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The World is Flat

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Property Cupid, LLC

 

The World is Flat –

No Kidding! It is! Barack Obama and John McCain are you listening? Have you read this book?

This is my new favorite book.  It is written by Thomas L. Friedman, who writes for the NY Times. He explains how society is now in a great, all encompassing transition which he calls globalization.  The flat world is his metaphor for globalization.  In this book, he first outlines 10 forces that have flattened the world.  Briefly these are: Berlin Wall comes down (’89), the WWW goes public (’95),  development of Work Flow software, Uploading develops (‘90s), Outsourcing, Offshoring, Supply-Chaining, Insourcing(small companies manage global supplies), In-forming (search engines mushroom), and  Personal connectedness (digital, mobile, personal and virtual).    He then goes on to describe the implications of this new flat world without walls on society.  There will be no room for isolationists.  American businesses will be offshoring and outsourcing work to the unlikeliest of places (Bangalore, India?) and will need well trained workers from whatever country they come from.

The part I was keenly interested in was the impact on our education system.  The need for the US education system to come to terms with the fact that we are no longer an agrarian society.  Our school calendars have not been updated to reflect this major change in the US.  School districts are using the same school calendar that has been in place for 200 years.  This calendar allows children the summer months off to help with the crops.  Crops!  The urban and suburban kids I know don’t know what a crop is let alone how to harvest one.  The need for creative thinkers in a flat world is a point made abundantly clear in Friedman’s book.  We will have computers to do the basic calculations but we will need humans to creatively look at the information and come up with new solutions to business and manufacturing problems.  

Friedman’s chapters on health and social security reform are enlightening.  This is to be continued as I am still reading the book.

Posted by

Christine Loschiavo
Owner/Designated Broker
Property Cupid, LLC
Office: 480.628.0496
Fax: 480.718.8197
Search the MLS: www.propertycupid.com
Latest Market News: www.realaz.com

Comments (5)

Spencer Hill
Hill Asset Management - Kingstree, SC
#1 Financial Planner -- South Carolina

Christine,

It is a great book. I have read it twice in the last two years. once when it came out. Then when it came out on CD. I  have the book on my computer so I can reference passages when something comes to mind.

Sad part about this book is that some of it is already in the past tense. The world is moving that fast.

Gloabalization has had its effects on the real estate market. The cash for the sub prime CDOs came mostly from China.

have fun reading the rest of the book.

Jun 04, 2008 03:39 PM
Ted Mackel
Keller Williams Realty Simi Valley - Simi Valley, CA
Simi Valley Real Estate Agent

Welcome to ActiveRain. Congratulations on your first post. Get around and check out the community, you'll quickly figure out how to supercharge your blogging skills.

Jun 05, 2008 03:41 AM
Christine L
Property Cupid, LLC - Chandler, AZ
Broker

Spencer - You read it twice?? I'm impressed.  I find Friedman to be quite wordy and end up skimming alot.  Reminds me of some professors I've had.  I feel his ideas in the book have made me very aware of what we as Americans should be focusing on, especially in the school system.

Jun 15, 2008 10:44 AM
Christine L
Property Cupid, LLC - Chandler, AZ
Broker

Hey Ted, how did you know that was my first post?? You must be psychic.  I am still learning about blogging since I just started this week.

Jun 15, 2008 10:45 AM
Keith Elliott Jr
KEIRE Realty Group - Manassas, VA
Principal Broker/Owner

Hello Christine,

Welcome to Active Rain and congrats on your first post! The opportunities to learn and network are incredible here. Best of luck to ya!

-Keith

Jun 22, 2008 02:16 PM