Thomas Friedman believes in the power of technology. In Thank You For Being Late: An Optimist’s Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations Friedman shows how accelerating technology, climate change, and demographics change the world. Along the way, Friedman tells stories like how Airbnb came about. Uber, the world’s largest taxi company, owns no vehicles. Facebook, the world’s most popular media owner, creates no content. Alibaba, the most valuable retailer, has no inventory. And Airbnb, the world’s largest accommodation provider, owns no real estate. Something interesting is happening.” (p. 97) I found plenty of interesting facts in Freidman’s latest book. However, I am not so optimistic. Airliners are great, but not when terrorists use them to crash into buildings. Computers are wonderful, but not when someone hacks mine and steals my identity. Smartphones are supercomputers in your pocket but can be used to bully teenagers. Friedman and optimists like him need to deal with the Dark Side of Technology, too. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
PART I: REFECTING
1. Thank You for Being Late 3
PART II: ACCELERATING
2. What the Hell Happened in 2007? 19
3. Moore’s Law 36
4. The Supernormal 55
5. The Market 115
6. Mother Nature 157
PART III: INNOVATING
7. Just Too Damned Fast 187
8. Turning AI into IA 203
9. Control vs. Kaos 244
10. Mother Nature as Political Mentor 298
11. Is God in Cyberspace? 337
12. Always Looking for Minnesota 358
13. You Can Go Home Again (and You Should!) 410
PART IV: ANCHORING
14. From Minnesota to the World and Back 447
Acknowledgements 455
Index 463
I’m with you: Friedman’s outlook is too optimistic for me. I’m not a big fan or Uber or AirBnB–figuring out ways to skirt (or ignore) regulations only makes a handful of people ultra-wealthy and just reinforces low-pay jobs for the rest of us. (Is there any kind of career path for an Uber driver? Other than continuing to be an Uber driver?) Also, as my husband says, do we want to live in a world where every car is a cab and every house is a hotel?
Deb, I’m with John. Do we want to live in a world where every car is cab (because there’s a lack of Good Jobs) and every home is a hotel (because people can’t pay their bills). Technology destroys as many jobs as it creates.
George, I used to read Friedman’s columns in “The New York Times” and once read excerpts from “The World Is Flat” for its India focus. He is held in high esteem in this country. This book sounds interesting read because of the contemporary issues and also because I like the way Friedman writes about people he meets in the course of his research.
Prashant, I used THE WORLD IS FLAT and HOT, FLAT & CROWDED in my classes. Friedman explains complicated concepts well. And, as you say, Friedman tells great “character” stories about the people behind the changes. You would enjoy THANK YOU FOR BEING LATE!
Lots of empty taxis driving around in NY because of Uber. And things like facebook do as much harm as good when people use them to plant fake news and bully people. I like the fact we can communicate more easily now with iphones but a lot of the new seems designed to set us apart.
Patti, the whole phenomenon of “fake news” will cause a lot of problems ahead. So much dis-information confuses people and that leads to Bad Decisions and wacky actions!
Like the psycho who drove to D. C. yesterday with his rifle to “self-investigate” the pizza place on Connecticut Avenue for the “secret tunnels” where Hillary was supposed to be running a sex abuse ring. Anyone who would believe that should have been disqualified from voting!
Jeff, sadly we’re going to see a lot of that kind of stuff over the next 4 years.
We need some optimists these days. I’m not one of them, however.
Bill, I’m optimistic about a lot of things. My students give me faith in the Future. But I have zero faith in Rex Ryan and the current Buffalo Bills.
I agree with you, George. I like Friedman a lot but he is way too optimistic, as this election showed. I’m more with Paul Krugman on the Dark Side.
Jeff, Paul Krugman sees the dangers ahead of us!
As you might guess, here in CA vacation rentals is causing a lot of problems in neighborhoods. The Beach area is particularly hard hit. There are signs up saying neighborhoods are for neighbors. There are several problems, obviously noise and trash from temp. visitors. Parking gets harder and harder, especially closer to the beach, where many beachgoers park and walk to the beach to avoid paying for parking or when the lots are full.
I think, though, air bnb is a room in a house, most of these are not owner occupied. Either way, it and Uber flaunt regulations. I won’t use either and agree only the company owners make any significant money. I get offers from uber and see a video every so often showing a mother who wants to spend time with her kids, and work on her own schedule, not mentioning the pay she gets. I wonder what steps insurance companies are taking with this new phenom.
Maggie, Diane gets offers from UBER online almost every day. Unfortunately, UBER hasn’t been allowed to operate in Western New York yet. I have no interest in Airbnb but many people obviously do.
I’m afraid I’m a pessimist and pretty much always have been. I tend to look at the (reasonably) worst case scenario and if things come out better, that’s nice. The ubiquitous use of devices, mostly “smart” phones, to access and use “social media” has, is and will continue to cause a raft of problems, both sociologic and technical. Too much input, especially of dubious quality, produces overload. Not a good thing.
Did I mention those high-powered salesmen are still trying to get me to get rid of the horse and buggy and buy one of those automobile things?
YAWN!
Bob, this book tells what your grandchildren will be facing. Scary stuff!
Dire predictions for the future have been going on since Christ was a corporal!
Bob, and many of those dire predictions have come true!