'World Is Curved' offers valuable historical perspective

0 Comments | USA TODAY, September, 2008 | by Steve Weinberg

The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy

By David M. Smick

Portfolio, 272 pages, $26.95

When Thomas Friedman published The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, the title entered the English language as an explanation of globalization's impact on economics all the way to households -- not only in the United States, but also in other nations.

In Friedman's book, the discussion is vast, the linkages complex, the outcomes unpredictable, making it a challenge for the casual reader.

David Smick has written a response to Friedman, The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers to the Global Economy. Smick lauds Friedman's book but thinks it has become dated through no fault of the author. Smick directs...