Escarlin Feliz
Capstone 12
IR Grasp
The world is flat by Thomas Friedman
Chapter #1
1. What is it about the flat world that both excites Friedman and fills him with dread?
As he traveled, to different parts of the world, he found himself around local
American companies like pizza hut etc. He became excited because the market of
the United States is growing civilized in different parts of the world and dread
because people from different countries were adopting American ways, and
accents trying to take over their culture.
Chapter #2
1. What was the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall on 11/9/1989?
The significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall on 11/9/1989 was to end the cold
war and also end the difference between communism and capitalism in Germany.
2. What was the significance of Netscape?
The significance of the Netscape was to allow people to use the internet without
any restriction. People were open to a new opportunity to learn about many things
online.
3. What was the “First big breakthrouger in work-flow”?
By creating the work flow software, it allowed people to communicate with others
without any physical involvement. By this creation, industry allows their
employees to be around the world and still communicate with them.
4. What is blogging?
The definition of blogging is when people creates accounts online and the person
is open to communicate with anybody, also the person’s page is open to the public
to see what he puts in there.
5. How is outsourcing related to the success of entrepreneurs and venture capital firms?
Outsourcing is related to the success of entrepreneurs and venture capital firms
because they use it to gain capital efficiency since it cost a lot.
6. How is offshoring different from outsourcing?
Offshoring is different from outsourcing because offshoring is sending products
overseas and it’s at a lower cost than outsourcing which is to gain goods in a
foreign country.
7. What three activities accounted for Wal-Mart’s success once it began purchasing directly
from manufactures?
The three activities accounted for Wal-Mart’s success are: Technology to
streamline item sales distribution and shipping.
8. What is “insourcing”, who does it, and how is it distinct from outsourcing?
Insourcing is when a company uses another organization to get their work done.
UPS is one example that is mentioned by Friedman, since the UPS employees
repair computers for Toshiba’s company. Insourcing is distinct from outsourcing
because outsourcing is when a company needs the service of an organization and
insourcing is when an organization does the job.
9. How is “in-forming” the analog to “uploading”?
In-Forming is the analog to uploading because In-forming means giving people
reliable information and uploading is something that anyone can do without any
knowledge of what they are talking about, and it’s not reliable.
10. What does computing consist of?
Computing consist of people depending on it. They stay in the computer looking
up information and sometimes is not necessary and they become addicted.
Chapter 3

What in brief, is the “tripe convergence”?
The tripe convergence shows how the world became flat. Convergence #1 is the 10 flatteners.
Convergence #2 is the change in business on globalization 3.0. Convergence #3 is when the
flattened world allowed 150 million to be added to the global connected workforce.
Chapter 4

What does it mean that we are moving from a vertical world (command and
control) to a horizontal one (connected and collaborate)?
What it means that we are moving from a vertical world to a horizontal one is that in the
vertical world, a political party rules the country and a horizontal one is the one where parties
work together to make a better nation.
Chapter 5

Friedman says there may be a limit to “the number of goods factory jobs in the
world”, but not a limit to the number of idea-generated jobs in the world.” What
does he mean?
What Friedman means by that is that maybe good jobs will end at a time, but the ideas
that come from people will never have an end, because ideas keep coming.
Chapter 6

What should we be telling our kids about the “flattening” world?
What parents should be telling their kids is that they have to always learn new skills,
there will be plenty of jobs for their future kids in the flat world but only for people with
a vary of ideas to expand in the country.
Chapter 7

What is the meaning of the formula: CQ+PQ > IQ?
CQ+PQ > IQ means Curiosity Quotient, plus Passion Quotient is greater than Intelligent
Quotient, which means that a curious kid with passion to learn more would do greater
things than a person who is intelligent.
Chapter 8

What are the dirty little secrets: about the U.S?
One secret about the U.S is “the numbers gab”, referring to the decreasing number of
American students completing degrees in science and math fields. Jobs that require this
type of degree are created, and there aren’t enough people to fill them.
Chapter 9

What is “Compassionate Flatism”?
Compassionate Flatism is what Friedman believes is to be successful in a flat world. The
goal of compassionate flatism is to give the U.S the skills, education and techniques they
will need to compete in the flat world.
Chapter 10

What three basic things must a country get if it wants to develop when the world
becomes flat?
They must put policies to create a good environment for their companies to succeed in
the flat world. A country must be honest with themselves about their position in the world
market.
Chapter 11

What is a Social Entrepreneur?
A social entrepreneur is a person with good solutions to society’s social problems.
Chapter 12

What is the significance of human dignity and humiliation? How do we encourage
behaviors that dignify and discourage behaviors that humiliate?
The significance of human dignity and humiliation is that people lose their dignity by
doing or being humiliated. Dignity is high standards; humiliation is when a person
embarrasses another person and puts their feelings down. We can encourage behaviors
that dignify by giving people support and believing that they are able to do everything
they want in life and discourage behaviors that humiliate by stopping people from being
harsh towards each other.