Summary Of Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat

Is the world actually flat? According to Thomas Friedman’s book it is. He explored this notion when he took a trip to India, where he noticed the competition for global knowledge. Throughout his book “The World is Flat” he argues that there are ten forces that flattened the world, claimed the best interest for the United States’ is free trade, acknowledged what actions developing countries ought to implement, analyzed how flattening could flounder, and highlights the challenging framework of creativity developing across the globe today.
The Ten Forces that Flattened the World
November 9,1989 the Berlin Wall fell, yet this event caused creativity to rise. It shifted the balance of power throughout the globe to those who are democratic, consensual,

free-market-oriented governance, and further from the authoritarian rule. Along with creativity rising, the rise of the web took place as well. This allowed communication and interaction with people to be more available. Shortly following, the development of work flow software gave the ability to create, demonstrate, and manage the data for companies. This flow was beneficial because it was less time consuming, more efficient, and more accessible to businesses.
Uploading was defined as “one of the most revolutionary forms of collaboration in the flat world. More than ever, we can all now be producers, not just consumers” (p. 95). There are three different forms including Community-Developed Software Movement, Wikipedia, and Blogging/Podcasting.
The difference between outsourcing and offshoring were clarified. Outsourcing is when a business takes a specific, limited function that it does in-house and joins another company to perform that exact function which then reintegrates the work into the overall operation; whereas offshoring uses their company and relocates one of its native country factories to another country for the functioning in another country.
The more supply chains, the more flat the world is. The book used the example of WalMart and how it operates using low shipping costs and the ability to predict market demand. It benefits consumers by the low costs, but it hinders the ability for a small business to prosper with such a strong competition. On the other hand, insourcing is a practice where the company will take a consultant from within the business to train or perform tasks instead of contracting with another business.
All together, the personal history of an individuals uploading, outsourcing, insourcing, supply-chaining, and offshoring define informing. It gave people the capability of doing things on their own.
Lastly, steroids is the closing force that is believed to flatten the world. These steroids allowed the collaboration for all forms: outsourcing, offshoring, open-sourcing, supply-chaining, and in-forming – to join together. Friedman states: "As a result of these steroids, engines can now talk to computers, people can talk to people, computers can talk to computers, and people can talk to computers farther, faster, more cheaply, and more easily that ever before. And as that has happened, more people from more places have started asking one another the same two question: Can you hear me now? Can we work together now?"
Free Trade in the United States
As long as demand for goods and services increase, the more workers will be needed for the production of them.

Friedman uses the example of how services and goods have become progressively tradable and with that there is more of a need for outsourced, digitized, or automated jobs for the future. He explains that there is three categories of untouchable jobs in the new flat world; people who are “special or specialized, localized and anchored, or the old middle jobs.”
Friedman underlines four skill sets and attitudes to survive employment and education in the flat world. These skill sets include the “ability to learn how to learn, the understanding that curiosity and passion, combined, are more important than intelligence, the ability to play well with others, and knowing the right brain stuff.”
Due to the “mix of institutions, laws, and cultural norms that produce a level of trust, innovation, and collaboration that has enabled us to constantly renew our economy and raise our standard of living” Friedman explains his belief that the United States is able to accustom to the flat world. On the other hand, he believes that the United States aren’t seeing this advantage. In order to prove this point, Friedman reveals six dirty little secrets (The Numbers Gap, The Education Gap at the Top, The Ambition Gap, The Education Gap at the Bottom, The Funding Gap, The Infrastructure Gap) and tries to show account for what could occur if they don’t take advantage of

this.
Friedman states “leadership, muscles, good fat, social activism, and parenting” are the five action areas of compassionate flatism. Although he credits trade in the United States to be progressive in a flat world. The overall goal of compassionate flatism is to reshape welfare to provide the United States the direction, education, skills, and safety nets needed in order to strive when facing another individual in the flat world.
Actions for Developing Countries
“Introspection, commitment to more open and competitive markets, and the cultivation of infrastructure, education, and governance, as well as the creation of business-friendly environments” are ways Friedman advised developing countries to thrive. In order to truly comprehend a country’s economic performance, one must also consider its culture.
How Flattening could Flounder
Some of the reasons why flattening could go wrong can be answered for Freidman by asking two questions: “What are the biggest constituencies, forces, or problems impeding this flattening process, and how might we collaborate better to overcome them?” Friedman believes there will be an environmental crisis when those who live in the unflat world change to live in the flat world.

He encourages Americans to understand the negative effects they are causing. His conclusion is for the United States to join forces with China and India in decrease energy consumption.
Along with negative effects of the flattening culture, Friedman explains that supply chains can also hinder the world. Because of the competitiveness and secure economy it allows more ability to terrorist activity. Friedman concludes that setting restriction of the amount of nuclear weapons is the best way we can control “suicide supply chains.”
Todays Development of Creativity
The day the Berlin Wall came down and 9/11 are examples Friedman uses to show the competing aspects of imagination in today’s world. Iris scans and x-ray machines will help defeat those who are trying to damage the flat world. Along with technology, we need to influence those around us who take advantage of flat world to oppress

others.
There are three great eras of globalization; Globalization 1.0 from 1492-1800; Globalization 2.0 from 1800-2000, and Globalization 3.0 which he says is currently happening. The purpose of this book is to understand the development of the flat world.
Reflection
What really intrigued me was how accurate this book with the future. With being written ten years ago, they are talking about what is happening right now. One of the statistics in the book talked about how each person will have a blog. At first, I thought “well, they’re wrong” but then it occurred to me everyone truly does have their own blog. Now whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, blogs, and more, people are expression their opinions and what they did that day. They are able to write, post pictures, and live videos. We don’t have to sit and wait for a few days to take in our camera to a store like Wal-Mart to get them printed, but now we have the access to do it in seconds. It’s truly mind-blowing to me how convenient it is. Also, how with the development of technology and the web, it allows more independence on peoples style, but I do believe it hinders our in personal conversations. On the other hand, I like how it does allow us to keep in contact with those across the globe. Overall to me, it’s both scary and exciting to see what the future holds.