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September 2006 - Article 2
 One of the most pressing issues of the twenty-first century, outside of the war on terrorism, is globalization and how it affects individual countries and individuals themselves. Thomas L. Friedman's "The World is Flat" attempts to cover the scope of this topic and the many subtle effects this movement has on civilization and individual lives. Friedman's tome, already updated from its 2005 edition with nearly 100 new pages, comes in at a weighty 582 pages. Known as a comprehensive writer from other works such as "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" and "From Beirut to Jerusalem", Friedman specializes in a global perspective on macrocosms such as terrorism and trade. And in "The World is Flat", Friedman continues in this vein, looking at how each region in the world might be affects by the changes on the international and electronic front. Friedman's title, "The World is Flat", refers to how the technology brought about by the Internet has leveled many of the hierarchies that made the twentieth century work. The little worker can begin his own business, those in the third world and small towns are no longer isolated and limited because of geography, and through uploading onto the World Wide Web, more people can be the direct authors of their own content and can find a market for their works. All wonderful things, this flattening of the world. But how does this cultural shift affect society and everyone in it? Friedman covers many of the pluses and positive aspects of globalization in the beginning of his book, advocating for global markets and free trade. Friedman's argument is that globalization and outsourcing is here to stay, and that those in the West must adapt to survive. Though respectful of their opinions, Friedman considers those with protectionist attitudes as outdated. The author argues that keeping jobs for the sake of keeping jobs in the United States allows for stagnation, both economically and creatively. The trick is, instead, to make sure that American and the rest of the West are educated enough to keep up with the fast pace of a global world. Despite its breadth of scope, the book is comprehensive without being bogged down in details. Intelligently written, it is lucid in explaining many dynamics that go into the new electronic economics and culture. Informative and entertaining, Friedman diverts from his straightlaced reporter's voice to present colorful metaphors, such as comparing the world to a neighborhood with each part of the world being a particular kind of neighbor, and a five page dissertation listing all the countries that were involved in the manufacturing of his Dell notebook computer. Globalization is a topic that excites Friedman, and it shows in his voice. For someone to want to update a book within a year of writing it, the topic is obviously something he is passionate about. Although Friedman covers so much ground that he sometimes runs into seeming contradictions (do what you love / America needs to get more kids into math and science), and has an obvious bias that belies a reporter's supposed objective voice, "The World is Flat" is an enjoyable and informative read. Friedman argues the pro-globalization side very well, and offers suggestions in arenas where the world not being so flat may be a problem, rounding out the scope of a book that may otherwise seem too one-sided. It is a good read for anyone who wants to research how the round world they learned about in school is being flattened right in front of them. |