Purdue University College of Liberal Arts
Information for
Week 3
February 21, 2008
Stewart Center 302 & 306
Julio Ramirez, Professor of Civil Engineering, takes us through the most important issues gleaned from a book published in 2005, updated and re-released in 2006, then updated and re-released yet again, The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman.
Publisher's synopsis: In this brilliant book, the award-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman demystifies our brave new world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often bewildering global scene unfolding before their eyes. With his inimitable ability to translate complex foreign policy and economic issues, Friedman explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; and how governments and societies can, and must, adapt. The World Is Flat is the timely and essential update on globalization, its successes and discontents, powerfully illuminated by one of our most respected journalists.