Consumption Rules

The best book I’ve read in a long time:

I read the original book (pictured above), although Mr. Friedman has since come out with a new updated and expanded version (The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century), which I quickly ordered and received but haven’t had a chance to read yet. The book talks about the factors that have led to what he describes as the flattening of the world. Basically it’s the convergence of a number of factors, especially technological innovations, but also changing political climates, that have made it possible for someone halfway around the world to compete for jobs as if they were next door. First he explains how this has all been made possible, in the last few years, by things like over-investment in fiber-optic cable networks, and the proliferation of the internet, web browser, file-transfer systems, and workflow software. He goes on to explain the effects, positive and negative of a flattened world, including increased productivity and standards of living for participant countries, favorable political climates created by interconnected supply chains across international borders as well as the possible negative effects of such a drastic movement in the layout of the world, including his theory of some possible reasons behind general terrorism and anti-american sentiment. He then goes on to explain, apparently especially in the updated and expanded version, what each person should do individually in order to prepare to be a successful participant in the world economy and also what companies, organizations and individual nations need to do in order to maintain their competitive advantage and remain relevant in a changing world. The book is about 500 pages (~700 in the new version) and it took me about two days to read, but the pages flew by because of how interesting and relevant they were to everything going on in today’s business and political world.

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