A flat world of hamsters and elderberries

The Book Is Flatulent: A Brief Review of Thomas L. Friedman's

"The World Is Flat" Op-Ed

First off, I really wanted this book to be good, because Friedman's decline as a columnist has been painful to watchólike one of those Oprah episodes that are enjoyable only when they're done up as parody on Saturday Night Live. Friedman's like Billy Joel in his later years, almost so overdone that he makes you embarrassed for having championed him in previous years as the next best thing after sliced bread. If you've ever wondered what a Malcolm Gladwell book of just one concept would look like if it were blown up into 450-plus real pages instead of stretched, big print-like, across a mere couple of hundred pages, then this book is sad testimony to the notion of "be careful what you wish for."

Download here.