The World is Flat: The Perspective of Lexus Cars and Olive Trees

Author: Thomas L. Friedman (USA)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: This book is not a sister volume to Thomas Friedman's best-selling global work "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century," published in 2005. It is another work on globalization written by Friedman in 1999, originally titled "The Lexus and the Olive Tree." The publisher believes that introducing this work on globalization will help Chinese readers better understand Friedman's perspective. The book has been translated into 30 languages and has sold millions of copies worldwide. Friedman uses vivid stories, existing terms, and concepts to depict the system of globalization. He highlights the conflict between the Lexus and the Olive Tree—the tension between the globalization system and cultural, geographical, traditional, and ancient societal forces. He also elaborates in detail on the strong backlash globalization has generated among those who feel its harshness. He clearly explains how to ensure the balance of this system.
Joyo Editor's Note: This book is not the "The World Is Flat" published by Hunan Science and Technology Press. The English title of this book is "The Lexus and the Olive Tree," which translates directly to "The Lexus and the Olive Tree." The English title of the book published by Hunan Science and Technology Press is "The World Is Flat," which translates directly to "The World Is Flat." Please note the differences between the two when purchasing.
This book is a specialized work on "globalization" that Thomas Friedman spent four years writing. Its argument is that globalization is not just a phenomenon or a temporary trend; it is an international system that replaces the Cold War system. Globalization is the combination of capital, technology, and information transcending national boundaries, creating a single global market, which can also be described as a global village to some extent. Friedman uses vivid stories, existing terms, and concepts to depict the system of globalization. He highlights the conflict between the Lexus and the Olive Tree—the tension between the globalization system and cultural, geographical, traditional, and ancient societal forces. He also elaborates in detail on the strong backlash globalization has generated among those who feel its harshness. He clearly explains how to ensure the balance of this system.
In the book, he compares the Cold War with globalization. He argues: If the Cold War were a sport, it would be sumo; if globalization were a sport, it would be a 100-meter dash—over and over again, constantly sprinting. The hallmark of the Cold War was that it separated everyone; the hallmark of globalization is the Internet, which connects everyone together. The definition of the Cold War system was based on treaties, while the globalization system is defined by transactions. If the most obvious anxiety during the Cold War was being defeated by a known enemy in a fixed and stable world, then in the era of globalization, the most obvious anxiety is the fear of rapid change brought by an unseen, intangible, and invisible enemy—the invisible economic and technological forces that can change your life at any time.
During the Cold War, we had the Hotline between the White House and the Kremlin—a symbol that we were separated, but at least the two superpowers were responsible. In the era of globalization, we have the Internet—a symbol that we are all connected, but there is no one responsible. The most frequently asked question during the Cold War was, "How big are your missiles?" The most frequently asked question during the globalization era is, "How fast is your modem?"