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Summary: The world as america
Review: I think that the book is well worthwhile to read but unfortunately is has to be taken with a huge grain of salt. I think that it is very narrowly focused and as an apology for globalism it is both too americanized and one sided. There is more than one (successful) culture in the world.
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Summary: Excellent
Review: A must read for anyone interested in politics, economics or world affairs.
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Summary: An overview, but not enough for "understanding"
Review: Over the years, New York Times reporter Tom Friedman has earned a reputation for his crisp and engaging writing and his ability to present the complex world events in ways that are easy to understand. If you're looking for an introduction to issues involved in the globalization of commerce, this is one of the best books on the market for it. Friendman's descriptions of things like the "electronic herd" of global capital investment and his McDonald's theory of international conflict bring a lot of sense to an otherwise confusing landscape of issues.This strength of the book is also its limitation. Friedman is a clear writer because he paints with a broad brush. There is a strong bias at work here, but Friedman tends to try to keep hidden both his bias and points of debate that would contradict his theses. For example, he argues that market capitalism is now the one and only way to participate in the global economy, ignoring that there are several distinct flavors of "market capitalism" (US, Japanese, and European, for example) with very different rules and very different outcomes. Reading Friedman, one might assume that the Asian tigers had achieved their success by following the US model (which is the laissez-faire approach also advocated by the World Bank), while in fact they achieved robust growth through an approach more or less like that followed by the Japanese, which involved a combination of protectionism, currency management, and mandated savings. Friedman uses the 1997 Asian economic meltdown to argue that this Japanese-style approach is no longer valid and that global capital investment will not return until they better conform to the financial market transparency typical of the US. During the current slump, however, capital has fled from the US back to many of these economies because of their performance and not because of their transparency. The question with globalization isnt whether it's "good" or "bad," but whether and how it should be managed. If you're looking for a more in-depth discussion of these issues and a more honest revelation of the author's biases, there are better books available, such as William Greider's "One World, Ready or Not." But this book isn't a bad place to get your feet wet.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great "Starter Book"
Review: For those seeking a superior canvass of the all-important issue of Globalization, "The Lexus and The Olive Tree" appears to be the best resource available at the moment. This well-researched, highly opinionated work has some very insightful nuggets (I'm even less sanguine about my holdings in the market after reading it); however, the reader must slice his way through yet another " ... as he was telling me at the cafe" anecdote to get to the heart of the matter. A good 50 pages could be lopped, with little damage. On balance, "The Lexus and The Olive Tree" remains a thoughtful, first-rate orientation to the pros and cons of what is probably the #1 issue of our time. Strongly recommended.
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Summary: McDonald's Theory of Conflict Avoidance and More
Review: I've been a fan of Thomas Friedman's New York Times foreign affairs column since September 11, when I found his voice about the Arab world and how it relates to this tragedy and our daily lives here in the United States. This book created a helpful foundation for understanding our changing planet. The premise on which he bases the book is that there is a conflict in our world between olive trees, which represent our cultural heritage and identity, our spirituality and our rituals, and the Lexus, which is manufactured in technologically advanced factories for people who have cashed in on the globalized American capitalist system and can afford the amenities, and can buy them in increasing outlets worldwide. Friedman makes a convincing case that this current era of Globalization (he suggests that an earlier era in the late 19th and ealier 20th centuries incited the backlashes that we call today Communism, Socialism and Facism) has replaced the former world order created by the Cold War. Then, everything was bipolar, and nations aligned themselves and propped themselves up
politically and financially with their alliances to either the Soviet Union or the United States. Now, Friedman states, there is only globalization, or global capitalism, and if your nation isn't plugged into it, your people will suffer. Sometimes the full-bore theme of this book feels heavy, that there is no alternative to market capitalism worldwide seems a little biased, to me. But, Friedman, thankfully, doesn't only concentrate on this, but gives thought, particularly at the end of the book, to the public policies that nations can initiate to protect their olive trees, while not turning their backs on the Lexus. He has some interesting theories, too, that I enjoyed reading about, particularly the idea that no country with a McDonald's franchise has ever attacked another country with a McDonald's franchise. (His first edition came out before NATO v Yugoslavia, but he still stands by it, as NATO isn't a nation...) His
idea here is that market capitalism can be a stabilizing force in the world because once people have a big enough middle class to support franchises like McDonald's they are hard pressed to risk their lifestyles for war. I found this edition, which came out in 2000 to be somewhat painful, as his passages about what he calls "super-empowered individuals," who don't need to be in control of a country or its military to attack other nations or groups, somewhat vaguely but eerily predicted the September 11 plot. His position that the
increasing democratization of finance/capital, information and technology can improve life and destabilize it too are convincing, especially in what we've seen happen since the book was published. The book, written in a pleasant, colloquial style with a lot of well-known examples is engaging and easy to read. I strongly recommend it.
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Summary: An Olive off the Tree
Review: Overall, I would recommend this book to "the layman" who is uninformed and just beginning to get an understanding of globalization (like myself). Beyond that however, I do agree with some of the other reviews that Friedman's arguments break down beyond a certain level of understanding, and he is not as objective as it seems he should be at times.
However, as a beginner's step to an understanding about globalization and an awesome picture of how connected each of us really are or could be, Friedman does a solid job. But do not let "the Olive Tree" stand alone in your understanding of globalization, as it is just one of many views on a very complex and (increasingly) important issue.
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Summary: A globalization book with a good sense of humour
Review: In his secong writing Thomas L.Friedman uses his experiences from trips all around the world and his imagination in order to explain to the common reader the various sides of globalization . What makes his book stand out though is probably the fact that he doesn't hesitate to use humour and simplicity in his speach . Unlike other offerings on the same subject whose serious , cold style make them seem distant to an average person , he deals with all this international confusion with a smile and a mood to enjoy himself . I for example ,am a person who loves travelling and learning more about the world yet doesn't know a single thing about financial terms or the way business work these days . In spite of that though i read and surely enjoyed " The Lexus And The Olive Tree " , a well-written book about today's most important economical model which anyone can understand.
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Summary: Owners' Manual of Globalization
Review: The Lexus and the Olive Tree of Thomas Friedman makes a lot of sense just like an owners' manual whether operating instructions for a messenger or a operating instructions for digital mobile phone. It is as simple as that the Olive tree represents the conventional or the old ways and the Lexus represents the technological innovations which we have to balance in order to sustain globalization. The web is very very very useful BUT, IT IS NOT EVERYTHING! We may find or meet people in the web but it can never be as intimate as a real friendship or any relationship that has something to do with physical or personal interaction. E-mailing or chatting with your father, mother, wife, etc. on the other side of the globe is helpful but it is nothing compared to chatting and hugging with them face to face. Friedman ended the book with the bible story of the Tower of Babel where people standardized everything, integrated their cultures, had a common language and cooperated to reach heaven. What did God do? He destroyed the tower and made the people speak of diverse languages and dialects because the concept was good but it turned out to be dehumanizing. Here is where the Lexus and the Olive Tree comes in, the balancing of Values and the Technology. EVERY PRIVILEGE HAS A CORRESPONDING RESPONSIBILITY.
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Summary: Globalization for Dummies
Review: For anyone who want to understand the process of globalization and how it is affecting the whole world. This book will answer all the questions you are asking and so much more. Also I found by understanding the problems globalization is generating, I have been able to figure out ways on distrubting it's benefits to all the people of world.
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Summary: A good thesis poorly presented.
Review: Friedman has an excellent thesis but the overall presentation is weak. True to his style, Friedman relies on anecdotes as evidence. It's not just that the anecdotes do not offer real support for his main thesis, they detract from his argument because many of them show his ignorance of the particular political, cultural, or economic situation he is analyzing. Finally, Friedman creates an annoying abundance of cutsie names and phrases for various observed phenomena that bolster what the reader becomes suspect of. Namely, his faultingly superficial understanding of the geo-politics outside of the the Middle East, his real area of expertise. I would only mildly recommend this book. However, I did find it a good book for a book club, as it lead to very interesting discussions.
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