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| The Entertainment Review |
| By: Thomas L. Friedman Publisher: Farrar, Staus and Giroux |
It is hard to believe that many people used to believe that the world is flat, but it is obvious that things have changed
over the years and because of technology we now know that the world is not flat, but instead round. In Thomas L.
Friedman’s book, “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century,” readers will find out how annoying
the metaphor used for the title is and how interesting the content of the book can be in the hands of the right
person. Anyone interested in history will enjoy this book even more than the average reader.
The book, in its most basic form, is about how the Internet has changed the world since it was first introduced.
Friedman discusses all of the major updates in technology that led to the eventual outsourcing craze. Even though
many people who will read this book have lived through the dot-com era, many probably didn’t appreciate how
important that time was in the opening of a doorway to India and China. It is through this movement that, according
to Friedman, the world was flattened, a metaphor that gets used time and time again in the book, to the point that
those reading the book may have to take a break simply to get away from the metaphor, though the content of the
book will continue to call them back.
The book is sprinkled with a variety of interesting stories about technology companies that have made a difference in
the world today. Friedman takes readers through the rise and fall of Netscape, one of the first web browsers, though
he tends to steer clear of the involvement that Microsoft had with it. He discusses the story of the Apache
Foundation and explains how it began with the help of IBM. It is a story that many people probably have never heard
about before and it is a really interesting story to read. Friedman also talks highly about open source software and
how important in has been to the world of technology in general throughout the entire book.
Many readers will likely enjoy the discussion of how technology can make a better world overall, and how global
supply chains can help to maintain peace, even among those countries that have trouble getting along. There is
also some fairly basic political overtones throughout the book that encourages America to free itself from the oil
dependency that has arisen and other countries to institute laws that allow them to participate in the global market.
Throughout the is also a lot of talk about the events of 9/11, when the planes hit the towers, and 11/9, when the
Berlin wall came down, as well as how each of these events impacted the entire world. Friedman explains in
extremely frightening detail how the same Internet that empowers companies and businesses and can bring the world
together is the same Internet that also gives power to terrorists, with examples of how Al Qaeda operated all the way
up to 9/11.
Overall, “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” is a great book with a lot of detail on the
power of technology. While the writing style can get to be a little grating at times, the content easily makes up for it.
Anyone who works with technology or has any sort of interest in it would really enjoy reading through this book. Even
those that aren’t fans of technology will be able to learn something new from reading this book.
over the years and because of technology we now know that the world is not flat, but instead round. In Thomas L.
Friedman’s book, “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century,” readers will find out how annoying
the metaphor used for the title is and how interesting the content of the book can be in the hands of the right
person. Anyone interested in history will enjoy this book even more than the average reader.
The book, in its most basic form, is about how the Internet has changed the world since it was first introduced.
Friedman discusses all of the major updates in technology that led to the eventual outsourcing craze. Even though
many people who will read this book have lived through the dot-com era, many probably didn’t appreciate how
important that time was in the opening of a doorway to India and China. It is through this movement that, according
to Friedman, the world was flattened, a metaphor that gets used time and time again in the book, to the point that
those reading the book may have to take a break simply to get away from the metaphor, though the content of the
book will continue to call them back.
The book is sprinkled with a variety of interesting stories about technology companies that have made a difference in
the world today. Friedman takes readers through the rise and fall of Netscape, one of the first web browsers, though
he tends to steer clear of the involvement that Microsoft had with it. He discusses the story of the Apache
Foundation and explains how it began with the help of IBM. It is a story that many people probably have never heard
about before and it is a really interesting story to read. Friedman also talks highly about open source software and
how important in has been to the world of technology in general throughout the entire book.
Many readers will likely enjoy the discussion of how technology can make a better world overall, and how global
supply chains can help to maintain peace, even among those countries that have trouble getting along. There is
also some fairly basic political overtones throughout the book that encourages America to free itself from the oil
dependency that has arisen and other countries to institute laws that allow them to participate in the global market.
Throughout the is also a lot of talk about the events of 9/11, when the planes hit the towers, and 11/9, when the
Berlin wall came down, as well as how each of these events impacted the entire world. Friedman explains in
extremely frightening detail how the same Internet that empowers companies and businesses and can bring the world
together is the same Internet that also gives power to terrorists, with examples of how Al Qaeda operated all the way
up to 9/11.
Overall, “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” is a great book with a lot of detail on the
power of technology. While the writing style can get to be a little grating at times, the content easily makes up for it.
Anyone who works with technology or has any sort of interest in it would really enjoy reading through this book. Even
those that aren’t fans of technology will be able to learn something new from reading this book.
