May 1, 2006. Review: The World Is Flat, by Thomas Friedman

"The World Is Flat," by Thomas Friedman, is a thorough account of globalization from the businessperson's perspective. Throughout the book, Friedman emphasizes that globalization has made doing business a level playing field for all parties involved, and in his "10 Flatteners" describes historic events and technological advancements that have attributed to a flatter global marketplace. Each of these events are widely known, so it is not surprising to see that Friedman chose the evolution of Netscape and the Internet as one of the most important business and technological advancements. Just as important, Friedman argues that the fall of the Berlin wall marked the widespread acceptance of capitalism versus communism.

The key to American businesspeople in this book is understanding Friedman's analysis of the current US economy and how it compares to the rest of the world. The fact that much of the developing countries have superior education systems is a cause for concern. Friedman argues that the United States must get back to basics so that we are not overtaken in innovation and knowledge, though many US firms are complacent. Continual outsourcing and offshoring of services (such as auditing and other activities that require specialized and knowledged workers) will only make matters worse. For the American businessperson that is worried about having his or her industry outsourced or offshored, Friedman argues that specialization and innovation will prevail in keeping the industry domestic.

The major weakness of this book is the fact that Friedman does not go in-depth on current political instabilities in Eastern Europe and Asia that can cause unforseen consequences. He mentions that the tensions in Iran and North Korea are very real and can "unflatten" the world, but for the businessperson trying to tap into the global "flat" marketplace, he does not give any advice as to how to prepare for Iran and North Korea's ever-growing nuclear concerns. It is almost as if Friedman treats these rogue countries as constants, yet their actions could add to his "10 Flatteners." Future attempts at globalization will definitely need to take into account additional political tensions.

The most important parts of this book are the 10 events that Friedman describes. I would recommend that any businessperson reading this book to be as unbiased as possible. While Friedman presents both sides of the story, his emphasis on America's need to level the playing field points to his belief that America needs to remain the undisputed superpower of the world. Personally, I feel that globalization has just the opposite effect and makes the world "flatter," and while Friedman argues the same, he seems to want to make it round by keeping America dominant, yet contradicts himself by saying America's actions in the global economy make the world flat. Confusing to say the least. Overall, I thought the book was insightful in that it provided many perspectives. I think the goal of this book was to create confusion and lead the thought-process, and it is successful at doing that.