The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

The World is Flat is an excellent overview of how technology is transforming the way business is done in the 21st century. Although the 1990s tech bubble is over, the impacts of new high-tech technology is not. In fact, Friedman shows that even more profound changes are occurring due to new implementations of technology.

The most significant impact is the globalization. In the second chapter, "10 Forces that Flattened the World" chapter, Friedman gives examples of how the Internet and wireless access have allowed improved global supply chain management (Wal-Mart), the free flow of information (Google), new logistics services called insourcing (UPS), and the advent of outsourcing and offshoring (Infosys). He then goes on to explain how these new uses of technology are creating a completely new and competitive business environment by tearing down geographic barriers and allowing more decentralization of production. He calls this tearing down of geographic barriers the "flattening of the world" because it allows countries such as India and China to put skilled labor for sale to American companies without ever leaving their domestic borders.

The advantage of globalization is cheaper and more plentiful products and services for American consumers. But this comes at a great cost: a tougher, more competitive international playing field where once-stable white collar jobs are now outsourced to foreign nations. Unfortunately, Friedman demonstrates that this is not a race we, as the United States, can choose to opt out. To survive, the individual United States worker will have to be more inventive and diversified because the only way for the dominant countries to stay on top of the game is through the innovation of new products.

The book comes to a conclusion urging U.S. educators and policy makers to inspire our upcoming generations to be prepared for the new, flattened world. I recommend this book to all people interested in keeping their job. Any person holding a political office or management position should definitely read this book to be aware of both the benefits and dangers of a flattened world. Most of America is unprepared and unknowing that this change is taking place. If we are to stay on top of the world economically and politically, this is a global change that we must be prepared to face as a nation.

There are numerous reviews already posted that lay out the 10 flatteners defined by Thomas Friedman, so I will not repeat them here. However, the author lays out the history of the 21st Centrury in such a clear, and often alarming way that it is impossible not to be moved. The question is whether the movement will be in the form of an uninformed denial or an inspired initiative.

Suffice it to say that this is an eye-opening call for debate and action at the National level before our response is limited to reaction. Here are a few essentials among numerous issues covered by Friedman:

- Where is the leadership that inspires the US to become self sufficient in energy by the year 2015 with the same passion/National pride that helped put a man on the moon a generation ago?

- How do we make technical education (math/science) an absolute National commitment (including funding) vs. the sloganized, but underfunded, "No Child Left Behind" program. We do not need a program as much as we need results. If it takes 15 years to create an engineer, do the math - but only after you calculate how many engineers are being developed in China and India right now.

- How do we get colleges to be more demanding of/be more accountable for the societal value of their graduates vs. charging higher prices while dismissing students earlier in the year (assumptively to continue to earn more money to pay for the following semester which will cost more for fewer days). In other words, we must increase the intensity of learning to compete with the "emerging" countries that are not seeking to compete with Mexico for the lower labor cost, but to replace the USA as the architect of innovation.

- How do we change the focus of what really matters in our country from obsessive devotion to spoiled/overpaid athletes and entertainers to greater engagement with, and appreciation of the entrepreneurs and dreamers like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and companies like Microsoft and UPS who shape the debate and keep the US out front?

- When are our political leaders actually going to stop preying on the fears of the weak or the aged and begin talking about the future as if it is a National defense issue (because it is)? It would be wonderful to see the metamorphosis of candidates evolving from transmitting negative sound bites of their opponents and everything that is "wrong", to presenting a rallying cry around a vision for the future - and how EVERYONE can/must participate in helping the US to get there (and why it will be better for them and the country as a result).

I could go on, but this is definitely a book that must be read to fully understand that the biggest news of today - and, more important, of tomorrow - is not being learned on Access Hollywood.

Our world has come a long way, not just since the proverbial "beginning of time," but in the last 20, 10, 5 and even 3 years since this book was first published. In "The World is Flat," Thomas Friedman very consciensiously and enthusiastically paints a picture of the detailed landscape of the current world through the eyes of business, technology, cultural and social development. I have traditionally found the topics of globalization, outsourcing and economics dry and rather boring, but the author brings them to life and makes them relevant to each of our lives in a way that is truly captivating. There are countless examples of this in the book, from the impact of the usage of the personal computer to a creative lemonade salesman at a baseball game to Big Macs vs. pizza.

This book filled me with ideas, thoughts and concepts that I had never before imagined and I came away excited about the possibilities that exist in my own hands. I was really struck by the conversation about the urgent value for Americans to exercise their right brain: to do what you love, to invent, create, relate, express, empathize. The point Friedman emphasizes is: "Now that foreigners can do left-brain work cheaper, we in the U.S. must do right-brain work better." This idea made me think of two other authors, Ariel & Shya Kane, who have had a huge effect on how I relate to my life and approach my personal well-being, and whose books also introduced concepts that also completely blew my mind.

The Kanes' technology of Instantaneous Transformation, the phenomenon that occurs when you are truly present and directly engaged in your life and causes problems, stress, worry & fear to dissolve, is another contributor to the flattening of the world. They address the gap between the things that we do, learn and know and what it means to truly 'be': certainly a skill unique to each person in the world. If you enjoy "The World is Flat," check out the Kanes' books, Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment and How To Create a Magical Relationship. I HIGHLY recommend them all!

As a US born citizen, I earned my Ph.D. in physics in Houston in 2000 as a minority student--and I'm not talking about my being Hispanic. I was surrounded by Chinese and Hindu speakers in the middle of Texas. These foreign students had come to the U.S. for one reason. To get as much American know-how as possible before returning home. As Friedman discusses in his book, these students used to stay and help drive our innovation and economy, but now they have good prospects back in their home countries. In other words, the world of science and technology that drives innovation and economic engines is becoming flat. Would you believe that even at Los Alamos National Laboratory, where I currently work, the sound of foreign voices (temporary postdocs) permeates the place?

I don't necessarily believe this foreign presence is a bad thing. Friedman makes the point that much of the world needs to come up to our standards. However, we also can't afford to fall behind. While we try to keep our space shuttles together with chewing gum, China has a vision of putting their people into space and on the moon. And it is now more true than ever that he who controls the high ground controls the battle, be it in warfare or economics.

One thing Friedman needs to address more is stem cells and cloning. While we fight religious fundamentalists killing stem cell research, and debate so-called Intelligent Design, sick Americans are flying to China to get rudimentary stem cell treatments. This was one of the topics that came up when I moderated a UN panel on the bioethics of cloning and stem cells. Imagine, one question went, what will happen in twenty years to the competitiveness of our children when only the richest rich can afford to create offspring with soaring IQs through advanced, pricey invitro/bio technologies. I then asked what will happen to America if in, say, twenty years, the Chinese are creating 150 IQ kids while ours debate Intelligent Design over evolution.

This, cloning/stem cell technology, is just the tip of the iceberg of the coming promises and perils of advanced bio and nano technologies in which America may fall behind. Just Google the research being done to make brain chips to replace damaged brain tissue.

The World Is Flat gives us a much needed wake-up call on the consequences of America existing in a flat world. So too do many other books, e.g., Kurzweil's optimistic The Singularity is Near, and my own science fiction book (Beyond Future Shock) which tries to be more realistic about the promises and perils of advanced biotech in a world with limited resources and Dark Ages religious conflict.

Sincerely,

Alex Alaniz Ph.D.

This is one of the best books I have read about globalization. My immigration background gives me a little advantage to understand this book. Mr. Thomas L. Friedman, the top columnist in NY Times, gave us a "satellite map of the world", which a lot of us will not and can not get it from our own surroundings.

In most part of the book, I totally agreed with the author. For example, I knew exactly what happened in China. Over twenty years ago, China starts its reform in economic field and achieved world recognized success. But its political and social system reform progress can not keep up with its economy progress. China has a long way to go to become a developed country like USA. One thing is very interested for me is that in Chinese government, most of leaders are engineers or scientists; in American government, most of top guys are lawyers. Probably, this can explain some difference between China and USA. As a Chinese, I took deep pride in China and hope one day China can become the strongest country in the world. And, I hope that both China and USA can benefit from each other's resource and market, can live peacefully together. The author talked about the excessive protectionism in some chapters. After 9/11, American government built a wall against the people from outside. Every immigrant gets some kinds of trouble to go through the bureaucratic immigration system. I support to protect the border, censor people's background, block terrorist, not wiretap people. But this wall or excess of protectionism is so high that it "walls ourselves in". Accordingly, more and more people don't want to know what happened outside, don't want to change and only complain to each other. I still think one of the important reason make USA superpower in the world is a lot of immigrant from all over the world. They are well educated, family oriented, and diligent. They contribute the country's future success. My last hope for this current government is to successfully reform the current immigration system. I strongly recommend people to read this book, if you want to know what happened in the current world.

If there are more people in this country can understand "the world is flat", work harder, run faster and become smarter to get our share in the global market, I am quite sure this country will still be greatest country. One day, I may proudly tell my son your dad did a right decision to immigrate to USA, the world's greatest dream machine.

Finally, I like to thank the author for his work. I have not read this kind of good book for a long time. Good job!!! Thank you.