The World is flat.

A couple of months ago I began a post on Tom Friedman's wonderful book The World is Flat) and I never got around to finishing the post. There were a couple of things that prevented me, besides procrastination. The first was a genuine desire not to just regurgitate the substance. Friedman ties together some important ideas that link the fast process of technology with globalization of commerce. Those that understand the trends will prosper and those that do not will not. Second, I was a bit bothered that Friedman does not seem to clearly recognize the forebearers including writers like Kenichi Ohmae (a whole bunch of great books on the then increasing borderless economies) and Kevin Kelly (his original writing on New Rules for the New Economy gave many of us a first look at the possibilities of technology - in a speculative manner that now are realities in Friedman's book).

But the book is one of the most important business books in a long time. I gave it to my daughter's boy friend today as a Christmas present. It reminded me of how important the ideas are and what a great contribution that Freidman offered us all. In November I heard Friedman give his summary of his book. It was really quite good. He is good at explaining the ten trends he thinks are changing the way we interact - including things like WIFI and just in time practices. He is planning to go to business school in the Fall. This would be a good place to begin thinking about the themes that will occupy him for the next couple of years wherever he is accepted.