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A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

Let’s run through what is triggering the 21st-century thought of free society.

You have to think broader than merely moving your career into the fast lane. With this in mind, you have to strive to get the hang of the possibilities which are fueled by globalization.

It all boils down to 1k+ words, in which we’ll mix the author’s and our perspective on the topic.

Who Should Read “The World Is Flat”? And Why?

Well, when a book this progressive is written, we are left with both hands tied behind our back – which means that it’s pretty evident that “The World Is Flat” speaks to everyone.

We, think highly of Thomas Friedman, and putting a good word for his book, is a straightforward job to us.

As a matter of fact, we recommend this masterpiece, to all those troubled by the 21st-century mainstream agendas!

About Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman is an eminent, and highly appreciated American Journalist, and award-winning author, whose work has been featured on the New York Times – Magazine.

He is an expert in global affairs, foreign exchange, terrorism, international trade and so on. He also wrote Hot, Flat and Crowded.

“The World Is Flat PDF Summary”

The World is Flat is an out-of-the-box and historical masterpiece, whose conventional narrative is based on facts and personal viewpoints. All the anecdotes and tales go into detail and throw light upon the elements of a flattened-world!

So, why “Flat”? What will flatten the world?

We sincerely hope nothing, and these events would remain only remain in our memory because any further experiments will endanger the progress.

The ideal country in a flat world is the one with no natural resources because countries with no natural resources tend to dig inside themselves. They try to tap the energy, entrepreneurship, creativity, and intelligence of their own people-men and women-rather than drill an oil well.

The author covers a wide range of topics, from various cultures and industries, who are brought into line with the problems that plague the world. Tackling them down is easier said than done, and we must give some thought to solving it, from an unbiased perspective.

According to Friedman, globalization commenced long before the technological and digital era. It was all set off by Columbus and other significant military conquests, which marked the beginning of worldwide integration.

Jerry Rao, one of the people Thomas met up with, has an essential role in digging up information and evidence regarding the New World.

Jerry, give the main points on the capabilities of the information-exchange era, where you can literally buy a plane, or get a hair appointment with a click. Geographical boundaries are thinned out, which introduces outsourcing as a “lethal” and profitable asset for the business community.

In the spotlight, the author outlines ten forces/factors which not only trigger but sustain the level of a globalized world. In a minute well get to them, but first, take a moment to learn something, and gain insights into the pros and cons of global integration.

With the dissolution of the Iron Curtain, the transition from authoritarian rule to a democratic society was eased, but not even that served as a guaranteed for streamlining the globalization processes.

Communism was a great system for making people equally poor – in fact, there was no better system in the world for that than communism. Capitalism made people unequally rich.

When the Internet was launched, the proceedings took a turn for the better, and open the doors to forming an invisible union.

List of Ten Forces

1. 1. The collapse of Berlin Wall–11/89: This event, supposedly ended the Cold War and merged the East and the West. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, except on paper. The economic system collapsed, and as a result, a free economy emerged in the Eastern Bloc, which was influenced by other foreign factors as well.

1. 1. Netscape: The scope of the Internet proliferated, and transited from “Geeky” thing, to a worldwide sensation. Now, a significant portion of the population has internet access, and the communication is on another level.

1. 1. Workflow Software: The human eye, and eagerness to advance, sparked innovation and creativity to build machines which can perform various rational functions. As reported by Friedman, these three forces can be labeled as the new platform for global cooperation.

1. 1. Uploading: Indeed, the digital era presents an abundance of opportunities, such as to upload, edit, delete, or modify online projects, with people on the other side of the planet. Open source software, such as Wikipedia is the best example in this regard.  

1. 1. Outsourcing: This force emphasizes the importance of cost-efficiency, and evidently, the manufacturing or service-providing process is split into multiple pieces, all done separately to ensure the best cost-effective ratio.

1. 1. Offshoring: Offshore Companies are representing the manufacturers who thrive on outsourcing.

1. 1. Supply-Chaining: As stated in this book, Friedman refers to the retail supply-chain as a river, and puts in the spotlight Wal-Mart, which is the perfect example, on this subject. An organization which consolidates all processes and streamlines the production.

1. 1. Insourcing: As the name implies, this force indicates that someone within the company’s structure accomplishes a service. Beyond the regular assignments, some managers or associates are utilizing their resources to get something done.

1. 1. In-forming: Search Engine Companies such as Google, Yahoo, Bing allows the users to be one-click away from their desired information. All the data available today, allows the users to find, order, locate or execute any other task, in the comfort of their home.

1. “The Steroids“: This force speaks on behalf of all digital devices, and protocols, which are established to protect the user’s data, and stimulate communication.

Friedman provokes a new mindset, something that can oppose or support the flattening of the world. Are we really on the same wavelength?

Progressive and digital societies put the individual’s needs in the first place by allowing imagination to swoop in and spark interaction with the global community on a deeper level.

Key Lessons from “The World Is Flat”

1.      Globalization swings at the world
2.      Cast doubt upon the learning process
3.      Develop a new mindset

Globalization swings at the world

Michael J. Sandel conducted an interview on the modern exploration problem which was triggered by globalization.

Is the outsourcing becoming a world-wide issue; new modern colonization, which spreads like a plague? Perhaps, we are not prepared to willingly acknowledge our misconstrue of exploitation.

Cast doubt upon the learning process

Friedman expands on Michael revelations and opens up a discussion that questions America’s educational system.

He puts under the radar the “things” an average Joe needs to do, in order to get through the flattening of the world. The scarcity of resources obstructs the process, but hopefully, a new system will emerge.

Develop a new mindset

Friedman lays emphasis on self-learning mastery and advises parents to help their kids grow outside the school frame.

The professional future is at stake unless we adopt the right set of mind-skills. We must oppose the replicable nature of humans, and thrive on creativity, something that robots cannot accomplish, ever.

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“The World Is Flat Quotes”

Our Critical Review

Is the world-flattening? – That would be a “Yes.” We can’t do much, except endorse Thomas’ outlooks and ideas to the full extent.

Moving from segregation to integration has been one bloody process, time will tell whether we made the right move as a society.

Emir Zecovic

Emir is the Head of Marketing at 12min. In his spare time, he loves to meditate and play soccer.