Last night I finished reading Thomas Friedman's The World is Flat. I liked it much more than I expected, but that's not a very high threshold. A one sentence summary: Friedman explains how techonological innovation has influenced business practices and increased international economic integration.

There's lots to like about Friedman's book. He recognizes that the rapid technological changes of the last decade have improved people's lives. He recognizes that the world is not zero-sum and that international trade is mutually beneficial. (At one point, he even refers to anti-globalization folks as the "Coalition to Keep Poor People Poor.") He recognizes that productivity is at least as important cheap labor in determining where goods and services are produced. And he recognizes the importance of institutions in economic development. This is much more than I expected from a pillar of the MSM establishment, especially one who calls the NYT editorial page home. (Tierney excepted.)

One of the highlights was his discussions of Wal-Mart's and UPS's use of technology in production and inventory management. These sections of the book ought to be required reading in business school operations management classes.

There are also a few things to dislike. He embraces a more activitist role for government than I think is warranted. He drops in some cheap political shots and takes a swipe at Wal-Mart's health insurance policies. He's a world class name dropper--"my friend ____" [fill in the blank with a CEO such as Gates or Whitman or a prominent government leader]. And he's a bit sloppy with some facts (we invaded Iraq in March 2003 not 2002; Moussauoi is thought to be the 20th hijacker not the 19th).

Overall, though, a surprisingly good effort.