose out but not the companies that hire them. He cites Wal-mart versus Costco as an example of this confusing conundrum. Wal-mart seeks to flatten its labor to such an extent that it skimps on paying labor a decent wage and healthcare benefits. Although this is bad for Wal-mart employees, this is great for Wal-mart consumers (especially lower middle class), global supply chain, and most importantly it shareholders because their profit margins are high. Costco on the other hand, has half the profit margin of Walmart but they are fairer to their employees. But a lower profit margin, also means they have to cater their services to more middle class population instead of a lower middle class. The IP world also has to change because collaboration of the present means their is more than one corporation/individual who should get patented today.

But although the flattening of the present is good for business, it proposes challenges for government, in that, who are we to support for America should we support small companies that are 100% home grown or should America support multi-nationals that only commits 50% of labor force at home but brings more profits in both for the company as well as giving consumers a break via a greater global supply chain as well as economies of scale?

My answer to all of this quandaries is that innovation is the future of America with a large entrepreneurial force so government should foster the environment of innovation as best it can and let the innovators innovate. The labor that gets left behind in America will be for unique niches that can afford to be patriotic because that is what they are selling; but for the most part labor is dead and entrepreneurship is the new labor of the 21 century. But this also means that education in the US needs to be tops to compete with the world; but unlike India and China, I think experiential learning perhaps in the summer time is equally important to feed children's imagination. If we are to continue to be the innovators of the world, imagination needs to be fostered as well as the technical skill necessary to compete. And for kids, imagination really comes from a sense of play. The American 21st century really belongs to the right-brained people of the world.

America and Free Trade - Even though the forces outsourcing and offshoring to India and China have arrived because of Free Trade, Friedman feels that David Ricardo thesis of comparative advantage still holds true. That is, Free Trade still allows the pie to increase. But the increasing pie is driven largely by knowledge workers who are innovative. They are the people who see the need in this ever increasing pie and plug the need. The one who will lose out will be the low-skilled laborers whose job will outsourced to India or offshored to China because they have thousands of low-skilled laborers. He cites the SEO (service engine optimizers as prime example of this trend). SEO have become and industry on to itself with the advent of google within the last 5 years.

So who will and won't be effected in this new world? He cites three types of workers. The first type are the highly specialized and special workers who will not go away because they are needed (entertainers, brain and heart surgeons), the next type of worker has to do with people who work at the local level. There jobs are likely to stay put because they work locally ( servers, garbage collectors, dentist, physicians, nurses). The third type can be outsourced because they can be digitalized, automated so they can go to where it is the cheapest. So, he asked what kind of people will succeed in this new environment? The answer are people who like collaborate/orchestrate the diverse clients, global supply chain, and multi-ethnic workers, people who like to synthesize disparate information into new creative ideas, people who can explain complex products in a simplistic way, people who can leverage the power of technology to be more effective/efficient in their day to day dealings, people who can adapt their transferable skill from one project to the next, and people who are passionate about their jobs, and people who can use global platform to solve local issues. One thing that is good about this development is that one truly has to love what one does instead of ho-humming because only the person who breaths and lives his job is going to survive in this "new world". If I would advice my kids right now on what to do, I would say that you can be anyone you want to be you just need entrepreneurial skills to get there. Like, I said in my previous paragraph, this new world the "new m.c." are now entrepreneurs even if they are working for a company. They need to constantly challenge themselves to grow.

Policy wise what does this mean? I think the US government should favor small and medium-size business more and more because this is where innovation occurs the most as well as jobs are usually going to be more local instead of international. The way I see it, it behooves multi-national firms to go international because it is the cheapest way for them to become more efficient and grow. The US government should be pro-innovation!!!!!

Chapter seven deals with how we are going to get our kids ready for the new middle class. What kind of educational edge do kids of the future need to compete in this new middle class world. Since the right-brain kids will inherit this new kingdom, the most important trait is the desire to learn, passion about your chosen field and the innate curiosity to know more. According to Friedman, the US as a country is rightly poised to take advantage of this new world because, we have open and flexibility that is hard to duplicate by other countries. Specifically, we have the best research universities on earth and we have the most research universities on earth, we have the capital markets in the world in the NYSE and Nasdaq that reward companies on it who are the most innovative by infusion of cash as well as stringent IP laws to reward innovators who have products that the market wants. We also have amazing venture capital support for the most promising companies and flexible labor laws so the flow of labor goes to where it is needed. And last but not least, politically, the US is stable. So in the end the US has a high-trust environment in which risk-taking is encouraged.

Chapter eight deals what is lacking in America right now the risks its position as the leader in innovation. He cites the US lacks highly skilled science and engineering students who make the backbone of technological innovation. The reason this is happening because it is no longer cool to be a scientist like it was during the NASA golden age as well American elementary schools lagging behind in math and science subjects. Besides lacking strength in the fundamentals, students now lack a work ethic/ a sense of delayed gratification to get ahead. There is apparently also a lack of basic research funding by the government and national internet infrastructure. There is also a growing gap between the best public schools and the worst public schools due to it largely being a product of propertty local taxes. I really am in favor a national reform in which education needs to be made competitive via school vouchers and charter schools instead of funding public schools that do not work.

Chapter nine deals with the fixes he thinks the US should undertake to fix this issue which includes a political leadership the can galvanize the need for math and science workers, policy that encourages entrepreneurial transferable skill workers which include portable retirement plans, health care (done), govt subsidies to retrain low-wage earners in community colleges to prepare them to enter a more global competitive workforce. He also proposes to continue the US pro immigration policies toward people who are smart PhD so they can innovate and their kids can innovate in the US. He proposes that US corporation use their size advantages to be better stewards of society such as provide employees continuing education so their skills will be up-to-date and not stagnate and thus irrelevant in a flat society. Lasty, he asks parents to be more responsible toward their children in terms discipline and teaching them the value of delayed gratification.

Chapter ten deals with developing countries and globalization. Friedman states that developing countries with the best chance to succeed in this new world need to be culturally tolerant and accepting of outside influences and change to what the world's best practices are. This is also the reason why the middle east will lag behind because it tends to insulate itself from "global best practices." The jobs are going to go where the best-educated workforce with the most competitive infrastructure and environment for creativity and supportive government are.

Chapter eleven deals with successful companies need to do to stay successful in a globalized world. The first advice is to know its core competencies and focus on that only. Secondly, small companies and individuals should know and use technology to their full advantage so they can use it to compete with multi-national companies. Thirdly, big companies need to act small by allowing their customers to be active in the creation and production process that they will buy (self-directed customers). Fourthly, companies need to be able to collaborate with other companies in order to add value to what they are selling. Fifthly, companies need to outsource as part of their strategy anything that is not their core competency not simply to save money.

Chapter twelve deals with the fact that globalization was first resisted because it was seen as Americanization of the world but with the advent of uploading via blogging and podcasting local cultural diversity can now be represented in the internet and satellite and thus be preserved and even exported internationally. The people who are most likely to take advantage of this phenomenon are people of the diaspora who left their countries in search of better opportunities abroad.

Chapter thirteen deals with Friedman's theory of how global supply chain in the 21st century will be a deterrent to war (conflict prevention). Because countries with an extensive global supply chain whose economy is based on it, they will think twice in going to war and disrupt their economy and thus could act as a political instability in their own countries. This is the reason that I think China and the US will not go to war in the near future because our economies are too entertwined besides China does not want to forfeit all the money that we owe them. Friedman states examples 2002 India and Pakistan nuclear showdown that was eventually defused because India noticed that besides the more obvious nuclear threat of Pakistan, to go to war with Pakistan would have destroyed their IT economy. Another example that he cites is the detente that is occurring in Taiwan and China, due to their manufacturing global supply chain as well as their intertwined economies.

But, countries that are not part of the global supply chain in the 21st century such as countries in the middle east and Africa. The reason Al-Quaeda is such a world threat is they are using the forces of globalization to create a Virtual Caliphate and are using small acts of terror to seem bigger than what it is by uploading it on to the internet as well as connecting small cells into a huge international network by recruiting, training, global donoring on the internet. These are people who are angry that though they are supposed to be superior due to their religion, they are way behind from the rest of the world. The key to fixing this issue is to get rid of the totalitarian regimes and somehow get these countries as part of the global supply chain.

Friedman states that America needs to still be the beacon of hope to the world by remaining the optimistic dream machine that is our birthright. He states that the reason Bush was unpopular internationally was during his presidency he was seen as exporting fear not hope. For countries that are not part of the global supply chain, the key to keeping their populace from being terrorist is giving them dignity to be an individual that they see themselves ie: hope of success in their own countries. He states oil producing countries are the most undemocratic repressive regimes there is (Iran and Saudi Arabia). And perhaps world independence from nonrenewable energy is as much a green issue as a national security issue. Lastly, he prescribes that role models who have made it from disadvantage countries be more visible.

Holy sh... this book went on and on. And on. The world is flat, oh yes! I see! But how flat is the world again, Mr. Friedman? Tell me once again, exactly how flat is it? Really flat? You don't say!

Maybe it's just me being a grad student for too long, but I prefer my nonfiction books to have a list of references. Perhaps a footnote or two. But this book is just a series of anecdotes with some jargon thrown in (Bangalore...curiosity quotient...flatteners...in-forming...Bangalore...compassionate flatism...glocalization...Bangalore).

But that's apparently what he intended. If you made it to page 629 in the 2006 version (bonus flatness!), you might have noticed that Friedman approvingly quotes Stanley Fischer as saying that "one good example is worth a thousand theories." Uh, what? That doesn't make any sense. Freidman thinks so, though; this book is a thousand good examples that add up to a few coherent theories.

Maybe the topic of globalization is just too broad to write concisely about, or maybe Friedman was looking at way too many trees rather than seeing the forest. But this book annoyed the hell out of me, and it only got worse as it went on.

Not to say I wouldn't recommend it. I mean, read chapters 1-4, then just pick and choose what interests you in the middle, and then read 15-17 because those actually say something new. The book thoroughly covers globalization and the business world, and America's place in the new economy. It covers a lot of ground. And mostly, the ideas are great and well-founded.

I did get a little squeamish at times, when Friedman's advocacy of free trade borders on trickle-down meritocratic patriotic Republicanisms. (See p. 496: "The inspirational power of a local business success story is incalculable: There is no greater motivator for the poor than looking at one of their own who makes it big and saying: "If she can do it, I can do it.'") But his heart is in the right place, I think. (See p. 265: "...a policy of free trade, while necessary, is not enough by itself. It must be accompanied by a focused domestic strategy aimed at upgrading the education of every American, so that he or she will be able to compete for the new jobs in a flat world.") I can agree with that.

But really, if you're under 30 you need to read this book like you need a hole in the head. You've been living it. Go read a blog.

مقتطفات من كتاب العالم مستو للكاتب توماس فريدمان
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من واجب الحكام الجيدين ان يبقوا قلقين فمن دون هذا القلق تتفاقم مشكلات الناس
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الاسئلة الهامة هي :- في أي مجال يناسب بلدي ان ينافس به ؟ - ماهي فرصه ؟ - كيف استطيع ان اكون عالميا ومتعاونا مع الآخرين من خلال بلدي ؟
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الاسئلة الهامة هي أيضاً :- اين يناسب شركتي ان تكون في الاقتصاد العالمي ؟ - كيف تغتنم الاستفادة من الفرص ؟ - كيف استطيع بإمكانياتي الذاتية ان اتعاون مع الآخرين عالمياً ؟
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التغير صعب .. والتغير هو الاصعب على هؤلاء الذين يجدون صعوبة في التغير وهؤلاء الذين نزل فيهم التغير على حين غرة ومع هذا فالتغير طبيعي والتغير ليس جديداً والتغير شيء هام " ديفيد شليسنجر "
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ان اي منتج تدور دائرته الخاصة ب البحث العلمي ثم تطوير بطيء ثم تطوير ثم تجريب ثم انتاج ثم انتشار ثم دعم ثم متابعة في العمل الهندسي لإضافة تحسينات .. واي دولة تريد ان تدخل سوق المنتجات العالمية عليها تطوير مراكز بحوثها بثبات وقدراتها المتطورة لمعالجة هذه المراحل
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الفكرة هي ان تتعلم باستمرار وان تقدم امتحانات دائما .. فليس هنالك نهاية للتعلم ولا توجد نهاية حقيقية لما يمكن ان يفعله المرء " فيفك ككامي "
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هنالك 70 الف ربة منزل في الصين يعملون على أتمته مخططات يابانية كتبت باليد بعضها طبي والآخر قانوني !
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لن ننسى ابدا ان حربا تاريخية وقعت بين الامة الصينية واليابانية ولكن عندما يأتي الامر الى حقل الاقتصاد فنحن نركز فقط على المشكلات الاقتصادية " محافظ داليان الصينية - زيادرين - "
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16% من قوة العمل الامريكية تعمل في المنازل بدوام جزئي لشركات البيع والتأمين
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عندما تعطي الناس طريقة جديدة للاتصال مع الاخرين فسينفتحون عليها وسيتعلمون لغات جديدة فالناس مبرمجون على ارادة الاتصال بالناس الآخرين وسيرفضون عدم قدرتهم على فعل ذلك " مارك اندرس "
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كل شخص .. كل الناس العاديين في هذه الحياة هم ابطال من المعلم في المدرسة الى موزع البيتزا
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سنمنح كل شخص وصولا الى خلاصة كل المعرفة الانسانية " مؤسس ويكيبيديا "
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في العالم المستوي لا تستطيع ان تركض ولا ان تختبئ .. فعش حياتك بشرف لان ما تفعله أيا كان واية خطيئة تقترفها قابلة للكشف ذات يوم وبقدر ما يغدو العالم اكثر استواءاً بقدر ما يغدو الناس العاديون اكثر شفافية
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في هذا العالم الافضل لك ان تكون صالحا .. لأنه لم يعد في الامكان جمع حوائجك و الانتقال الى بلدة جديدة لكي تحصل على بداية جديدة ففي عالم جوجل سمعتك سوف تلحق بك وقد تسبقك الى محطتك التالية فالسمعة تنطلق مبكراً هذه الايام فقل الحقيقة دوما " دف سيدمان "
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ما لم يكافأ المبدعون على ابداعاتهم سيتلاشى الحافز الى الابتكارات الجديدة وسينفذ المال ايضاً من اجل البحث والتطوير الحقيقي " ميكروسوفت "
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الهند هي بلد لا يملك موارد طبيعية جيدة ولكنها عملت شيئاً جيداً واقعيٌ جداً وهو ان حولت ابنائها الى مناجم .. بتعليم شريحة واسعة نسبياً من نخبها في العلوم والهندسة والطب
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كل صباح ينهض غزال وهو يعرف ان عليه ان يعدوا اسرع من الاسد الاسرع او سيُقتل وكل صباح ينهض اسد وهو يعرف ان عليه ان يسبق الغزال الأبطأ او سيتضور جوعاً حتى الموت , لا يهم ان تكون أسداً او غزالاً فعندما تشرق الشمس يُفضل ان تبدأ بالركض
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لا يوجد من تهيمن عليه بعد الآن والامر هو كيف تستطيع ان تخلق فرصتك الكبيرة لنفسك وتثابر وان تبقى تخلق فرصاً حتى تستطيع ان تزدهر وافكر اليوم ان الهيمنة هي للفاعلية والتعاون والكفاءة والقدرة على ان تكون لاعباً رشيقاً لكي تبقى في الفريق الذي يلعب على ذلك الملعب واذا لم تكن جيدا كفاية فسوف تجلس وتراقب المباراة من على دكة الاحتياط .. هكذا هي الامور اليوم " راجيش راو "
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اذا تخصصت كل امة في انتاج السلع التي تمتلك فيها فائدة نسبية بالكلفة ثم تاجرت مع الامم الاخرى مقابل السلع التي تخصصت فيها تلك الامم فستكون هنالك مكاسب عامة للجميع في التجارة " ديفيد ريكاردو "
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لكي يواجه الانسان موجة انخفاض الاجور لصالح العمالة المتدنية عليه ان يتحرك رأسياً وليس افقياً اي لكي يحافظ على مستوى معيشته عليه ان يُحدث تعليمه ويحدث مؤهلاته العلمية ولكي يستطيع ان يشغل الوظائف الجديدة التي لابد من أن تنشأ في السوق العالمية الجديدة في العالم المستوي
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ثمة حدود لعدد وظائف السلع في العالم ولكن لا توجد حدود لعدد الوظائف التي تولدها الافكار
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عليكم ان تحدثوا مؤهلاتكم باستمرار لأنه سيكون هنالك وظائف كثيرة في العالم المستوي للناس ذوي المعرفة والافكار التي يجب ان تضعوا ايديكم عليها !
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لن يكون الحصول على وظيفة جيدة امراً سهلاً فسيكون هنالك اناسٌ آخرون كثر يحاولون ان يكونوا اكثر براعة ولن يكون جيدا على الاطلاق ان تكون عاديا في عالمك فليس الا في عالم الجدران المغلقة يستطيع العمل العادي ان يكسب لك اجراً اما في العالم المستوي فانت حقاً لا تريد ان تكون عادياً
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في العالم المستوي نوعان من الاعمال اعمال يمكن استبدالها واعمال لا يمكن استبدالها واي عمل يمكن تحويله الى ارقام بسهولة ونقله الى الامكنة منخفضة الاجور هو عمل يمكن استبداله والعمل الذي لا يمكن تحويله الى ارقام هو عمل لا يمكن استبداله فاحرص على ان يكون عملك من الثاني "ناندان نايلكاني "
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البلد الذي لا يملك موارد طبيعية عليه ان يميل للتنقيب في ذواته وعليه ان يحاول ان يُفعل طاقات شعبه ومشاريعه وابداعاته وذكاءه بدلا من التنقيب عن الآبار النفطية " ريتشارد . سي . كو "
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يجب ان تساعد وظيفة السياسي حيثما كان على تعليم الشعب ما هية العالم الذي يعيش فيه وما هو بحاجة الى عمله اذا اراد ان يزدهر فيه وتوضيح ذلك له جيداً
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يتوجب على الحكومات التي لا تستطيع ان تضمن لشعبها وظائف مدى الحياة ان تؤمن له الادوار التي تجعلهم اكثر قدرة على العمل طيلة الحياة
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على الابوين ان يعرفا في اي عالم سترعرع ابناؤهم وما يجب عمله لهم ليزدهروا ايضاً .. ونحن بحاجة الى جيل من الاباء مستعد لتقديم حب صارم يكون فيه وقت يمنع فيه الاطفال من اللعب ويطفئ به جهاز التلفاز لكي يحين وقت العلم والعمل
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يجب علينا ان نرفع انفسنا الى الاعلى لا ان نحاول ان نسحب الآخرين الى الاسفل او ان نشعر بالأسف على انفسنا
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التطور عملية طوعية تحتاج لقرار ايجابي لتقوم بالخطوات الصحيحة ولكن ذلك يبدأ من خلال فحص المرء مشاعره وافكاره ودوافعه
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عليك ان تبدأ بالميل الى احترام الناس بسبب مواهبهم وقدراتهم وليس على اساس العرق او الاثنية وعليك ان تغير نظرتك الى الناس جميعاً اذا كنت في هذا العالم القائم على اساس الموهبة والعمل بدلا من الخلفية والعرق " جيري راو "
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الثقافة تنشأ في البيئة وليس في الجينات واذا ما تغيرت الظروف المحيطة وتكيف القادة المحليون تتغير الثقافة ايضاً
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ان ما يسهل التطور هو قدرة المجتمع وارادته بالعمل والتضحية معا في سبيل التطور ووجود قادة مجتمع ذوي بصيرة يرون الحاجات التي يجب ان تتوفر بلغة التطور والارادة ويستخدمون السلطة للدفع نحو التغير بدلا من اثراء انفسهم والحفاظ على الوضع القائم " لويس روبيو "
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بقدر ما تزداد ثقتك بنفسك بقدر ما سوف تتخلص من اوهامك وعقدك " لويس روبيو "
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حتى لو كنت على المسار الصحيح فسيدهسك الآخرون اذا جلست هناك وحسب " ول روجرز "
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في الفوضى اكتشف البساطة ومن التنافر ابتدع الانسجام وفي خضم المصاعب تكمن الفرصة " ألبرت أينشتين "
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عندما يستوي العالم حاول الوصول الى مجرفة واحفر في داخلك ولا تحاول بناء الجدران
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المفتاح لان تكون صغيرا وان تتصرف ككبير هو ان تكون سريعا في اغتنام فائدة كل الادوات الجديدة من اجل التعاون للوصول ابعد واسرع واوسع واعمق
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ان كان باستطاعتك ان تفعل ذلك فيجب ان تفعله او سيقوم منافسوك بفعله والتقدم عليك
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العالم اليوم يحتاج الى جيل جديد جيل من المتفائلين الاستراتيجيين جيل الاحلام لا جيل الذكريات الجيل الذي ينهض كل صباح ولا يتخيل ان الاشياء يمكن ان تكون افضل وحسب بل يعمل على ذلك كل الخيال كل يوم
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Saya menelusuri kampung halaman saya lagi seperti Thomas Friedman menelusuri negara India pada saat menulis salah satu buku terbaiknya ini.

Saya diundang ke kebun durian tulang saya, sebuah kebun di bawah kaki gunung Martimbang puluhan kilometer dari kota kabupaten. Baru sekitar tahun 2010an kendaraan bisa dengan mulus masuk ke kebun durian yang bersisian langsung dengan hutan lebat ini, tanah yang diperkeras. Pada tumpukan daun-daun kering di pokok durian itulah saya menemukan plastik kemasan berlogo Indomaret terbuang di sana. Perusahaan nasional itu masuk menerobos lebatnya hutan durian itu. Tak perlu terpaku lama, perusahaan-perusahaan internasional ikut menyeruak masuk di keheningan : kotak Dunkin Donuts, jejak lumpur ban Bridgestone, suara mesin pabrikan otomotif Daihatsu, kaleng-kaleng hitam AHM Oil dan bunyi telepon genggam bermerek Samsung, Blackberry dan Acer. Betapa gencarnya merek-merek itu memenuhi hutan kecil berbau tajam ini, ia hanya tegak tak sanggup melawan.

Dunia telah menjadi datar kembali seperti saat sebelum Colombus menjelajah Amerika. Dunia saat ini hanya sedatar layar laptop atau gadget kita. Pada beberapa detik yang kita butuhkan untuk sekali tarikan nafas, ribuan transaksi dan pertukaran data beterbangan di sekitar kita, melintasi kota, negara dan benua. Kekuatan era digital telah merasuk dalam ke dalam kehidupan sehari-hari kita. Dari hal yang sangat sederhana seperti meng-update status laman media sosial, mengunduh data (music, video, buku dan lain-lain) sampai transaksi keuangan yang rumit antar negara antar mata uang. Kita bisa membeli barang apa saja dari tempat tidur kita, memesan makanan dari telepon atau membaca berita tentang kejadian yang baru saja terjadi di negara lain yang jaraknya ribuan kilometer. Merek-merek negara lain bertebaran dimana-mana melampaui kemampuan manusia menjelajah dunia ini. Friedman menjabarkan 10 kekuatan besar yang mengubah dunia ini menjadi semakin dinamis. Semua bergerak cepat, semua cepat berubah, semuanya cepat menjadi using. Seperti manifesto tokoh-tokoh komunis dunia “Segala bentukan baru akan menjadi usang sebelum sempat berakar. Semua yang padat menguap, semua yang suci direndahkan dan akhirnya manusia dipaksa menghadapi kenyataan hidup maupun relasinya dengan sesama dengan kesadaran indra”.

“Jangan membuang makananmu.! Di India dan Cina banyak orang yang tidak makan.” Itu ucapan orangtua jaman dulu. Dan sekarang lihatlah.! Cina menjadi negara dengan kekuatan ekonomi dan militer raksasa dunia, miliaran kepala manusia berpikir menciptakan atau menjiplak produk-produk yang dijual di dunia, perusahaan-perusahaan raksasa tumbuh disana. India menjadi salah satu negara dengan perkembangan bidang informasi teknologi terbaik di Asia. Sekitar 245.000 orang India yang menjawab telepon dari seluruh dunia atau memutar nomor telepon untuk menawarkan kartu kredit, telepon seluler ataupun menagih tunggakan. India melahirkan generasi Zippies, generasi dengan kesetaraan gender,penuh pendirian, ambisi dan aspirasi. Tenang, mantap dan kreatif. Dunia berubah cepat melalui globalisasi, sebagian menjadi pelaku dan sebagian menjadi penonton. Perubahan memang berat. Perubahan terasa paling berat bagi mereka yang tidak siap dan tidak bisa berubah, Adakah bagian dunia ini yang tak tersentuh kemajuan jaman.?

Globalisasi tidak hanya menggilas negara-negara dunia ketiga. Bahkan Amerika Serikat perlu merasa kuatir dengan aliran-aliran dana, data, pengetahuan bahkan pekerjaan ke negara-negara lain. Demi efisiensi finansial dan waktu, berbagai pekerjaan di-outsource ke negara-negara berkembang mulai dari operator telepon, penyusunan laporan keuangan, pemeriksaan laporan pajak sampai berbagai desain rumit gedung-gedung dan alat tempur. Dan kekuatan utama untuk dapat bertahan adalah mampu berubah dan beradaptasi secepat mungkin.

Dunia memang sudah berubah datar dan orang-orang yang menentang pola pikir ini akan terlibas atau menjadi sekedar penonton. Dimanakah Anda saat dunia menjadi semakin datar.?