Book Review - The World is Flat

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century

Thomas L. Friedman

Product Details:

ISBN: 0374292884
Format: Hardcover, 488pp
Pub. Date: April 2005
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

I received this book as a gift from a friend and for the first few chapters, I was quite frightened at the scenario being presented.

However, once I had adjusted to picture that Friedman paints of the new flat world, I realized that this new way of living and working is something that is going to happen regardless of whether I like it or not.

This will be a raging debate among people with divergent political views about the validity of the worldview presented in this book, but Friedman makes a convincing point in my opinion. He has been to the places around the world that seem remote to us, but are closer than ever because of a variety of "flatteners".

I found the book to be enlightening and challenging. It was also validation for the personal survival strategies I have developed over the past five years (see this article).

Friedman does a masterful job of outlining the recent history of the world that has brought us to this point and also describes the future that is likely to unfold.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to eat or have a roof over their head in the coming years. Oh, and yes, it would also be a great read for anyone who would like to prosper.

Reviewer - Randy Rice