2. AUTHOR: THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN
PUBLICATION: FARRAR, SRAUS AND GIROUX, NEWYORK
PUBLICATION DATE: 2016
PAGES: 486
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3. AUTHOR’S
PROFILE
Thomas Loren Friedman is an American
political commentator and author. He is
a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner who is
a weekly columnist for The New York
Times. He has written extensively on
foreign affairs, global trade, the Middle
East, globalization and environmental
issues.
He has been criticized for his staunch
advocacy of the Iraq War and
unregulated trade and his early support
of Saudi Royal Prince Mohammed Bin
Salman.
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4. CONTENT
The book is divided into four parts - Reflecting, Accelerating, Innovating and
Anchoring. When a friend arrived late for lunch, Friedman said, "Thank You for Being
Late", as it gave him time to reflect, to listen to what was taking place around him and
to slow down the pace. He begins by sharing a conversation with a fellow blogger,
who also happened to be working as a parking attendant. The unlikely pair ended up
spending time together as Friedman helped the blogger refine his process. This led to
his own deeper reflection on defining his conceptual framework that underpinned his
writing. He took a year's sabbatical to research and produce this book encapsulating
what he discovered.
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5. REVIEW
Subtitled, “An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations,” this book has a
lot to say for those of who were born, and grew up, before the internet in particular.
The author is a journalist and he argues that his job is to understand a complex
subject, so he can help his readers understand it. He also argues that many people
feel, “fearful or unmoored,” in these changing times. Technology, globalization and
climate change, he argues, are all accelerating in pace, while our society, workplaces
and politics are changing.
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6. REVIEW (CONT.)
Of course, we have always lived in a changing world and we have to adapt to it. It is
fairly obvious that Friedman preferred earlier times, wishing to take time out to reflect
and pause. I agree with much of what he writes, about needing time to reflect and to
live in our community and not online. The internet is a wonderful thing, but you need to
take what you need from it and ignore the more unpleasant aspects. In the same way,
you do not want to live your life online, becoming detached from reality. This is a
sensible call to slow down, relax and live at your own speed. I do not think everything
new is negative, but I would agree that it is not all positive.
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7. KEY POINT OF THE BOOK
The world is changing more quickly than ever. Rapidly evolving technology, global
markets and climate change all imply significant accelerations to the pace of life – and
these factors are exerting a major impact on our lives.
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