Thomas Loren Friedman (born July 20, 1953) is an American journalist, columnist

and author. He has won the Pulitzer Prize three times and currently writes a weekly
column for The New York Times. He has written extensively on foreign
Part 03 and environmental issues.
affairs, global trade, the Middle East, globalization,
When the author Thomas L Friedman meets someone for breakfast and they get caught up on the
way, he thanks them for being late. That unscheduled wait is a perfect time for reflection, and
gave Friedman the title for his latest book: Thank you for being late – an optimist’s guide to
thriving in the age of accelerations.
• Exposes the movements that are reshaping the world today and explains how to get the most out
of them and cushion their worst impacts. The author attempts to get the reader to look at the
world differently: how you understand the news, the work you do, the education your kids need,
the investments your employer has to make, and the moral and geopolitical choices our country
has to navigate will all be refashioned by Friedman’s original analysis.

• Author brings us first to an important “aha!” Moment: everything started speeding up in 2007.
That was the year the world first saw the Iphone, Google’s android platform, the kindle, the
Watson computer, AirBNB, inexpensive DNA sequencing, and intel non-silicon microchips. It
was, Friedman writes, “one of the greatest leaps forward in history.” Since then, we’ve been on a
rocket ship ride where the rate of technology is changing far faster than human adaptation.
• Culture, nature, sustainability, spirituality, immigration, globalization—he tackles these
subjects, and more, robustly and earnestly. This book winds up as a road map, providing
insights and encouragement. Changes in technology, culture, climate, politics and
globalization have been happening at breakneck speed throughout the last decade. He also
discusses three “accelerators” of change that have been at work since then: computer-related
technology, globalization and climate change and observes how these accelerators are
shaping our world for good or ill.
• If we think we can slow the world down and catch up, we’re deluding ourselves, Friedman
suggests. Technological advance won’t be curbed, and neither will globalization. Climate
effects are only beginning. We urgently need to find ways to adapt faster. As individuals,
nothing will help more than a commitment to lifelong learning, something I would agree
with. As nations, we need faster and more responsive governments and workplaces.

• The world is changing more quickly than ever. Rapidly evolving technology, global markets
and climate change all imply significant accelerations to the pace of life – and these factors
are exerting a major impact on our lives. In this wild new world, working together for the
common good may be humanity’s last hope.
He raises the importance of seeking the common good of a community. The book that begins as
a survey of science, business and technology leads to a quest for god and a well-ordered society.
He concludes that, in this “age of accelerations,” society needs a reflective search for spiritual
and community roots. So don't miss this summary of Thomas L. Friedman's field guide to the
21st century addressing everything from technology to community to the environment!