The World Is Flat

Similar to the bittersweet taste of drinking orange juice after brushing one’s teeth, The World Is Flat serves as an eye-opener. Friedman illustrates the flattening of the world by incorporating striking examples that connect with the reader.

(1) “It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running.” 137
(2) “It is this triple convergence – of new players, on a new playing field, developing new processes and habits for horizontal collaboration – that I believe is the most important force shaping global economics and politics in the early twenty-first
century.” 212
(3) “The Indians and Chinese are not racing us to the bottom. They are racing us to the top – and that is a good thing!” 271
(4) “In China today, Bill Gates is Britney Spears. In America today, Britney Spears is Britney Spears – and that is our problem.” 351

I contemplate: Have I been sleeping through a technological pivot point, a watershed in history, a simmering power shift at the brink of boiling over? Have Americans become lackadaisical? Is our political and socioeconomic empire of influence destined to crumble without a proactive response? As an educator, will I meet the mark in preparing our youth?

Friedman applauds our strengths and cautions against complacency. An adaptive culture that nurtures imagination and hard work is the key to survival. What does this hold for education? Drawing from Friedman, my hope is that educators facilitate the merits of progressing one’s skill set with the talents of those in collaboration. By teaching students how to learn in an active, inquiry-based environment, we provide them the gift of innovative thought.

Some critics contend the book is alarmist or an instrument for corporate restructuring and/or dissolution. I maintain that change can be a positive provided a balance exists in the endeavor. Perhaps a reality check is in order? Or, simply, we must continue to advance as not to be gobbled up by the competition.