Friedman, Thomas L. The World is Flat. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. 608 pp. Jennifer Scarbrough
aegis 2007 164
The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman is a masterpiece about the changes that took place in the 21st century which drove the world to globalize at an increasing rate which is still occurring today. Friedman also discusses what this means to the world and why governments and societies must change and adapt or be left behind. Friedman traveled the world in order to research this book. After visiting ground zero of India’s outsourcing industry—Infosys—he began to realize that “the global competitive playing field was being leveled. The world was being flattened.”(8) Through his research, he noticed that the “flattening” of the world was not only drawing innovators and multinational companies, but also angry terrorist groups who distrust and reject globalization. Globalization, however, offers the possibility for individuals to collaborate and compete on a global versus a national scale. Globalization today also means moving work where it can be done best. “The gains in productivity will be staggering for those countries, companies, and individuals who can absorb the new technological tools. And we are entering a phase where more people than ever before in the history of the world are going to have access to these tools—as innovators, as collaborators, and, alas, even as terrorists.”(47) Friedman lists the forces that “flatten” the globe: the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of Netscape and the dot.com era, the emergence of common software that allows global collaboration, the rise of outsourcing, insourcing, offshoring, uploading, and in-forming. These “flatteners” came into effect around 2000 and helped to mold the world into a more globalized society. The countries that emerged due to the effect of the “flatteners” on industrialized countries are China, India, and the former Soviet Union. Friedman states that the three billion people who were out of the game, walked onto the playing field. Friedman also writes about the United States and how they may have “missed the bandwagon.” In a speech given at MIT, Friedman said there was a “political perfect storm—the dotcom bust, the attacks of 9/11, and the Enron scandal—distracted us completely as a country.” Just when we needed to really focus on globalization and its effects in order to compete in the new “flat” world, we were looking elsewhere. The new updated and extended version of The World is Flat, published in 2006, includes an extra 100 pages which talk about current events including 9/11. Overall, this book is a great but lengthy read. This book would be of great interest to students studying business, especially at a global level. It is an intriguing book that interests the reader from start to finish.
