MBA Summer Reading

The World Is Flat

Author: Thomas Friedman

Publisher: Picador (2007)

Why You Should Read It: "Friedman continues his contemporary history of globalization begun in The Lexus and the Olive Tree by arguing that the digital revolution has reduced trade and political barriers to the point where almost everyone is connected. He argues the latest incarnation of the globalization trend, which he calls Globalization 3.0, is no longer being driven by major corporations or trade organizations, but by individuals. New kinds of startups are competing effectively for everything from research and design work to basic manufacturing. Friedman's writing style, including lots of clever labels and compelling anecdotes from around the globe, is well-suited to the exciting story he has to tell." —Wallace Hopp, the Herrick Professor of Manufacturing and professor of operations and management science at the University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business.