Thomas Friedman, one of my favorite columnists from the New York Times, argues in his new book, The World is Flat, that we have reached a point where the physical and mental walls that barricaded individuals from partipating in a global community and accessing information and knowledge have come tumbling down, resulting in a flat world.  He supports his theory by describing the enabling technologies and the shift in people's beliefs all around the world that contribute to the massive globalization we are witnessing today.  This is far beyond outsourcing white collared jobs overseas.  This 500 page book articulates how the attitudes and thoughts of people all around the world have changed.  The rest of world is no longer trying to play catch up to the US; they are trying to get ahead of the US.  Globalization 3.0, he claims, is when everyone right down to the individual level, everywhere, can compete on a level playing field.

Before reading this, I had several threads of thought that closely mirror those presented.  But they were loose and unorganized.  And even though, through my own background, I am already familiar with most of the "ten flatteners" Friedman describes, I appreciate his taking out the time to organize and present these current events in such an informative and enjoyable read.  He summarizes those loose thoughts of mine nicely into a congruent theory, replete with anecdotes, statistics, and insight. 

One of the author's perspectives that resonated was on what the US should do in education and attitude towards the surrounding competition.  He conveys the point of how fewer students today find science and engineering an attractive field of study compared to just a few decades ago.  Not only that, but our government has done little to attract both homegrown and foreign talent to research and development in those fields.  Back in first grade when I declared my intent to become a scientist, it was met with sound approval and encouragement all around.  But nowadays, it's treated as nerdy and uncool, thanks to a sense of complancency and misportrayal by the entertainment industry.  I wonder at what point in our society did being "cool" and having an analytical, quantitative mindset become mutually exclusive.  Regardless, if you haven't been paying attention, the gap between US and the rest of the world is becoming surprisingly thin.  I couldn't have found a better analogy to compare this to than the one Friedman conjures - the recent failures of the US basketball team in international competition.

Many critics claim he oversimplifies.  But Friedman does in fact present the many potential obstacles in the world, such as terrorism and political instabilities, that could erect the walls back up again.  He even describes how people with the intent of creating chaos can and will use the very same flatteners to bring those walls back up.  Nonetheless, he shares my view, which is to approach the future with grounded optimism and to spread the ideal of creating something positive for others.

My decision to undertake my studies abroad has been reaffirmed by Friedman's ideas.  When you read his book, you will understand why I find my upcoming education at INSEAD so exciting and so crucial.