One of my cousins is graduating high school this month (yes, we are a generation apart), and I’m pretty sure I’m going to buy him The World is Flat
This was the first book I had ever listened to on my MP3 player. I downloaded it from audible.com, and I have to admit, I really liked the experience. I listened to it on my Creative Zen Vision:M during my commute to and from work. It took me about a month to listen to the 24 hours of reading. The biggest problem with purchasing an audio book is that I do not have a tangible book with paper to refer to when writing this review.
Why I am buying this book for my cousin:
- To give him an idea of what types of skills will/may be important in the years ahead. It’s not just about becoming an engineer, or a programmer, or lawyer. It’s about understanding how to communicate, synthesize, and innovate. These are the types of things that will help him compete in the global job market.
- It will help him question some of the assumptions that he (probably) has regarding our (U.S.) role in the global economy. My generation took/takes for granted that the U.S. is and will always be THE global force when it comes to economics, innovation, and education. With the flat world we we have to suspend the above assumptions.
- He needs something to do over the summer–it’s not a short book.
- My Cousin is a smart musician type and is going to be studying in a fine arts department. I think The World is Flat could really help him to see his talents and potential from a new perspective.
I think a take-away from the book is that this is an era of extreme opportunity, and we must take advantage of it. If we do not take advantage of the opportunities, we will no longer enjoy the wealth and prosperity we have today. Good luck, Cuz.
