The World Is Flat
by Thomas L. Friedman
In The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman postulates that the development of technology has reduced the distance between people. He points to ten forces which have created this change. These include the fall of the Berlin Wall (time at which capitalism triumphed over communism) and the invention of Windows, the date on which Netscape went public (the introduction of the internet based systems platform), the ability of computer systems to talk to each other, Y2K, and others. As a result people around the world are able to communicate, exchange information, and collaborate in ways never before possible. A global, Web-based playing field was created that reduced the advantage of corporate giants and empowered both the individual and the small business.
Along the way Friedman discusses the technological and business innovations which made these developments possible. He details the businesses which have made the most of a flat world by becoming multi-national companies. In America, that has often meant out-sourcing which Friedman admits is difficult but he argues that it is advantageous in the long run. He addresses concerns over the future of America including the substandard education and gives strategies for surviving the flattening of your company.
I found this book fascinating partly due to my business background but also because Friedman named and explained a phenomenon which I had observed in my individual life. Let me explain how my world is flat. First of all, I have eccentric tastes. I enjoy music and books which are not part of the mainstream. A flat world allows me to download the songs I want to my i-Pod. It doesn’t matter if the music was performed in China or South America. I can find it. I can also order (via Amazon) or download (via my Kindle) books which no one else has read in years. For instance I recently enjoyed reading a book by the Venerable Bede which was written circa 731 A.D. Not only is this book hard to find, it is also prohibitively large in its paper format. Both problems were solved by downloading it.
A second example is the lessons which I teach the children. This is a great and blessed time to be homeschooling. I can order any type of text I want (even the non-technological Mennonites have someone who sells their books on-line). For history I frequently tap into lapbooking lessons created by moms around the world – including China and the Philippines. Our German pronunciation is helped by a web-site which has audio pronunciation of any word or phrase we need. We are currently studying space in Science class. With a little on-line research I was able to download a workbook about the Chandra observatory (which has fascinated the kids) and to order educational materials – both free. The list of resources is endless.
A third way in which my world is flat can be classified as “communication.” Applications such as Facebook and Skype allow us to stay in contact with distant friends and family members. This enhances our sense of family and community and allows us to show concern for one another even from Idaho. When I have a question – or when I am answering one of the thousands which stream from the kids – I can quickly find someone who knows the answer. For example, my nephew recently needed several teeth pulled. I was able to answer his mom’s questions by contacting my husband’s cousin who is a dental assistant. And this didn’t takes days or weeks. It was the work of mere moments. Now that is a flat world.
