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Summary: Thomas Friedmans thoughts and concerns surrounding 9/11
Review: This is a thought provoking, yet disturbing, work: concerning itself with the cause, effect and future implications surrounding 9/11.
Thomas Friedman is the foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times and this book, Longitudes and Attitudes, is a compilation of his works written for this paper between Dec./00 and July /02.The subject matter is broken down into two time periods, before 9/11 and after. Also included is a diary he kept during his travels to Europe and the Middle East, also between Dec./00 and July 02. The columns themselves, can be divided into three general categories 1.) The Palestine/ Israel conflict 2.) Arab/Muslim concerns, especially with regards to government and education, and 3.) American foreign affairs policies (management and mismanagement). Whether you agree or not with Mr. Friedman's thoughts is a personal matter, but the issues he raises are certainly not only thought provoking (because they have such far reaching, world wide implications) but yet, at the same time, disturbing, because the problems seem to be increasing exponentially (instead of receding) and any attempt at a solution seems to be light years away. I don't think I've read anyone who has been able to describe and dissect the events that lead up to and have occurred since 9/11 as well as Mr. Friedman. The author also puts forward some of his own ideas as to some potential solutions (or a least places to start) for some of these most troubling of issues.
The only quibble I would have with regards to this book is that some of the material is repetitious. This is not so apparent if you read his column in the newspaper on a twice-weekly ratio but becomes more obvious when you read a collection of these vignettes in a sitting. Finally, I must compliment Mr. Friedman's abilities as a writer: I was concerned when I considered purchasing this book, knowing it was basically a collection of his columns, that the articles would be hindered by the "pressure of deadline" and the "pressure of length". Writing columns twice a week must be a tremendous burden; to do this week after week must be extremely difficult on those occasions when you are fatigued, come up "dry" or have an episode of writer's block. Similarly writing a column 740 words long must also be hard: sometimes having to condense a long article and other times adding "fill" to make up the required length. However, I had little reason for concern, as most compositions seem to flow naturally and fit perfectly into an easy reading cadence that seemed of appropriate length. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the events surrounding 9/11, Middle East politics or U.S. foreign affair in this area of the world.
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Summary: An Intelligent, Important Book
Review: Every thinking American should own, read and re-read "Longitudes and Attitudes" by Thomas Friedman. The structure of the book is simple: a slim collection of Friedman's columns for the New York Times pre-September 11, a lengthier collection post (in my edition through April 30, 2003), and an essay at the end. Yet these columns and this essay contain vital insight into so many of the critical issues on the foreign affairs front facing the US today: Al-Qaeda, the rise of Islam, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the war in Iraq. In many ways, Friedman is your average joe "thinking American"--just one though who has lived throughout the middle east, analyzed it for a living for years, and possesses the ability to crystallize issues through the medium of a NY Times column. His essays pre-9/11 are both prescient (a column on Osama ending with "revolution until victory")at times, and on unrelated topics at others (the cyber revolution, the Davos World Economic Forum). Post 9/11 his columns are filled with a range of emotions: rage, modified anger, rational insight, sage advice. Throughout he has insights (e.g., the clash is not between civilizations but within them, the US, in the case of Al Qaeda has waged war not on a country as is traditional, but a group) that every reader should take and debate with others. His essay at the end contains his musings and his analyses of the current situation in the mid-east. Such analyses as that of the 9/11 hijackers-he lumps them into two groups, the "thinkers" and the "muscle men"-makes you realize that you are reading the first "history" of 9/11 and not just a lengthy newspaper column. I would recommend this book highly to just about anyone who can read (and in my reviews I usually am very particular about recommending books to certain groups). It is a great read-and a great book.
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Summary: Simply Amazing, Must Read
Review: I first came across this book and Mr Friedman channel surfing one night. I found a show on the Discovery Channel about Friedman's, basicly it was him traveling arounf the Islamic world interviewing world leaders, scholars, students, and your average citizens. A few days later I bought this book and did not put it down until i was finished. He provides a very insightful analysis about current Mid-East society and politics, the factors that led to the September 11 attacks and the current war on terrorism, and the failure of moderization in the Islamic world. Anyone remotly interested in politics should read this book, and Friedman's column in the NY Times
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Summary: Quite fair and balanced - and insightful
Review: Understanding the root causes of the horrific events of September 11th is a difficult task, though one can count on Thomas Friedman to distill these quite well. Friedman has always been a most insightful writer on issues Arab/Israeli and this book showcases his thought pre-and-post 9/11 on these issues, as well as globalization touched upon in The Lexus and the Olive Tree, and the ramifications thereof in the post 9/11 world. Friedman is as accessible as he is insightful, and everyone can and should read this work. My few issues with this work are that it is not the amazing "whole" that his previous works have been. Because these are merely reprinted columns, essentially 740-word sound bites, this book lacks the in-depth narrative scale and analysis of Friedman's earlier, excellent works, From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Also, the material is actually quite repetitious. This is not immediately obvious if you read his Times column on its twice-per-week basis - but seeing the material all strung together, it smacks you in the face. Repetition between the columns and his own personal journal is also very obvious, but in the end, I am glad that he published all of it. For, as a record of what the world looked like to one journalist - admittedly, a very pro-American journalist - during 2001 and the first half of 2002, Longitudes and Attitudes will be an amazing record when we look back at this eventful epoch years from now and bring back all of our recollections, memories, and fears from the various stages of the "Gray War" in which we currently find ourselves engaged.
As original texts, five stars. As a compendium, four.
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Summary: Concentrated Friedman
Review: Longitudes & Attitudes: Exploring the World after September 11 by Thomas L. Friedman is worth reading, and probably even more so if you haven't followed his twice-weekly column in the Times for the past few years. The book is divided into three sections: columns before 9/11, columns after and a diary of Friedman's travels after September 11. It's interesting to read the columns all together, to feel the full force of Friedman's arguments at once, but I did think by the end of the diary, it was beginning to feel a little repetitive. All the old gang of ideas from Friedman's theories are there: The globalization theme that walls are coming down, and as they do, those so far disenfranchised by global capitalism will work to defeat it, sometimes violently; that globalization itself is its own worst weakness by democratizing information, capital and technology even to those in societies in which there are no democratic hallmarks - a free press, equity for women and general civil rights - that the Arab world, particularly Saudi Arabia, is responsible for the lackluster future it offers its burgeoning younger generations and that this society's marriage to fundamentalist Islam as a justification for totalitarian regimes is a danger to everyone on the planet. It's a good read and one that will probably change in resonance as we get further from 9/11/01 and find out how right or wrong Friedman's hypotheses are, or how correct his calls for specific actions may turn out to be.
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Summary: Like watching a game of ping-pong
Review: Reading this book is like watching a game of ping-pong. Mr Friedman argues out of both sides of his mouth about Iraq, the middle east, Islam, Arabs, Jews, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One can't help but walk away feeling that in Mr Friedman's opinion, everything would be fine if we just signed up to the Kyoto treaty, the World court, increased taxes, cut oil consumption and kept the ABM treaty. Mr Friedman is a brilliant writer and there are great pearls of wisdom in this book. If nothing else, he helps the reader understand the world as other see it. However, the most important lesson I draw from the book is that you never want a person like him, an intellectual elite, in a leadership position because they are incapable of making up their minds. They are incapable of drawing hard moral and philosophically based lines by which to judge decisions and actions. Everything is relative; there is no right and wrong just shades of gray which prevent progress. No matter how straight the road, if you zig-zag and back-track you never get anywhere.
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Summary: Great book
Review: Very informative book that everyone should read.
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Summary: An Expert View on 9/11
Review: If you want to see how right he was with what he wrote before and after 9/11, buy it. Be careful, it is just a compilation of Friedman's writings in his column. There is an extra diary part at the end. I enjoyed Lexus and Olive Tree more but if you are interested in Middle East Politics, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
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Summary: Summary of His Recent Works for the New York Times
Review: Mr. Friedman is an outstanding writer for the New York Times and he has an excellent reputation so his views are always worth a look. Here is a collection of his columns taken direct from his paper plus some other writings. I read The New York Times plus a lot of stories on the web so I probably would not have bought this book. It was a gift. This is not really a book, it is a series of his writings bound into a book. For your own sake and enjoyment, it is better that like his writings, or are at the least neutral and open to his comments. Obviously he is a good writer, and the story is a weave of page after page of personal thoughts, conversations, telephone calls, and interactions with leaders. It includes trips such as his trip to Saudi Arabia. My only negative thing to say is that this is a collection of his columns and other writings which are all bundled together, and as such the book has no index, cross references, or footnotes or similar. But that is fine, it does not detract too much from the collection. Brain food. Recommend buying, but as a "book" it merits just 3 or 4 Stars. Jack in Tornto
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Summary: A great introduction to the complexity of the 9/11 attack.
Review: I picked up 'Longitudes and Attitudes' last time I was in New York. I was looking for some readings into 9/11 and this seemed to be a good starting point. Thomas Friedman is a foreign correspondent with a twice-weekly column in the New York Times. His writing has (so far) won him the Pulitzer Prize three times! 'Longitudes and Attitudes' is a collection of his columns published over a period of 18 months, December 2000 until July 2002. The book also includes a part II - his personal journal from his traveling in Europa, Asia and the Middle East after 9/11. Friedman is an audacious American who has a big heart, is passionate about his writing and is gifted with the ability to make sense of what the rest of us think of as chaos. He has excellent contacts throughout the Middle East, knows the subtle differences between the cultures and he appreciates the fragile balance between them. 'Longitudes and Attitudes' gave me a good insight into the culture and thoughts of those in the Middle East and to the sheer complexity of this war. I would recommend it for everyone that would like a clear and in depth explanation of what fueled the attack on America. PS. This book was my introduction to last year's 9/11 readings. If you only want to read one contemporary account of the aftermath of 9/11, this is an excellent book. However, I read this book, the followed up with books highly recommended from a friend (Thanks Greg!); 'The Base' (Corbin) and 'Holy War Inc' (Bergen). I finished off my 9/11 period with Giuliani's 'Leadership'. These four books compliment each other, and reading them gave me a much broader, deeper understanding of the complexity of the problem(s) we are facing.
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