The World Is Flat

[Down In Front]

On an enjoyment level, this book is akin to eating a stale, dry oatmeal cookie without any milk.  However, I feel it is an important book that makes a valiant effort at understanding today's trade, business, technology and politics, and how they fit in with one another and how the paradigm of the world has shifted in front of our very own eyes.

That sentence hardly does the book justice.  I am, admittedly, an intellectual lightweight, which is why it took me about 4 months to read this book.  It felt like homework, but there were some things in there that I was, in fact, able to wrap my brain around that have allowed me the opprtunity to look at many relevant things in today's world from a new perspective.

I typically enjoy lighter fare;  20th century American fiction, historical biographies and books about sports and things.  But I'm glad I made it through this book, and recommend it to anybody looking for some fresh insight in today's world.

[Kwyjibo]

However, I feel it is an important book that makes a valiant effort at understanding today's trade, business, technology and politics, and how they fit in with one another and how the paradigm of the world has shifted in front of our very own eyes.

Our debt has turned us into China's bitch.

It will only get worse from here.

The End.

[Down In Front]

However, I feel it is an important book that makes a valiant effort at understanding today's trade, business, technology and politics, and how they fit in with one another and how the paradigm of the world has shifted in front of our very own eyes.

Our debt has turned us into China's bitch.

It will only get worse from here.

The End.

A large theme to the book, to be sure, but Friedman--the author-- does not paint an entirely bleak picture, assuming we get our shit together in investing more into science and engineering and dream about possibilities rather than fondly recall an inaccurate past...oh hell who the am I kidding...it's bleak.

[*In a Nutsack]

Holy shit...I'm an engineer.  I got work to do, Octaroons.

[Oleg]

I have just finished this book.  I didn't think it was as dry as Mike describes, but it does have some heavy themes to it.

While I didn't necessarily agree with all the conclusions the book makes, it does offer some hope for the future.  Because it's written by a journalist, it tends to oversimplify many of the world factors (Islamo-Leninists...huh?).  Freidman certainly casts a sympathising light on to societies that follow his conclusions (India) and tends to be overly-judgemental to those which don't (most of the Middle East with a few exceptions).  He offers many examples of successes, but has no use for any failures (somehow, I have a hard time believing that EVERY business started in India has been a rousing success).  He is an unapologetic capitalist who thinks a capitalist agenda and reform can solve all societal ills.  I don't completely disagree, but this is far from an objective view of the changing world.  He spends time talking to people who affect change on a nonprofit/NGO level, but spends much more time talking to executives.

Politically, he attacks the current administration for its myopic agenda.  His solutions are to provide more of both math & science and art & lit education to kids.  Excuse the crass, but, d'uh.

At times, the book has both given me hope for our future and made me want to move to a deserted island (desserted island, made of delicious cakes and pies?).  It will definitely have influence as I move through my career and I found it very useful in parts.  Take from this what you need, disregard the rest.

Overall, it's definitely worth a read.  Just make sure you read it with an open mind, not just to Friedman's ideas but also to challenge those views.

[PTanner]

sure Oleg, but the flat earth made it easier for you to shoot the puck last night.

[Oleg]

Ummm...here's something.

[Thrillho]

Ummm...here's something.

I wonder if he had trouble cleaning the pie filling out of his Moustache of Understanding.

[R-V]

Bump. I haven't read the book, but this review is amusing.

On an ideological level, Friedman's new book is the worst, most boring kind of middlebrow horseshit. If its literary peculiarities could somehow be removed from the equation, The World Is Flat would appear as no more than an unusually long pamphlet replete with the kind of plug-filled, free-trader leg-humping that passes for thought in this country. It is a tale of a man who walks 10 feet in front of his house armed with a late-model Blackberry and comes back home five minutes later to gush to his wife that hospitals now use the internet to outsource the reading of CAT scans. Man flies on planes, observes the wonders of capitalism, says we're not in Kansas anymore. (He actually says we're not in Kansas anymore.) That's the whole plot right there. If the underlying message is all that interests you, read no further, because that's all there is.

Moustache of Understanding indeed.