按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
and become smarter to make sure we get our share。 But let us not underestimate our
strengths or the innovation that could explode from the flat world when we really
do connect all of the knowledge centers together。 On such a flat earth； the most
important attribute you can have is creative imagination…the ability to be the first
on your block to figure out how all these enabling tools can be put together in new
and exciting ways to create products； communities； opportunities； and profits。 That
has always been America's strength； because America was； and for now still is； the
world's greatest dream machine。
I cannot tell any other society or culture what to say to its own children； but I
can tell you what I say to my own： The world is being flattened。 I didn't start it
and you can't stop it； except at a great cost to human development and your own future。
But we can manage it； for better or for worse。 If it is to be for better； not for
worse； then you and your generation must not live in fear of either the terrorists
or of tomorrow； of either al…Qaeda or of Infosys。 You can flourish in this flat world；
but it does take the right imagination and the right motivation。 While your lives
have been powerfully shaped by 9/11； the world needs you to be forever the generation
of 11/9…the generation of strategic optimists； the generation with more dreams than
memories； the generation that wakes up each morning and not only imagines that things
can be better but also acts on that imagination every day。
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
In 1999 I published a book on globalization called The Lexus and the Olive Tree。 The
phenomenon we call globalization was just taking off then； and The Lexus and the Olive
Tree was one of the early attempts to put a frame around it。 This book is not meant
to replace The Lexus and the Olive Tree； but rather to build on it and push the
arguments forward as the world has evolved。
I am deeply grateful to the publisher of The New York Times and chairman of the New
York Times Company； Arthur Sulzberger Jr。； for granting me a leave of absence to be
able to undertake this book； and to Gail Collins； editorial page editor of The New
York Times； for supporting that leave and this whole project。 It is a privilege to
work for such a great newspaper。 It was Arthur and Gail who pushed me to try my hand
at documentaries for the Discovery Times Channel； which took me to India and
stimulated this whole book。 Thanks in that regard also go to Billy Campbell of the
Discovery Channel for his enthusiastic backing of that Indian documentary； and to
Ken Levis； Ann Deny； and Stephen Reverand for helping to bring it off。 Without
Discovery the show would not have happened。
I never could have written this book； though； without some wonderful tutors from the
worlds of technology； business； and politics。 A few individuals must be singled out
for particular thanks。 I never would have broken the code of the flat world without
the help of Nandan Nilekani； CEO of the Indian technology company Infosys； who was
the first to point out to me how the playing field was being leveled。 Vivek Paul；
pres…
ident of the Indian technology company Wipro； really took me inside the business of
the flat world and deciphered it all for me…time and time again。 Joel Cawley； the
head of IBM's strategic planning team； helped me connect so many of the dots between
technology and business and politics on Planet Flat…connections I never would have
made without him。 Craig Mundie； chief technology officer of Microsoft； walked me
through the technological evolutions that made the flat world possible and helped
ensure that in writing about them I would not fall flat on my face。 He was a tireless
and demanding tutor。 Paul Romer； the Stanford University economist who has done so
much good work on the new economy； took the time to read the book in draft and brought
both his humanity and his intellect to several chapters。 Marc Andreessen； one of the
cofounders of Netscape； Michael Dell of Dell Inc。； Sir John Rose； chairman of
Rolls…Royce； and Bill Gates of Microsoft were very generous in commenting on certain
sections。 My inventor friend Dan Simpkins was enormously helpful in walking this
novice through his complex universe。 Michael Sandel's always challenging questions
stimulated me to write a whole chapter…〃The Great Sorting Out。〃 And Yaron Ezrahi；
for the fourth book in a row； let me bounce countless ideas off his razor…sharp mind。
The same was true for David Rothkopf。 None of them is responsible for any mistakes；
only for insights。 I am truly in their debt。
So many other people shared with me their valuable time and commented on different
parts of this book。 I want to thank in particular Allen Adamson； Graham Allison； Alex
and Jocelyn Attal； Jim Barksdale； Craig Barrett； Brian Behlendorf； Katie Belding；
Jagdish Bhagwati； Sergey Brin； Brill Brody； Mitchell Caplan； Bill Carrico； John
Chambers； Nayan Chanda； Alan Cohen； Maureen Conway； Lamees El…Hadidy； Rahm Emanuel；
Mike Eskew； Judy Estrin； Diana Farrell； Joel Finkelstein； Carly Fiorina； Frank
Fukuyama； Jeff Garten； Fadi Ghandour； Bill Greer； Jill Greer； Ken Greer； Promod Haque；
Steve Holmes； Dan Honig； Scott Hyten； Shirley Ann Jackson； P。 V。 Kannan； Alan Kotz；
Gary and Laura Lauder； Robert Lawrence； Jerry Lehrman； Rick Levin； Joshua Levine；
Will Marshall； Walt Mossberg； Moises Nairn； David Neeleman； Larry Page； Jim Perkowski；
Thomas Pickering； Jamie Popkin； Clyde Prestowitz； Glenn Prickett； Saritha Rai； Jerry
Rao； Rajesh Rao； Amartya
Sen； Eric Schmidt； Terry Semel； H。 Lee Scott Jr。； Dinakar Singh； Larry Summers； Jeff
Uhlin； Atul Vashistha； Philip Verleger Jr。； William Wertz； Meg Whitman； Irving
Wladawsky…Berger； Bob Wright； Jerry Yang； and Ernesto Zedillo。
And special thanks to my soul mates and constant intellectual companions Michael
Mandelbaum and Stephen P。 Cohen。 Sharing ideas with them is one of the joys of my
life。 A special thanks too to John Doerr and Herbert Allen Jr。； who each gave me the
opportunity to road test this book on some of their very demanding and critical
colleagues。
As always； my wife； Ann； was my first editor； critic； and all…around supporter。
Without her help and intellectual input this book never would have happened。 I am
so lucky to have her as my partner。 And thanks too to my daughters Orly and Natalie
for putting up with another year of Dad closeted away in his office for long hours；
and to my dear mother； Margaret Friedman； for asking every day when my book would
be done。 Max and Eli Bucksbaum provided valuable encouragement in the early hours
of the morning in Aspen。 And my sisters Shelley and Jane have always been in my corner。
I am blessed to have had the same literary agent； Esther Newberg； and publisher；
Jonathan Galassi； for four books； and the same line editor； Paul Elie； for the last
three。 They are simply the best in the business。 I am also blessed to have the most
talented and loyal assistant； Maya Gorman。
This book is dedicated to three very special people in my life： My mother… and
father…in…law； Ma