# Globablization 101 - Lexus and Olive Tree by Friedman - Have you read it?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/globablization-101-lexus-and-olive-tree-by-friedman-have-you-read-it/179113>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 2, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/globablization-101-lexus-and-olive-tree-by-friedman-have-you-read-it/179113 "2003-06-02T13:09:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/globablization-101-lexus-and-olive-tree-by-friedman-have-you-read-it/179113/1 "2003-06-02T13:09:12Z")

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Here is a listing for the book on [Amazon](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385499345/qid=1054558752/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-7512008-7933538?v=glance&s=books). I am a little over halfway done, and as a business person, I am finding the book to be very thought-provoking and informative.

His basic thesis is that communism lost out to free-market capitalism and that as freedom of technology, finance and information become commonplace, globalization becomes an inexorable force. Any country wanted to surf the way must align its basic economic structure (i.e., become a free market), adopt appropriate macro economic policies, and pass laws to root our corruption and make accounting standard and transparent.

Fascinating book - essential reading for a perspective on Globalization. He tends to repeat his main points a lot, sometimes uses examples that already seem dated, and seems to position the inevitability of globalization in a positive way, at least at this point in the book (I am opening a related-but-different thread about that in Great Debates, btw), but his ability to illustrate the Big Picture - even if you don’t like it - is a valuable service.

Have you read it - what are your thoughts?

If you haven’t - check it out!!

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/globablization-101-lexus-and-olive-tree-by-friedman-have-you-read-it/179113/2 "2003-06-02T13:16:25Z")

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oh crap - a double OP - darn it! Sorry. Mods - can you please lock one?

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/globablization-101-lexus-and-olive-tree-by-friedman-have-you-read-it/179113/3 "2003-06-02T13:18:08Z")

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Just to keep things clean - if anyone actually wants to reply to this topic (may be a moot point) - please use the **OTHER** thread, to avoid confusion. Sorry again.