Status
Checked out
Due 1 Apr 2024
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Genres
Publication
Random House (2000), Edition: Updated, 490 pages
Description
A brilliant investigation of globalization, the most significant socioeconomic trend in the world today, and how it is affecting everything we do-economically, politically, and culturally-abroad and at home. As foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, Thomas L. Friedman crisscrosses the globe talking with the world's economic and political leaders, and reporting, as only he can, on what he sees. Now he has used his years of experience as a reporter and columnist to produce a pithy, trenchant, riveting look at the worldwide market forces that are driving today's economies and how they are playing out both internationally and locally. Globalization is the technologically driven expression of free-market capitalism, and as such is essentially an American creation. It has irrevocably changed the way business is done and has raised living standards throughout the world. But powerful local forces-of religion, race, ethnicity, and cultural identity-are in competition with technology for the hearts and minds of their societies. Finding the proper balance between the Lexus and the olive tree is the great game of globalization-and the ultimate theme of Friedman's challenging, provocative book, essential reading for all who care about how the world really works.… (more)
Media reviews
In many ways, this book is fundamentally about Friedman's own journey in trying to understand the world that has changed so radically in the past decade. Indeed, much of the charm and attraction of this book is that it parallels our own journeys of discovery. His experiences we recognize. His
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stories we have told. His anecdotes we have heard. His awe we share. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member JustMe869
Combined with The World is Flat, this is a must read for understanding globalization.
LibraryThing member JBreedlove
All the is good about globalism and its inevitability is praised by Fredman. A good read even if you don't agree entirely with his outlook.
LibraryThing member carterchristian1
Friedman does take the "big picture" of globalization and brings it down to the small conclaves of Africa and other lower levels of the economic system. Perhaps this is most interesting as a book for periodic rereading to trace how globalization is proceeding and Friedman admits it is not standing
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still. Writing the month of the World Cup in South Africa it is instructive to check out his personal experience in India when a former shoe shine boy in 1998 has 27 channels from 6 different countries illegally accessed at his house (where his wife is learning English from the TV). Friedman, himself a part of the information business, focuses on the democratization of information, not just the spread of goods and capital. In the last 12 years how information exchange has exploded with more to come. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheAmpersand
"Globalization" might be the mother of all buzzwords, a catch-all explanation for anything that's happened in the last thirty or so years that's grown nearly meaningless from overuse. In "The Lexus and the Olive Tree," Thomas Freidman does a pretty good job of framing this pheonomenon in a social,
My objections to "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" are due, perhaps, to the tempremental differences between myself and Mr. Freidman. Freidman, a midwesterner, seems to be a born optimist, something my Yankee constitution just can't abide. As a lefty, I'm much more likely to see unbridled capitalism's downsides than its promieses, and while Freidman moved me to reconsider some of my positions, I don't know if he's convinced me. His enthusiasm for technology hasn't aged well, either, considering that "Lexus" was written ten years ago and the internet has since been done to death in about a trillion uninspired trend pieces. The Friedman of the late nineties would doubtless be disappointed to know that these days it's used mostly as a conduit for pictures of cute cats and scads of hardcore pornography. Friedman's America-centric, which I can forgive, and an inveterate name-dropper, which is somewhat less forgivable. What really worries me, though, is that even though Friedman's a tolerable writer with a clear, friendly tone, he's awful at coining phrases and drawing visual comparisons in his arguments, even though it's clear that he very much enjoys doing both of these things. George Orwell would argue that this is a sign of a disordered mind or a lousy argument. I am betting that Freidman's just a writer whose arguments are better than his metaphors. "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" is, despite its faults, recommended to those who want to know what to say the next time the G-word comes up in conversation.
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historical, and economic context that the average reader can relate to. Freidman obviously thinks of himself as something of a Rennaisance man, a polymath of the old school, and in a sense, this is where the strengths of his book lie. His generalist approach and strong grasp of Cold War-era politics serve him very well when he explains why globalization is the inevitable result of a post-Soviet, unipolar world. He also deserves some credit for mentioning, if not fully exploring, the various downsides to a globalized world. He acknowledges that globalization has its victims and that some people's misgivings about it are probably well-founded. He's still a booster, of course, and, perhaps because he's a newspaper columnist, can't help but try to make a case every time he sets pen to paper, but he's more aware of his argument's weaknesses than many free-traders out there. My objections to "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" are due, perhaps, to the tempremental differences between myself and Mr. Freidman. Freidman, a midwesterner, seems to be a born optimist, something my Yankee constitution just can't abide. As a lefty, I'm much more likely to see unbridled capitalism's downsides than its promieses, and while Freidman moved me to reconsider some of my positions, I don't know if he's convinced me. His enthusiasm for technology hasn't aged well, either, considering that "Lexus" was written ten years ago and the internet has since been done to death in about a trillion uninspired trend pieces. The Friedman of the late nineties would doubtless be disappointed to know that these days it's used mostly as a conduit for pictures of cute cats and scads of hardcore pornography. Friedman's America-centric, which I can forgive, and an inveterate name-dropper, which is somewhat less forgivable. What really worries me, though, is that even though Friedman's a tolerable writer with a clear, friendly tone, he's awful at coining phrases and drawing visual comparisons in his arguments, even though it's clear that he very much enjoys doing both of these things. George Orwell would argue that this is a sign of a disordered mind or a lousy argument. I am betting that Freidman's just a writer whose arguments are better than his metaphors. "The Lexus and the Olive Tree" is, despite its faults, recommended to those who want to know what to say the next time the G-word comes up in conversation.
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LibraryThing member amelish
I accidentally shoplifted this book from Housing Works Used Book Cafe, oops.
Considering how of-the-moment it was in say 1999, I'm not sure how well it's aged. Needs another read.
Considering how of-the-moment it was in say 1999, I'm not sure how well it's aged. Needs another read.
LibraryThing member lorin
'm a big fan of Friedman's syndicated columns from the New York Times. He seems to be the most rational voice speaking out on issues involved the Middle East, as opposed to the flaming rhetoric you tend to hear from one side or another. In this book, he explores the issue of globalization, how it
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affects different parts of the world, and how various people react to it. Friedman's clearly a fan of globalization, though he also points out the down sides. Whether its ultimate effects will be good or bad, Friedman makes the convincing case that globalization is inevitable, so you'd better make the most of it rather than flail helplessly against it. Show Less
LibraryThing member eduscapes
Written by a Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist, the author explores how globalization is changing the world.
LibraryThing member SnakeCharmer
A generalist's take on globalization. The books starts off with some interesting anecdotes and discussions. But it goes and on rambling about the same thing. Another downside is that Friedman assume s the reader to be so dumb that some of his descriptions sounds too childish.
A big minus of the
A big minus of the
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book is that, apart from being US-centric the book is like a piece of propagandist pamphlet. It shies away from many issues raised by the opponents of Globalization. For example there is almost no discussion on asymmetries in trade. Show Less
LibraryThing member amberalicia
This man loves his metaphors a little too much.
LibraryThing member kellepa
Let's extrapolate global events from personal anecdotes!
LibraryThing member franoscar
Babble. [personal note: I started to read this because I think it would help me talk to Dennis, and finished it because it is an important & common viewpoint.] It is a hard book to take seriously. I don't know that it is particularly wrong but the tone is so gosh-y and gush-y. He makes up terms and
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phrases for everything...the turtles...the gazelles...Capitalism 6.0.... He repeats the received wisdom about the victory of Capitalism and he loves the US of A in all its wonder. He is a "liberal" and wants some kinds of welfare services while sneering at the French. He has some idea that the US can provide basic human services but stay viable and competitive, because the U.S. has such great experience at the rule of law and the primacy of ethics. 10 years adds a lot of detail to the story of the U.S. in this era. One thing the book does is highlight to the reader what devastation to the US system has been wrought over these past 10 years, even when it seemed like Reagan had done it all. And why the business world, or at least the business education world, is so hot on ethics; if (that) the US has lost its ethical standing it has lost a lot. Some of what I dislike about this book is the journalistic writing, it seems to lack much humanity. I don't know, TMQ was going on recently about the rise in the standard of living around the world and that this is the best of times for the most people...and I am certainly not a person who wishes to cling to a time when things are only better for US workers. I just wonder if this is the worst of times for the most people as well, and how those things can be balanced. But I stick with my understanding that Capitalism won't stay stable and the crashes will get crazier. Show Less
LibraryThing member JRCornell
Looks at globalization from a social, economic, and cultural perspective and assesses the impact of this trend
LibraryThing member dimplesrao
I picked this early book by Thomas Friedman after reading his latter book 'The World is Flat' fascinated by globalisation and details of its spread. The book enhanced my understanding about globalisation as a new system replacing old Cold War system. Lexus (depicting modern / latest) emerging
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alongside Olive Tree (ancient / traditional forces of culture and community) is the core theme of the book. Highly detailed book on the subject. Show Less
LibraryThing member 064
This book does incredibly well in explaining the complicated topic of globalization. It's very readable but is not dumbed-down in any manner. Mr. Friedman tries hard to be objective with his views of the world. Although on some chapters, you can tell that he belongs to the optimistic group of the
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globalization debate. Whether or not you agree with his perspective, it still is worthwhile to read to see if his pronouncements will atleast challenge your own position. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Cornelius Ryan Award (1999)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Social Sciences — 1999)
Language
Original publication date
1999
ISBN
0385499345 / 9780385499347