THE WORLD IS FLAT

by Thomas L. Friedman



The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century was the perfect follow-up to The Post-American World. This brought globalism right down to the individual and what we need to consider as we all try to navigate our way through a fast-changing world. The Berlin Wall, 9/11, Wal-Mart, India, China, economics, education, the future of "job security", the war on terror, Friedman covers so much ground it makes your head spin. But at no time does he make the reader feel it is too difficult to understand. Granted, he simplifies some of it for us laymen, but I had no trouble understanding his greater points. I could laugh at some of the sillier analogies while concurrently mulling over the true significance of the issue being discussed.

I admit that, for better or worse, part accidentally and part on purpose, I've spent the vast majority of my life in a bubble of ignorant frivolity. This book, along with the previously mentioned Post American World, has strengthened my resolve to go forward paying more attention to the world not only immediately surrounding me, but to the world outside the borders of the U.S. In the clever words of a bumper sticker I saw recently: I love my country, but it's time we started seeing others.