Rating: 
Summary: Excellent .
Review: Tom Friedman is now my hero. He discusses the phenomenon that is Globalization in a frank and non-pretentious manner. His numerous stories adds a touch of reality to the book as well as just simply making it enjoyable.
Rating: 
Summary: A interesting overveiw of the phenomena globalization
Review: A must read for those who wish to understand current events in developing economic theroy. The book is a good generliaztion on how to make sense of current global issues, and the way technology influences states.
Rating:
Summary: Great storytelling if you are open to these ideas
Review: This is a collection of stories and anecdotes woven together in ways that may radically change your view of the modern world--if you are open to new ideas. This is not an academic treatise, nothing is quantified, and there may be few individually new ideas here. Its breadth of insights and storytelling is its strength. If you still believe in the Republican Congressional class of 94, you will hate this book (see some reviews here). If you are a traditional liberal, you will be uncomfortable through the first two thirds of this book. There is a wide divergence of opinion among reviewers, but charges of shallowness are hard to understand unless the reader isn't open to these ideas or doesn't like storytelling as a didactic technique. If you don't have time to read the whole book, at least read the article from the Sunday NY Times Magazine March 28, 1999 which is basically excerpts, although less well organized.
Rating: 
Summary: Silly, simple, cloying
Review: In addition, to making no serious addition to the thinking on this topic, the author managed to bombard the reader with a series of cliches, anecdotes, and undergraduate theses. Near the end, exhausted from the first few chapters, I was forced to give up, to put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Great insight into the new world's potential and pitfalls
Review: Friedman has written an outstanding book. It has my highest recommendation. His analysis is insightful and his writing elegant. He has done an excellent job in synthesizing the connections inherent to our actions in the new world. If you don't have an open mind, reading this book may upset you. The messages are hard which may contribute to some of the low ratings this book has received.
Rating:
Summary: suppressed negative opinion resurfaces
Review: Globalization is a phenomenon that one is supposed to (1) accept as inevitable and (2) welcome as what's best for people like us (First World winners, as opposed to Third World losers). It is brought to you by the same folks who are saying that this time the bull market will last forever. (It's not likely anyone remembers 1929, but how about the gold market in the 1970s?--remember what happened when the small fry got into that?) Globalization, however, is neither inevitable in the form being promoted nor is it likely to be really good for anybody but those who are promoting it (read Pierre Bourdieu). So it needs to be sold--enter the salesman. Thomas L. Friedman's glib treatment of this world-historical issue represents the triumph of packaging over substance that rules the American economy--and sooner or later will rule the world economy if Friedman's masters have their way. The colorful writing is like the pink frosting on one of those cellophane-wrapped cakes, and serves the same function: to make what one will soon regret eating look appetizing. There is no real "nutrition" in this book. One has to agree that the book is empiracle--if that neologism means that it promotes the interests of the empire. Would that it were in fact antidotal as well!
Rating:
Summary: very superficial approach
Review: I would like to ask Mr. Freidman and his readers and admirers about one simple issue : what about the poor nations , what about " small people " in the US and elsewhere , what about deep gap paradox between rich nations and poor ones ? What about 20 per cent of world population which dominates more than 86 % of wealth .What about the other 80% of population . How the writer figures the wayout of this impass ?? I can't imagine a reasonable writer (or ordinary person) writes many pages ( a chapter ) on a silly idea like " the impossiblity of conflict between two nations they have Mcdonald 's fastfood restaurant " . What can u say about Mcdolands branch in Belgrade ?? I found NO SINGLE NEW IDEA in this book . Reading this pile of advertising of american firms and corporations with so little intelligence , was a BAD EXPERIENCE . Mr. Freidman's appraoch is so superficial that one can't beleive that he is a columnist in The New York Times, or I can't believe the way the american "Elite " looks with toward the world . This is a FARCE . NB: I would prefer to give this book no Stars but this is the "system" ...
Rating: 
Summary: Friedman is no Walter Lippmann
Review: Like it or not, Friedman is essentially right about two things: One, globalization is an enormously complex phenomenon. Two, this phenomenon is the axis of postmodern, postindustrial technological and economic theory today (though it's emerging at different rates around the world). Unfortunately that's about as profound as this "interpretation" becomes. Friedman's sophomore effort has a freshman ring to it. His writing is bracingly oversimplified in many areas (economic theory and culture studies to name two), he uses rather clumsy metaphor and analogy to make points that are largely intuitive, he oozes with bombast and tautology to drive his points home, with his sugar-coated exultations and incessant name-dropping all making for a quick, light read. Charming anecdotal bits, poor analysis, lackluster synthesis. Not a waste of time overall, but far from "groundbreaking".
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT INSIGHT INTO THE GLOBAL FORCES SHAPING OUR LIVES
Review: The author draws upon his extensive international experience and keen insight to present a framework for understanding major global forces shaping the world. He demonstrates an uncommon ability to review with the reader antidotal and empiracle evidence and then to draw thoughtful conclusions that provide a conceptual framework to view events of the world. In my view, an outstanding work that provides a conceptual framework for understanding international forces shaping the 21st century.
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Summary: "From Beirut to Jerusalem" it ain't
Review: Friedman has written a passable guide to globalization for the uninitiated. He has a decent, if generalist, sense of of what's going on -- at least, as much as any of us do. He has few points to make, but he makes them clearly. So clearly, in fact, you will probably feel talked down to. Too much of the book is taken up by explaining metaphors for concepts which are easy enough to understand by themselves. "The Electronic Herd" means global investors. Period. So why not just say investors? And the entire "DOScapital" chapter made me gag a bit. The ideas are sound, but quite simple, so why complicate them by encasing them in a layer of unnecessary metaphor? Just because you have a trite catchphrase that fits? And one can't help but feel there's a little self-aggrandizement here, too. Many, many paragraphs begin with "[Insert name of important person here] once told me that..." or "when I was meeting with [important person], he said..." This was appropriate for "From Beirut to Jerusalem," which was a book about the Middle East, but also a memoir of Friedman's experiences in the Middle East. But the style falls flat here, unless this is supposed to be a memoir of Friedman's experiences on Earth. Non-Americans may also be irritated by the American focus and US boosterism. Oh, and Tom, IBM didn't happen to give you a free ThinkPad, did they? You mention yours suspiciously frequently. But while it is certainly not a great book, it isn't a bad book either. It can make a reasonable claim to being the "Globalization 101," is purports to be on the back cover, and any High School student could understand it. If you're looking for depth, go somewhere else. But if you just want a broad, general introduction to a subject of paramount importance in today's world, this book is a worthwhile read and probably worth the US$14 Amazon was charging as of this writing. Oh, and he's dead on about the freshman Republicans.
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