Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This book is simply awful. There is plenty to criticize about Friedman's The World is Flat, but this book is so poorly written with so few specific points that I can't recommend it to anyone. The book does help make it clear that many critics of globalization have a problem with corporations driving the process, not with globalization itself. It also mentions many other books, probably all of which are better than this one. I'll give it two stars for that, but I'm being generous. Don't read this book. I've just started reading Stiglitz's Making Globalization Work. Read that book instead. Specific criticisms of globalization followed by specific recommendations to fix the problems. You'll find neither in The World is Flat? You will literally learn more about globalization by reading Wikipedia's page on the topic ([...]) than you will by reading this book. Specific complaints: First, much of the book consists of personal attacks against Friedman. For example, they spend time discussing a *rumor* that he has clothes FedExed to him while his travels. So what? Actually, that sounds like a great idea if you have the money. Second, much of what they criticize is really quite petty. For example, Friedman spells "workflow software" as "work flow software". Half a page gets devoted to that extra space. Third, several pages of the book are devoted to comments off of Amazon's customer review sections. So you find out some people don't like his book. Amazon tells me that for free. Fourth, pointless sarcasm appears on nearly every page. For example, on page 58 we find out that, "Seldom has there appeared such a superficial treatment of Ricardo's 'comparative advantage,' that is, except perhaps in some 11th grade civics class." In short, the entire book is Amazon and Wikipedia quotes, strung together with personal attacks and sarcasm. Even the valid criticisms of Friedman's work are rarely followed by anything useful, like a discussion of alternative viewpoints. Read Stiglitz or Wikipedia instead of this book.