This book summary and review of Hot, Flat, and Crowded was prepared by Jason Synakiewicz while a Management student in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Executive Summary
In “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” Friedman explains the reason on why he believes the world is becoming hot, flat, and crowded. He touches on many different factors that have brought us to the predicaments at hand. Some of the factors adding to these problems were the world economy, global warming, word governments, and over population. Friedman goes on and gives excessive details about each of the factors; hot, flat, and crowded; as he rambles through his supporting facts and runs off on tangents. He does drive home the point of each with his repetition.
The first key point is the “hot” term. Friedman rants and rambles about this one the most. He stresses global warming and the consequences that it potentially brings. When Friedman starts to support that global warming is a problem he starts to ramble off as much information he possibly can. He makes a good point but its information overload and it’s not even organized. Friedman does make global warming look like a real and scary threat but he also uses it as salvation for the Unites States’ economy. He explains how the United States can grow and make a revolution by making and using “green” technologies.
Friedman uses his “flat” term, one of his three main points of the book, to explain how technology has led the economies of the world to more become more global. Internet and other technologies have allowed companies to complete many task anywhere in the world. This has become a problem for the United States because jobs are now outsourced to people who will do them as well but for less money.
The last key point is the “crowded” term. This term focuses on the overpopulation of the world. The “crowded” term also focuses that more of the world is becoming middle-class. When there are more people in the middle-class there is a greater demand for more products, which puts more stress on the global resources. Friedman really looks at the oil production part of this growing resource use and how it helps the oil Tsars grow more power.
Throughout the book Friedman uses these three key points to show how they have lead to the state of the world’s economy today. This book is an example of how many factors can affect the economy and how the United States can overcome this to rise to the top again. Even though I was not a really impressed with how Friedman supported the three main facts he did have good points and brings it to the reader’s attention in way that is almost like a slap in the face to wake up and notice what’s going on.
The Ten Things Managers Need to Know from Hot, Flat, and Crowded.
1. Successfully getting into the green effort could pay off for a business in the long run.
2. Companies need to be aware of “wasteful” energy use, which could end up saving them money.
3. As the price and use of oil increases we give nations with fewer freedoms more power.
4. Companies can raise innovation by becoming greener. Becoming greener means becoming smarter.
5. The increase of the middle class of the world means that there are opportunities that can be caught in developing countries.
6. With the increase of technology and the use of the Internet there are many ways to find information to reduce cost through the reduction of energy cost.
7. Innovation is the way out of the global warming problems.
8. The U.S. needs another bubble to get out of its current economic problems and going green could be that bubble.
9. The effects of global warming will be easier to see in the future than in the present.
10. The growth of the world population has stressed natural resources and we need to find other alternatives to reduce these stresses.
Full Summary of Hot, Flat, and Crowded
· When the Market and Mother Nature Hit the Wall
o Chapters 1-3
The first three chapters in the version of the book I have is something that was added for the re-released version . In these chapters he sets up the ground work for his book and really sets the tone of the book. His tone is really cocky and he really gives you a lot of information that I wasn’t really sure what is was for until I was about two hundred pages into the book. I did find myself skipping a few pages here and there.
· Where We Are
o Chapter 4
This section starts off with the chapter that explains the trends of the concepts of hot, flat, and crowded. Friedman defines these terms and explains how the three causes the problems to the energy supply, mainly oil, and how they lead to global warming. Also he talks about how these problems affect the world’s economic growth and security.
o Chapter 5
The next chapter is about the energy supply and demand. He talks about how China and India have a growing middle class they are wanting the same things as the American middle class. This growing want and need by these countries increases the level of strain on the natural resources. He also says the United States needs to be the role model for these countries and find more sustainable way for growth.
o Chapter 6
The next chapter in this section focuses on the “petrodicatorship” which the political stance in major oil producing countries. He explains that as the global need for oil grows it puts more money in the pockets of the oil producing countries. He has a great “law” in this chapter that says that as oil prices increases the amount of freedom decreases. I found this very interesting just because the measure of freedom can be very subjective and it depends on what a person’s view of freedom is. He also tries to say that the increase of money in these countries fuels more terrorism. Which is another subjective idea because any country becomes richer would almost everything increase? He uses all these facts to explain why the world, mainly the U.S., needs to reduce the need for oil.
o Chapter 7
The next chapter really focuses on the climate change. He starts to give facts about how this is a real problem, but then he explains that the climate is complex and we are not sure what’s happening. He explains that we don’t have long term modeling of the Earth’s climate but we know it is changing but we are not sure how bad it really is. Friedman talks about how we need to increase awareness of global warming. This was a hard chapter for me to follow.
o Chapter 8
The next chapter focuses on biodiversity loss and he explains how the climate change enhances this loss. Friedman also explains that we can’t keep putting this off till tomorrow we need to focus on this problem now. He explains how the loss of biodiversity affects the quality of life on Earth for humans.
o Chapter 9
Friedman explains the concept of energy poverty in the next part of this section. He talks about how the developing countries have a low quality of life because of the lack of electricity. Also he stresses how the poor stay poor without an electricity supply because they have no way of having or using the technology that brings a higher standard of life.
o Chapter 10
The last chapter in this section explains how the U.S. must take the lead in green technology if we want to keep ahead in the global economy. He stresses that we must have a plan and implement it because we have no other option. He gives several different ways we need to move in on this concept. He wants the U.S. to find a cheap clean energy source as well as practice conservation and he wants the government to place policies and incentives that would help provoke companies to do this.
· How We Move Forward
o Chapter 11
In the first part of this section Friedman lists the amount of different groups jumping on the green train and some aren’t even really going green. He then explains how hard it will be to reach the green goals that we are trying to reach. He also explains the reality of how much money it will really cost to start these projects and how hard it will be to put these changes in place.
o Chapter 12
Friedman then talks about how the mixing of energy technology and information technology. He talks about the power grid and how it isn’t efficient and how power is driven by regulations and not supply and demand. He goes on to tell this future story that was far fetched to me and he states that it sounds that way but then he goes on one of his overkill with facts runs on how it’s not that far off. The future story was most of this chapter and I found myself skipping pages. It just seemed like all filler.
o Chapter 13
The next chapter compares the Stone Age ending because of new ideas to what we are experiencing right now with the energy issues. The major problem is there hasn’t been a major breakthrough in clean energy. He explains how we need to have a carbon tax or some trade caps to level the playing field of green technologies. Once again in this chapter he runs off on a tangent and I had a hard time keeping up with him. He seemed to be unfocused and just started throwing facts out there. It was almost as bad as the story in the previous chapter.
o Chapter 14
The next chapter was about how we need cheaper energy because it is cheaper in the long run. He explains how regulations could lead to more efficient energy use. He says that even though it’s very costly to make this green technology and it can cut cost in the long run. He stresses that transportation needs to be changed to electricity to reduce the emissions that they produce. He talks about making the smarter grids to help this effort.
o Chapter 15
The next chapter is talks about how we need to preserve our natural resources because they have a direct correlation with our quality of life. He gives six ways we can preserve resources which are government policies for conservation, economic opportunities, local government preserving areas, biodiversity assessment, and education programs.
o Chapter 16
In the last chapter in this section he explains that out greening is competitive. We need to adopt a greening strategy because being the cheapest greenest means you can be competitive. He also has a point when he talks about how the world thought that the resources were free. I thought that was a great concept because it is almost like little kids who think something will last forever.
· China/America
o Chapter 17
In this chapter Friedman rips on China for the pollution that it makes from its growing economy. He explains that China cannot take the same path of industrialization that the western countries have. I think that is complete nonsense and not fair at all to China. Of course they should look for ways to grow the economy in a more green way but they shouldn’t be frowned upon for that. The part that shocked me was when he said that the U.S. should lead China to greener ways. That was just thoughtless why would a competitor want help from the competition, and why would they take it? Just a thought I had while reading this chapter.
o Chapter 18
This chapter has some good points and the best one is that we discuss the idea of greening but their little follow through. He rips on Congress for funding the wrong projects and complains about all the red tape and hoops companies have to jump through to build a new power plant. He also points out that if the U.S. doesn’t step up that China will out green the U.S. which I thought was a good point, too bad it was made towards the end of the chapter!
o Chapter 19
In his last chapter he focused on how we need a strategy to get things moving. He realizes that change will be hard and will be a difficult to do. The change would be hard because the benefits would not be felt for many years and we would be doing this for our children more than ourselves. He talks about how the nation’s leaders need to step up and face the problem that is right in their face.
Personal Insights
I feel that Friedman rambled and stumbled his way through most of his ideas. At times he would start with a great concept and then added so many random thoughts and ideas that I found myself skipping a few pages here and there. At times the book reminded me of that guy you meet at the bar who has had a few drinks. He has a great, or sometimes brilliant, idea and starts to support it with great facts but then he goes on this wild tangent, which is somewhat related, that makes you lose all interest. Friedman was this guy. He pulled me in with these intriguing ideas and concepts and would start to support them. Then he would tell you about an article he read about the subject. Of course, it was related to the idea but we could have gone without knowing every little detail that lead to this idea. I don’t want to ramble on like Friedman, so I’ll cut to the point. He could have said and relayed the same message with a book that was half the size. I would say anywhere from half to two thirds of the book is rambling.
· If I were the author of the book, I would have done these three things differently:
1. First off, I would have kept to the point and not rambled on. I would have stated the key points and supported them and left it at that.
2. I would have explained everything on a global level and kept the ideas very basic. It was really focused on the U.S. and that will not completely solve the problems stated.
3. I would also try to keep in the middle of the road about the subject I was talking about and try to let the facts sway he reader. I felt like when I was reading sometimes he would get very one sided and it pulled me away from some his ideas.
· Reading this book made me think differently about the topic in these ways:
1. I will look at global warming a lot differently. I was never sold on it either was but the chapter about the ice cap readings kind of pulled towards global warming. I will definitely be looking more into the subject.
2. I will think differently about the relationship between the price of oil and freedom in oil rich countries that was talked about in chapter 6. Even though freedom isn’t exactly a measurable thing it really made me think about the concept.
3. The book made me also think that we are picking on China for coming late to the game. They are just becoming developed and countries are beating them up about how they are doing it wrong. It’s like the picking on someone because you see potential.
· I’ll apply what I’ve learned in this book in my career by:
1. I will be aware not ramble on about something not matter how passionate I am about the subject. It’s frustrating listening to something without being supported by facts.
2. I will also be aware that something that is given to you, or that just happens to be in your good fortune, you still need to be grounded. The chapter about oil wealth and freedom really hit me hard.
3. I will apply that it’s a global economy and you can’t focus too much on one region because you can lose focus of the picture. Freidman focused on a few countries, mainly the U.S. and China, and lost the fact that these are problems for the world.
· Here is a sampling of what others have said about the book and its author:
“Thomas Friedman is about to dive into the green-tech fray. In his latest book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, the multi-Pulitzer-winning journalist says everyone needs to accept that oil will never be cheap again and that wasteful, polluting technologies cannot be tolerated. The last big innovation in energy production, he observes, was nuclear power half a century ago; since then the field has stagnated.” Graff
“What will appeal to can-do business types is that Friedman’s book does not dwell, as, say, Gore’s movie did, on describing the problem, but concentrates most on sketching possible solutions. It is in these passages that Friedman’s argument really takes off, allowing him to give vent to his enthusiasm and unabashed idealism. Non-Americans might find his wide-eyed patriotism a touch saccharine if not naïve, but it’s hard not to be carried along by his evident passion.” Freeland
Bibliography
Freeland, Jonathan. Eco-nomics. NYTimes. Oct. 3, 2008
Graff, Garrett. In Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Thomas Friedman Calls for a Green Energy Revolution. Wired Magazine. 08-18-08
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Contact Info: To contact the author of this “Summary and Review of Hot, Flat, and Crowded,” please email W0358871@selu.edu.
BIOGRAPHY
David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).
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