The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

In this book the author, a New York Times columnist advances the work on globalization published in his book The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Claiming that the world is now at an important historical point, as important as the changes brought by the discoveries by Columbus or by the Industrial Revolution, he analyzes the events, inventions, and business practices that have resulted in a changed world, one he calls Globalization 3.0. In this new edition he includes fresh stories and insights to help us understand the flattening of the world. Weaving new information into his overall thesis, and answering questions he has been most frequently asked by parents across the country, this third edition also includes two new chapters, on how to be a political activist and social entrepreneur in a flat world; and on the question of how to manage our reputations and privacy in a world where we are all becoming publishers and public figures. This book serves as an update on globalization, its opportunities for individual empowerment, its achievements at lifting millions out of poverty, and its drawbacks, environmental, social, and political.