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The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century Audiobook
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Publisher Description
When scholars write the history of the world twenty years from now, what will they say was the most crucial development in the first few years of the twenty-first century? The attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 and the Iraq war? Or the convergence of technology and events that allowed India, China, and so many other countries to become part of the global supply chain for services and manufacturing, creating an explosion of wealth in the middle classes of the world's two biggest nations? And with this "flattening" of the globe, has the world gotten too small and too fast for human beings and their political systems to adjust in a stable manner?
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"So one mistake I made prior to reading the book was reading some of the reviews. Thought I look at ratings to help me decide which books to read, I believe reading the reviews can dangerously frame one's mind before page 1. At many points in the book did the negative criticisms warrant merit. He does coin terms rather freely and without consequence. And to be honest, many of the terms make no sense or are cop-outs. I was impressed with his anecdotal stories but disappointed with his attempts to characterize/categorize them under his simple buckets of globalization. I agree he does have a very optimistic view of this flattening world but many of his examples only showed the positives. And he constantly reiterates many points to beat it in your head. However, I give it 4 stars under the context that he's a reporter. He wrote what many of us have failed to see up to this point. And I thank Friedman for at least trying to make sense of this force and its impacts so far at critical parts of the world. It is up to us, not Friedman (remember, just a reporter) to further delve into this matter and see what else is at play."
— Yuri (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Excellent…[This book’s] insight is true and deeply important…The metaphor of a flat world, used by Friedman to describe the next phase of globalization, is ingenious.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Captivating…An enthralling read. To his great credit, Friedman embraces much of his flat world’s complexity, and his reporting brings to vibrant life some beguiling characters and trends…[The World is Flat] is also more lively, provocative, and sophisticated than the overwhelming bulk of foreign policy commentary these days. We’ve no real idea how the twenty-first century’s history will unfold, but this terrifically stimulating book will certainly inspire readers to start thinking it all through.”
— Washington Post -
“No one today chronicles global shifts in simple and practical terms quite like Friedman. He plucks insights from his travels and the published press that can leave you spinning like a top. Or rather, a pancake.”
— Christian Science Monitor -
“Friedman…nicely sums up the explosion of digital-technology advances during the past fifteen years and places the phenomenon in its global context…He never shrinks from the biggest problems and the thorniest issues.”
— BusinessWeek -
“[The World is Flat] is filled with the kind of close reporting and intimate yet accessible analysis that have been hard to come by. Add in Friedman’s winning first-person interjections and masterful use of strategic wonksterisms, and this book should end up on the front seats of quite a few Lexuses and SUVs of all stripes.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Excellent...[This book's] insight is true and deeply important... The metaphor of a flat world, used by Friedman to describe the next phase of globalization, is ingenious.
— Fareed Zakaria, The New York Times Book Review (cover review) -
Captivating . . . an enthralling read. To his great credit, Friedman embraces much of his flat world's complexity, and his reporting brings to vibrant life some beguiling characters and trends. . . . [The World is Flat] is also more lively, provocative, and sophisticated than the overwhelming bulk of foreign policy commentary these days. We've no real idea how the twenty-first century's history will unfold, but this terrifically stimulating book will certainly inspire readers to start thinking it all through.
— Warren Bass, The Washington Post -
No one today chronicles global shifts in simple and practical terms quite like Friedman. He plucks insights from his travels and the published press that can leave you spinning like a top. Or rather, a pancake.
— Clayton Jones, The Christian Science Monitor -
Friedman . . . nicely sums up the explosion of digital-technology advances during the past fifteen years and places the phenomenon in its global context. . . . He never shrinks from the biggest problems and the thorniest issues.
— Paul Magnusson, BusinessWeek -
[The World is Flat] is filled with the kind of close reporting and intimate yet accessible analysis that have been hard to come by. Add in Friedman's winning first-person interjections and masterful use of strategic wonksterisms, and this book should end up on the front seats of quite a few Lexuses and SUVs of all stripes.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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One of the 2005 New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books for Nonfiction
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A USA Today bestseller
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Winner of the 2006 Audie Award
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
The World Is Flat 3.0 Listener Reviews
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" I liked some of these ideas--just don't love his writing style. "
— Jean, 2/20/2014 -
" A must read! It will change how you think about the USA's position in the world. And will tell you a lot about Walmart. "
— JoAnn, 2/17/2014 -
" The world systems, including economic, financial, manufacturing and technological systems, are becoming more fully integrated. Thomas Friedman identified many of the ways these various systems are becoming more global in nature. The details on global integration explained in the book are staggering. We are challenged to be more globally minded or miss the really important developments already taking place. "
— Fred, 2/16/2014 -
" Great book, but the editor needs to grow some cajones and cut this thing down. As fascinating a storyteller Friedman is, the examples he used to illustrate some of his points became repetitive. Still a fascinating book from one of the most forward-thinking journalists out there. "
— Andy, 2/15/2014 -
" Hard reading very intense book "
— Lenny, 2/9/2014 -
" A should-read book for knowledge workers and entrepreneurs on concepts and trends. "
— Lori, 2/6/2014 -
" I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who's ever educated themselves beyond a 5 year-old's understanding of economics and globalization. Thomas Friedman is not an economist, and it is apparent as he writes this book. The repetitive anecdotes bored me and seemed slightly patronizing.. I've never been able to finish this book because it takes Friedman so long to get to any of his points, that I've already figured out what he's getting at by the end of the second page of a chapter.. That makes it hard to read on.. "
— Phil, 2/3/2014 -
" I like the way he broke down the information and gave us clear overview about business process around the world. "
— Masha, 1/31/2014 -
" This book sucked as much as From Beirut to Jerusalem shone--clearly a difference in the author's familiarity with the region and US relationship. The World Is Flat ends up being a trite uninteresting stereotype. "
— Cassian, 1/30/2014 -
" "the lexus and the olive tree" drove me crazy. "
— Emily, 1/28/2014 -
" Worth the read to get your eyes opened to how the world is changing "
— Wendy, 1/27/2014
About Thomas L. Friedman
Thomas L. Friedman has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize three times for his work with the New York Times as a foreign affairs columnist. Popular with a large range of readers, his book Hot, Flat, and Crowded was an international bestseller. He is also the author of From Beirut to Jerusalem, The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Longitudes and Attitudes, and The World Is Flat. He currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland.
About Oliver Wyman
Oliver Wyman is an actor and award-winning audiobook narrator. He has won five Audie Awards from the Audio Publisher’s Association, fourteen Earphone Awards, and two Listen Up Awards from Publisher’s Weekly. He was named a 2008 Best Voice in Nonfiction & Culture by AudioFile magazine. He has appeared on stage as well as in film and television, and he is a veteran voice actor who can be heard in numerous cartoons and video games. He is one of the founders of New York City’s Collective Unconscious theater, and his performances include the award-winning “reality play” Charlie Victor Romeo and A. R. McElhinney’s cult classic film A Chronicle of Corpses.