"The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

[Doreen Peri]

Has anybody read this book?

The World Is Flat
A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

http://www.thomaslfriedman.com/worldisflat.htm

I gave it to my brother-in-law for Christmas. Coincidentally, my brother-in-law gave it to his son. So, we had two floating around. I'm thinking of buying myself one. Just curious as to your thoughts about the book if you've read it.

[abcrystcats]

Just curious ... do you buy books for other people that you haven't read, yourself, and that they haven't asked for?

My MOTHER used to do this and it drove me BATTY. If you haven't read it, and I haven't asked for it, how do you have any idea that I'll like it or find it useful? Not to put you on the defensive, or anything. Please excuse me. You were obviously dead-on right about this book choice for this relative, cause it looks like he'd already READ it. Good job on the present! But not my MOTHER. She has no clue what my reading tastes are, and has presumed to know them, without being much of a reader herself, on numerous occasions. mmmpphh.

[mnaz]

I haven't read the book, but I heard Tom Friedman on NPR discussing the book. It's a treatise on the emerging 'global economy'. He gave some interesting real-life examples, etc. I suppose this book should be considered 'required reading', but as for me..... I don't know if I'd get all the way through it.

[Doreen Peri]

Laurie..
yeah, I often buy books for people which I haven't read yet. I buy books based on the reviews of the books and the tastes of the recipient of the gift. And no, my brother-in-law hadn't read the book, either. It had just come highly recommended to him, so he bought it for his son since they both have similar political interests and he was hoping he'd get to read his son's copy after his son read it, so he was quite pleased that I gave him his own copy. Also for Christmas, I bought my mother the book "Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom and gave her the DVD of the same title. I had seen the movie and really liked it but have never read the book. I did read Albom's "Tuesdays With Morrie," though, and so since I was familiar with the movie and thought she'd like it and since I was familiar with the author and like his style, I bought her both. I don't just buy books out of the blue for people. I take my time choosing them based on the types of topics or authors I'm sure the person will like. I've many times given books I've never read. People in my family talk about books and authors all the time so I know when they like certain authors and try to get them new titles by those authors they like. Plus, I know their tastes in non-fiction topics (as in the case of "The World is Flat") and so I read some reviews first, bought it and it worked out great!

Maybe you could give your mother a list of authors you like and include a list of titles by those authors which you've already read. That way, she can get you different titles which you haven't read written by the authors you like. Just an idea.

mnaz-
I don't think I'd get through it either becaues socio-political-economic topics can bore me after a time. But I'd like to borrow my brother-in-law's copy when he's finished with it and read some excerpts. I often don't read non-fiction books from cover to cover. Sometimes I read a chapter here and a chapter there. This seems like the type of book I'd read like that. I bet the NPR interview was interesting. I'd like to have heard it. Maybe i can find it online.

Thanks for both of your replies!

[shamatha1]

I haven't read The World is Flat, but I have read his first book,
From Beiruit to Jerusalem about his time as a reporter in the Middle East, published in 1989, and a great introduction to the problems there. While I haven't read the recent book, I have read his columns in the meantime, many of which make of the book, I believe, and my opinion is that unfortunately, Friedman has become to successful for his own good. He's just to impressed with his own ideas, too sure of himself (see this: http://www.thismodernworld.com/weblog/m ... 02_22.html, scroll to second entry). His oft-used column-writing format is to have an idea, elucidate it, and then for credibility, miraculously find an "Average Joe/Joan" (be it a Dehli cabdriver, and outsourced tech worker, or a Chinese factory worker) who happens give him a quote or two that perfectly supports his thesis. At least it feels that way. How he always find these people who say exactly what he needs them to say, I don't know. (see this: http://www.thismodernworld.com/weblog/m ... 03_07.html, march 9 entry) It's sad, because he was a really good journalist at one time, (and still is, occasionally) and I'd highly recommend Beiruit to Jerusalem, but as for his recent work, I take a pass. Actually, I just read it (or did till NYTimes Select) and get annoyed.

[firsty]

my boss something like recommended "the world is flat" which means i can never read it. she recommended "the davinci code," too. so there you go. the world is SO not flat, anyway. what a maroon.

[e_dog]

m-naz,

i'm sure Th. Friedman and his publisher would be pleased that you think his book is required reading. but i wonder what reason you could possibly have for thinking that given that u haven't read it?

personally, i have never read a book that is literally required reading -- in the sense that any intelligent person should read it -- and i've read a lot of books.

Friedman's basically an ideologue.

see:
http://www.zmag.org/Sustainers/Content/ ... 7shiva.cfm

for a book review of The World is Flat.

excerpt:

Thomas Friedman, describes this deeply divided world created by Globalisation and its multiple offspring's of insecurity and polarization as a "flat" world. In his book "The world is Flat" Friedman tries desperately to argue that Globalisation is a leveller of inequalities in societies. But when you only look at the worldwide Web of information technology, and refuse to look at the web of life, the food web, the web of community, the web of local economies and local cultures which Globalisation is destroying, it is easy to make false and fallacious arguments that the world is flat.

[mnaz]

Reasons:

1). Ideally, I would like to stay somewhat informed on these large issues, even if that means "knowing the enemy". And I could always change the book's "required reading" status halfway through, if it came to that.

2). Some of his NPR interview points and examples were interesting to me.

[e_dog]

point taken.

but, of all the gazillion books out there re: globalization, by economists and political activisats alike, why this one?

i say, if it is on the bestseller list, or if there's a books-on-tape version of it, it's probably crap. just a rule of thumb, no hard and fast rule.

i often wonder why some writers are venerated and given wide-readership through columns. Friedman's always struck me as a superficial, if not outright obnoxious, writer though i admit it's been awhile since i've paid him any attention.

[an aside] Paying attention -- there's an apt phrase, the costs of spending time on this rather than that!

[mnaz]

Thanks for the "heads up", e_dog. I'm finally getting up to speed on this whole neoliberalism thing....