2005: The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Author: Thomas L. Friedman
I think of “The World is Flat” as one of those “of the moment” books, in the same vein as “Megatrends” (remember that one?). To his credit, Friedman was very successful in getting people to read, think about, and discuss some of the important trends shaping life in the early 21st century. However, some of the stuff he discusses (like global telecommunications allowing emerging economics to compete on a more equal footing) seemed fairly obvious, even at the time. And, the current discussions about growing income disparities and the disappearance of the middle-class seem directly at odds with his premise that the world is moving toward a more equal playing field. I guess those are the risks that come with being a prognosticator of the near future.
