World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century (Updated and Expanded)

Great layman's book on the globalization and outsourcing phenomena. Book gets too mired in long chapters about technical stuff but peaks at the end when discussing the impact on geopolitics. Takes a while to read (you must be in the right-frame-of-mind) but once finished, you feel like a winner.

Book Review: The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman is a master of words - his book, The World is Flat, is an eye-opener for even those of us that have seen the world change before our very eyes and have been very aware of the major changes that are taking place in even the smallest, and what used to be the most economically backward countries of the world.

The World is Flat talks about the 10 flattening forces of the world as seen through the author's eyes - these are the forces that brought our world from the closed up shell that it used to be, to what it is today, one with a sense of community and collaboration even outside the borders of individual countries. It tells us how countries like India and China are running the race and doing an excellent job of catching up with the First World countries like Europe and America, and might soon leave them behind. It speaks highly of how the Web and the Internet have empowered individuals to speak their mind, to influence opinions and to expose truths. Globalization not only affects countries and companies anymore - it affects each individual. It talks of efficiencies of economy and scale and how they can both be achieved through globalization and utilizing the human resources on the planet. How citizens of the First World needn't fret because their jobs are being outsourced, because it is a more positive phenomenon than negative, but they would do well to keep updating themselves and carving a niche for themselves in the ever more competitive world.

The book, however, is not all positive. In the last couple of chapters it talks about the negative effects of globalization - how while empowering individuals it also empowers the Osama's of this world, how it can hurt the environment.

The World is Flat is a very balanced book - while one can see that Friedman is clearly pro-globalization, he does not hesitate to acknowledge the side effects of such a phenomenon. Reading a book by an author that is so knowledgeable and whose sources are so credible is a great experience. This book, by any standards, is a must-have and must-read.

Seems mostly dated now. Everyone knows about China and it's manufacturing dominance, the outsourcing of all call-centers and programmers to India. The subject matter is important for anyone involved in manufacturing or software development. The writing could use a lot of editing, many sections are repetitive and unnecessary.

I loved this book! At times, it tends to be a slower read in some of the more detailed technology-oriented sections, but in general it moves at a good pace through Friedman's many encounters and philosophies. I feel it gives a good review of the issues surrounding globalization, which is both well organized and well balanced; he doesn't just spout his opinions, but makes a conscious effort to look at both sides of the discussion. All in all, it's an interesting read and you'll walk away a bit more knowledgeable about current events, major business events, and where our world is headed.