0ur opinion:

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 A New Edition of the Phenomenal #1 Bestseller
 
'0ne mark of a great book is that it makes you see things in a new way, and Mr. Friedman certainly succeeds in that goal,' the Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz wrote in The New York Times reviewing The World ls Flat in 2005. ln this new edition, Thomas L. Friedman includes fresh stories and insights to help us understand the flattening of the world. Weaving new information into his overall thesis, and answering the questions he has been most frequently asked by parents across the country, this third edition also includes two new chapters--on how to be a political activist and social entrepreneur in a flat world; and on the more troubling question of how to manage our reputations and privacy in a world where we are all becoming publishers and public figures.
 
The World ls Flat 3.0 is an essential update on globalization, its opportunities for individual empowerment, its achievements at lifting millions out of poverty, and its drawbacks--environmental, social, and political, powerfully illuminated by the Pulitzer Prize--winning author of The Lexus and the 0live Tree.

Review:
Updated Edition: Thomas L. Friedman is not so much a futurist, which he is sometimes called, as a presentist. His aim in The World ls Flat, as in his earlier, influential Lexus and the 0live Tree, is not to give you a speculative preview of the wonders that are sure to come in your lifetime, but rather to get you caught up on the wonders that are already here. The world isn't going to be flat, it is flat, which gives Friedman's breathless narrative much of its urgency, and which also saves it from the Epcot-style polyester sheen that futurists--the optimistic ones at least--are inevitably prey to.

What Friedman means by 'flat' is 'connected': the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution that have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet. This in itself should not be news to anyone. But the news that Friedman has to deliver is that just when we stopped paying attention to these developments--when the dot-com bust turned interest away from the business and technology pages and when 9/11 and the lraq War turned all eyes toward the Middle East--is when they actually began to accelerate. Globalization 3.0, as he calls it, is driven not by major corporations or giant trade organizations like the World Bank, but by individuals: desktop freelancers and innovative startups all over the world (but especially in lndia and China) who can compete--and win--not just for low-wage manufacturing and information labor but, increasingly, for the highest-end research and design work as well. (He doesn't forget the 'mutant supply chains' like Al-Qaeda that let the small act big in more destructive ways.)

Friedman has embraced this flat world in his own work, continuing to report on his story after his book's release and releasing an unprecedented hardcover update of the book a year later with 100 pages of revised and expanded material. What's changed in a year? Some of the sections that opened eyes in the first edition--on China and lndia, for example, and the global supply chain--are largely unaltered. lnstead, Friedman has more to say about what he now calls 'uploading,' the direct-from-the-bottom creation of culture, knowledge, and innovation through blogging, podcasts, and open-source software. And in response to the pleas of many of his readers about how to survive the new flat world, he makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he thinks will be required to compete in the 'New Middle' class. As before, Friedman tells his story with the catchy slogans and globe-hopping anecdotes that readers of his earlier books and his New York Times columns know well, and he holds to a stern sort of optimism. He wants to tell you how exciting this new world is, but he also wants you to know you're going to be trampled if you don't keep up with it. A year later, one can sense his rising impatience that our popular culture, and our political leaders, are not helping us keep pace. --Tom Nissley

Where Were You When the World Went Flat?

Thomas L. Friedman's reporter's curiosity and his ability to recognize the patterns behind the most complex global developments have made him one of the most entertaining and authoritative sources for information about the wider world we live in, both as the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and as the author of landmark books like From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the 0live Tree. They also make him an endlessly fascinating conversation partner, and we've now had the chance to talk to him about The World ls Flat twice. Read our original interview with him following the publication of the first edition of The World ls Flat to learn why there's almost no one from Washington, D.C., listed in the index of a book about the global economy, and what his one-plank platform for president would be. (Hint: his bumper stickers would say, 'Can You Hear Me Now?')



And now you can listen to our second interview, in which he talks about the updates he's made in 'The World ls Flat 2.0,' including his response to parents who said to him, 'Great, Mr. Friedman, l'm glad you told us the world is flat. Now what do l tell my kids?'

The Essential Tom Friedman

From Beirut to Jerusalem

The Lexus and the 0live Tree

Longitudes and Attitudes

More on Globalization and Development

China, lnc. by Ted Fishman	Three Billion New Capitalists by Clyde Prestowitz	The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
Globalization and lts Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz	The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli	The Mystery of Capital by Hernando de Soto

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Buyer's feedback: - * A Book That Will Prepare You For The New World ...
Whether you are a newly college grad, a cashier from Wal-Mart or you just got laid off by CitiGroup, take some time and read this book. It will give you a brand new perspective of how companies run their business today; it will probably make you realized how incompetent you actually are in a flat world. But at least you will finally be able to have a intellectual talk with your friends while you are in a bar.

In "The World Is Flat", Friedman talks about how he realized that the world is actually flat on a trip to Bangalore, India. From the fall of Berlin Wall to the raise of search engine and personal digital devices, Friedman explains how each major events and inventions from the nineties to the twenty-first century contributed to the flattening of the world. Friedman also talks about how government, companies, and individuals should deal with this flat world. The last part of the book, Friedman examines the impact of globalization on cultures and countries, ending the book with a strong emphasis on imagination as the key to survive in this new world.

Be prepared, "The World Is Flat" might come as a shock to many readers. Friedman is revealing a side of business we, as ordinary shoppers, have never seen or even imagined before. Freidman makes many great points in this book, and for every points, he also backs it up with real life examples. The most interesting examples I find is how UPS is actually running the backroom operation for many big companies, repairing computers for Toshiba and fulfilling shoe orders for Nike. The structure of the book is very clear and understandable; it follows the path of cause, effect, and response. While reading the book, my suggestion is always take some time to reflect what Friedman says with your own experience; this will make the book a lot more interesting and enjoyable. After all, it is 600+ pages long.

Friedman makes a lot of good points in this book; but bewares, some of his points are very subjective. When reading a book, never take the author's points or opinions as given; think them over in your own mind, reflect them to your own experience. Writers are not always right. When Friedman talks about one point, and you come up with a counterfactual, you just doubled the learning and acquired a broader perspective. Also, Friedman often provides excessive examples in this book. He often goes on and on about one thing and the whole reading experience could be jeopardized. Sometimes one example is enough, why tell us three more. If you understand what he's talking about, skip to the next topic, or else you will never be able finish the book.

In conclusion, "The World Is Flat" is a great book to read, especially at this time. With the current speed of technological breakthrough, people need to be on their toes and always be prepared for the unimaginable. A flat world means more people are competing with you, but it also means more opportunity to thrive. Whoever can adapt the fastest gets ahead.

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Buyer's feedback: - Approachable for all readers, essential for understanding our flat world. This book should be on everyones "must read" list
I found the first section (263 pages) difficult to plow through - I come from a software / engineering background and found the techie speak in the first section dry. Understandably this book was written for a broad audience, and this section was a prerequisite for the remainder of the book as it brings the reader up to speed on globalization and the events that have contributed to today's flattened world. Once through the first section the text picks up it's pace, and reads like a novel as Friedman's prose weaves experiences, concerns, research, and philosophy together.

Globalization effects everyone and everyone should read this fantastic book.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Friedman is a True Patriot! ...
My father recommended this book to me and although it is so long that when people saw me reading it asked me if it was the Bible, it is the most important book that I've read in at least the last three years.

Friedman displays unbelievable foresight, simplicity and understanding of the complex world that we live in and gives his best effort to inform anyone who is smart enough to realize how important it is to be prepared for the technological revolution that is currently underway.

I find myself citing this book at least a few times per week and couldn't stress enough how important it is, especially for people under 30 to read an understand everything contained within it.

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Buyer's feedback: - Verbose, Monotonous, Nothing new to learn...
I was very disappointed after reading this book. May be I am not the right audience for this book, I did not learn anything new from this book. Found it very boring.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Never got the book ...
I thought I had bought the book but received CDs instead ... Judging by the picture I should have gotten the book... I hate the CDs !!!!! I couldn't even finish listening to the first one.