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

In the eyes of Thomas Friedman the world is no longer round, it has become flat. This flattening is the result of the World Wide Web, high speed internet access, the fall of the Berlin Wall, outsourcing, uploading, and several other factors. A flat world means that everyone has access to the same information, opportunities, and potential. A kid in Warsaw can research information from the great western libraries and an accountant in India can do your taxes; the playing field has been leveled to an extraordinary degree.

Friedman looks at how this affects individuals seeking jobs, corporations, developing countries, and US foreign policy. All these parties must behave differently to survive in a flat world. He writes in depth about the problems each of these groups face and what they can do to thrive in this new economic and geopolitical situation.

The book is incredibly well researched and the author is well traveled. He spent time at many different corporate headquarters and visited India and China to see for himself the effect this globalization is having there. The text is filled to the brim with individual stories, quotes and interviews which lend a narrative style and a legitimacy to what Friedman has to say.

The author believes very strongly that free trade is a good thing and that it will help the most people around the world faster than any other system. He is quick to marvel at gigantic corporations, which may or may not be be forces of good, and may or may not act in responsible ways. He looks at the Middle East with a very critical eye asking why they have fallen so far behind and why their people are so hateful as to turn to suicide terrorism. Friedman has his point of view and certainly has his biases. As with any "history" book, this one must be read with an open and balanced mind.