I started off writing for Blogcritics with my own critical analysis of Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century. It has been over a year and a half since I wrote that review and in that interim, Friedman's book has managed to be on the New York Times Bestseller List for most of the time, and more spectacularly, managed to sell about two million copies. Those figures don't take away from the fact that Friedman's book is deeply flawed, and riven with factual and argumentative inaccuracies.
Ronald Aronica and Mtetwa Ramdoo have tried to set the record straight with their blistering critique of Thomas Friedman in their new book, The World is Flat?: A Critical Analysis of Thomas L. Friedman's New York Times Bestseller. Their book may not be full of Friedmanesque anecdotes, or the kind of newspaper plainspeak that Mr. Friedman offers. Nor is it anointed by the catchy titles Mr. Friedman is so adept at coming up with, such as "Lexus and the Olive Tree" and "The World is Flat." What this new book does offer, however, is a deeply satisfying, encyclopedic, richly supported, step-by-step dismantling of each of Friedman's arguments.
According to Aronica and Ramdoo, Friedman's vision of the globalized world is a deeply skewed account of globalization, often obsessed with the successful multinational corporations of India, the teeming engineers, and the "level" playing field. Not to mention the preoccupations with the limitless opportunities for profit for people who are intelligent or choose to invest in schooling, all the unmitigated fascination with gadgetry, and unbridled confidence in technology.
Even a familiarity with the culture is missing, only rearing up its head in the Middle East to let you in on the fact that its only the backward culture that's holding the Arab civilization back from the wonderful riches on the flat world. There are no losers in the flat world, only people experiencing a time lag in seeing their riches come their way, for the global underclass will be able to educate their kids better and they will eventually be able to get better jobs and better pay. But as the authors astutely point out, there is also a vast global underclass whose resources are being pillaged and leeched ruthlessly by global corporations, leaving them with little or nothing to proceed with.
Article comments
1 - Brad Blake
Haven't read the book, but have enjoyed Mr. Friedman when I've seen in on a couple of talk shows. I'll take your word that much of his book is flawed, but the one area I am in TOTAL agreement with him is that the U.S. truly needs to adopt a GREEN mantra and be the driving force in a new energy world. I see lots of positive examples starting to happen with huge Solar Power investment and growing acceptance here in Silicon Valley, but I'd sure like to see our next administration FOCUS on this instead of OIL!!!
2 - Troped
I'm glad to see someone taking the time to perform a real critique of Friedman's book! I read it and felt it was skewed but what to do? It'll be nice to tell friends now to just read this analysis.
Additionally, anyone who would like a crystal clear picture of what's happening to the world's economy (in ten minutes or less) should take a look at Hans Rosling's talk on world health from TED (the infamous conference of geniuses).
You will not find a better illustration of the facts, nor a more surprisingly positive picture!
3 - Mayank Austen Soofi
Thomas Friedman is what we'll term a celebrity columnist. He is New York Times's very own Paris Hilton. His opinions are entertaining and noticed in all the world capitals. But while mourning over the flatness of his flat world, let's not deny his past genius.
Mr. Friedman was very good in the old days. His book on the Middle East (From Beirut to Jerusalem) remains a very interesting and insightful read. But now he has been caught up in his own web of stardom. His simple I-never-thought-that-way arguments have grown tired. Mr. Friedman needs a break. Perhaps Times must exile him to Baghdad for a two-year stint.
4 - Jessica
i havent read the book but i need to know why mr. freidman thinks the world is flat!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please email me in reguards to this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
5 - fh
the book is terrible dont read it!
6 - concerned citizen
Joseph Stiglitz (Nobel winner for economics and was Chief Economist at World Bank) said while on a trip to India, that 600 million people from India (out of the one billion!) have been left out of the "development" fold of globalization. So, obviously, all India is not going to migrate into middle class, if anything the inequality is far, far worse now, after the advent of globalization.
Similarly newspaper reports have pointed out how Chinese workers are working in apalling conditions, to churn out the low cost products, with poor pay, cramped rooms, no accident or health insurance benefits, no job security, no overtime, long working hours.
I read Aronica and Ramdoo's book. It is a small book compared to the 600 page tome by Friedman, and aimed at the common man and students alike. As popular as the book may be, some reviewers assert that by what it leaves out, Friedman's book is dangerous. The authors point to the fact that there isn't a single table or data footnote in Friedman's entire book.
"Globalization is the greatest reorganization of the world since the Industrial Revolution," says Aronica.
You may want to see this and watch this for an interesting counterperspective on Friedman's "The World is Flat".
Also a really interesting 6 min wake-up call: Shift Happens!.
There is also a companion book listed: Extreme Competition: Innovation and the Great 21st Century Business Reformation.