The average user rating for this Book is 5.3 out of 10 (based on 52 Votes).
dheeraj r gave it a9: I Higly appriciates this book, this book gave me to look economy in a broder prospective.It is a kind of book which wll ring a bell in your mind,"Wake up boss, It's not a time to yawn" It has been recommended to me by some one and I definitly recommended it to some one else.
Amanda I gave it an8: Friedman never claims to be a revolutionary. The book is a series of anecdotes which contributed to his revelation about how the world is proceeding. He does a good job of showing the average western person how everything is connected in their own world to the globalized world. If anything this book should serve as a wakeup call for narcissism everywhere and say "you don’t matter...we can replace you". He pays little attention to those who lay outside of the flat world and I am not a fan of the way in which he discusses culture but not everyone can be a cultural relativist.
Joe B gave it a5: Great eye opener to the average American, however this book was incredibly depressing with all of the metaphors when in all reality I believe America has much to look forward to. As I always say, chew the meat and spit out the fat, great work Friedman.
Genevieve L gave it an8: I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Althoguh i am still only in highschool, it gave me a great outlook on buisness and what is to come in the future. I definitly reccommend it to anyone!
bernard c gave it a4: tedious, overly repetitive, self serving, and self adulating. The same sort of view comes from 'the power of productivity' by wm. Lewis without the metaphores (and admittedly without the globalization technology emphasis)
Sheetal RL gave it a10: Me highly impressed ..M currently working as an E - Recruitment Specialist & this book is being of immense interest to me..I hav a hard copy as well as an e-book to enjoy reading at home as well as in office ;) Keep UP Th e GOOD WORK
Paul D. gave it a0: This book deserves the worst ranking possible. There is very little substance. It is very repetitive in pointing out that our world is becoming smaller (not flatter!)... gee whiz Friedman, thanks for pointing this out for us! If you are curious about just how bad this book is, don't buy it... read it for 20 minutes in your local library/bookstore and you will quickly make these realizations for yourself.
Matthew gave it an8: Very beneficial to read in order to understand current world events in the economic department.
Maurice V gave it a0: The world is depressing when someone who has so little to say wins 3 Pulitzer Prizes. This is the nonfiction equilvalent of The DaVinci Code. People who run big important companies read this junk with their mouths open as if it was the word of God. We are all - each and everyone of us - so stupid.
D E gave it a2: I'm with you FAS, I have to slog through this garbage too. Horribly written for idiots - and they are eating it up. Name dropping, unending and tortuous cutesy metaphors, left wing idiotic Bush bashing, complete lack of understanding of economics, I could go on and on-- but unlike Friedman--I will be merciful. One more thing for those who may consider reading this: he actually calls the intricacies of geopolitics intangible! No, Friedman, they are extremely tangible for anyone who bothers to take the time to understand them. Read Stratfor.com, or a fantastic book by another Friedman, this one is George Friedman if you really want to know.
Mathew H gave it a7: Targeted at the popular mainstream, this is a book that spells out a provocative mix of concurrent trends Friedman expects to define the 21st century. At its best, the book makes accessible to the lay reader the origins, development and significance of these world-shaping phenomena. Most of the criticism leveled toward the book pertains either to the style of writing—too first person folksy and not properly scholarly—or nitpicky points which do more to identify a reviewers limited perspective than to critically confront the general theses of the book. While the book successfully provokes discussion and awareness of where things may be headed and why, it tends to give short shrift to alternative futures and to the fate of those who don't want to, or can't, paddle in these same strong currents.
Don M gave it an8: An interesting book, an eye opener, for the under develop to developing to developed countries, Developed countries must remember not to assume or take their other lesser fortunate countries for granted. For the individuals we could reflect it in our daily lives and see the changes around us and ask reflection questions. One could look from a bird's eye view bearing in mind the coin has more than 2 sides, depending which angle we are looking at. When we start looking at it from the objective point of view and not be personal with our reviews we will be able to see the pros and cons of this book. This book brings to us hard facts of what is happening around us and it makes us think what else could be happening as we read these reviews. Countries like China and India did take the world by storm from right under the noses of the developed countries. The world was already going flat the day Concorde flights broke the time barrier in flying. Today we have sophisticated technologies and ideas to meet practically most of our reasonable and unreasonable demands but one thing still remains unchanged "We do not have enough time!" Thomas Friedman has cleverly and meticulously visited the 4 corners of his flat world and has penned his thoughts, facts and vision for us the readers, to ignite our sleeping or hibernating brains and subjective thinking to more reflective and objective. We can argue all that is written in the book but the question is, Is our arguement based on objectivity or are we being subjective?
Chris D. gave it a2: Unreadable. His premise breaks down from the very start. His daughters can't study harder in order to compete in this "flatter" world--unless they also figure out a way to live on $20K/year in the U.S. I guess he needed to renew his lock on invitations to be the keynote speaker at the shareholder meetings of various global corporations.
paul k gave it a2: This guy cheerleads the end of good paying work and mostly makes excuses. It is almost like he waits for Armeggedon with a napkin tucked into his shirt, like it's some gourmet Meal. The guy has been an overpayed hack for the times way too long.
Pat S gave it a9: Perhaps I am not a financial whiz, but I love books make think. I have heard all the doom and gloom about globalization and none of the possibilities. This book presents alternative viewpoints to be considered and the need for a planned vision for our planet that incorporates the contributions of all of us.
F. A.S. gave it a0: TERRIBLE! I am force to read this trite, I can't take it! From bad form to his perception that he miraculously discovered things 10-graders know, to his extremly bland and stupid metaphors and language (Globalization 1.0? Is that the best name a person can call phases of globailzation, how about a meaningful name for a change), to many things I want to complain about but don't want to wrench my heart thinking about the fact that I have to complete this stupid reading!
bryan s gave it a2: Tireless and tedious self promotion. Breathless discovery of the already discovered.
Kenneth L gave it a9: Friedman does a masterful job of pulling together many far-reaching developments to define a tipping point for an emergent new world. His discussion sketching of the ten flatteners working, increasingly together to produce a more interconnected and transparent world is well worth reading and pondering. His method is inductive. His two main tutors are two Indian entrepreneurs, Vivec Paul, president of Wipro, and Nandan Nilekandi, CEO of Infosys. He dives into key companies such as Wal-Mart and UPS, for example, and examines how they advanced supply-chaining and a global delivery system, respectively. Read it and weep if your political leaders do no begin to address the questions Friedman raises. I suggest that it be required reading for all politicians in the US, EU, & the Far East, as well as the developing world, together with academics, journalists, and anyone wanting to begin a solid discussion of the shape of things to come in the twenty-first century. At least, Thomas Friedman has single-handedly launched such a debate. Will the flat world come into existence? Who knows? Friedman was one of a number of teachers, along with Lawrence Summers, et. al., of a course on gobalization this spring at Harvard. He is performing a role in focusing attention on the future of the twenty-first century and promulgating such reflections and debate.
Lori E gave it a5: Perhaps my own bias at being involved in technology for a few years now, exposure to technolgy tade magazines I guess; The buzzwords and name-dropping made my ears a bit sore mid-way through the book. In technology circles most of Friedman's assertions were long predicted, and most analysts worth reading have factored in the migration of outsourcing in their outlooks. This is probably better reading for the mainstream or "unwired" business reader on his plane trip. It's good to see the suspicions diagramed by Friedman, but his 'flat earth' metaphor is awfully familar to readers Motley fool's "Foolish Investing" series of a few years ago. Valid concepts and predictions; metaphor a little over-used.
Patrick B gave it a0: Friedman promotion of corporate greed and capitalism and claiming EVERYONE who doesn't follow along is pure and utter rubbish. His banter continues all through the book as if he is all knowing. Maybe he should start getting in touch with philosophy 101 and think heartily about Socrates most famous quote "knowing is knowing you know nothing". Its people like Friedman that are the problem in this world. People with power or have influence over people that have power that corrupt other peoples ways of life. the idea of America was never one of getting everyone else in the world in line with us.....It was one of which everyone can live their own lives the way they wants to.....to be free. Unfortunatly Friedman would prefer a world where everyone was a slave to a corporation.
William B gave it a7: This book should be required reading for all high school seniors. It will give them a much needed cold, slap in the face. Their generation is in for some very stiff competition from billions of folks from China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and a thousand other places, who are now globally interconnected and newly empowered. These people are extremely motivated, longing for a bigger piece of the economic pie, and ready to clean America's clock! Fat, lazy, complacent Americans beware! Engineering and science in this country have fallen into appalling mediocrity. Friedman makes a powerful case, but is too CEO worshipping, and too relentlessly optimistic about the future and doesn't adequately address the powerful and ugly forces within our own country and elsewhere that can derail the whole flat earth enpowerment process.
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