The thing that GM sheds may be the most attractive piece in a few years.

I have often said the “The Dilbert Principle” is the greatest management textbook of all time. Totally applicable to the implosion of GM, IMHO.

I loved it so much that I ran out and bought the next one, I think it was “The Dilbert Future”. I found Scott Adams’ vision to be so dark that I put it down after the first couple of chapters, and never picked it up again. It is still staring at me from the bookshelf.

Maybe I’ll get it down and try again if and when I finish ‘TWIF”, LOL.

Thanks for the inspiration.

I started “The World Is Flat” when it was a current best seller, but could not get past the first couple of chapters about the call centers, etc. I then read “Hot, Flat and Crowded”, which I found easier going. That, and the fact that I ran out of Bernard Cornwell “Sharpe” novels, led me back to try “TWIF” again. As to “HF&C”, I do agree with your comments. Mr. Friedman is a reporter, not a scientist or engineer, so I’m not too shocked that he didn’t lay out the definitive solutions.

On the other hand, the book was very professionally written and readable. So I think that a lot of its value lies in laying out the history and the problems, which I would hope will lead his large audience into getting more engaged and joining in the search for the elusive solutions.

As to “The World is Flat”, I am still wading through it. As you may recall, the quote from Marx, which, as you can see, just flabbergasted me, is only about halfway through. But, based on the above, I will not be too shocked if the result is the same. I mean, he’s not a trained economist either, although maybe that’s to his credit!

I think that your idea about trying to make constructive solutions for the future is an excellent one. As a reporter and best selling authour with obviously awesome contacts around the world, one would think that he could get access to the best scientific and economic experts out there and do a couple of more books on the solutions. Why don’t we both send him an e-mail and suggest same? I’ll bet there’s some sort of e-mail address in the books somewhere.

All i can say is that I have a now 6 year old grandson, and I look at him and wonder what is going to become of him. If medical technology marches on, his generation may very well live to be 100. How are they going to maintain decent lifestyles in the face of this global “flattening”? As you say, we had all better get busy and start trying to figure out some solutions.

Hawk

Why not post a link to here for them and get them educated

Today’s responses are overwhelmingly negative, and grossly mis-informed. The most confused newbie on this site is a PHEV genius compared to the posters on the BBC site.

They could use an GM-Volt powered truth squad to inform the primarily UK and US users about how electric cars, esp PHEVs really work.

C’mon guys (gals?). Check out the site and provide the board with some good old GM-Volt insight.

As I reported the other day, I am finally forcing myself to read “The World Is Flat”, by Thomas L. Friedman. In last night’s reading, to my amazement, he quoted at length from Karl Marx. He said that in “Das Kapital”, published in 1848 (!) Marx bascially predicted what we call “globalization” today.

Friedman is a grand supporter of the “flattening” of golbal commerce, and an ardent free enterpriser. He presents this as sort of a cautionary tale. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. He also tips his hat to what he sees as the incredible prescience of Marx on this issue.

“Marxism” may be a dirty word in out society, and I may get some flak for even bringing this up. Still, there is a lesson here somewhere.
====================

The World is Flat doesn’t read at all like the quasi- ’sequel’ does it? I have a original copy, and I always think I will check out the ‘updated version 3.0′ at the library…but I never do, darn those new Dilbert books, lol.

I found it to be a fairly interesting read, but his conclusions about how America keeps a head in a ‘flattening world’ was a little lacking in my opinion. (ditto for wrapping up Hot, Flat and Crowded).

It is like he really enjoys telling the story and revisiting history, along with his interaction with it…then just whips up a hasty summation/solution. I’d like to see a 420 page book from him with the same topic, but with the last 320 of them devouted to going forward and taking it farther down the line. It is easy to look back…but another thing to look forward and put yourself on the line.

/both good books though
//sorry about the diversion to the rest of the site, but noel is the only other guy I know that has read either one, just wanted to throw my 2p out…and maybe get his too

Japan is in major trouble right now. Their demographics are a nightmare. Their government debt is 180% of GDP–the highest in the industrialized world. Their domestic auto market is shrinking dramatically. (A lot of younger Japanese citizens prefer public transportation.) They’ve been facing protectionism and new rivals from Korea, China and India who want to develop their own industries. And, now, the American market collapsed overnight.

And, honestly, I’m not happy about. If America is going to lose its predominance, I’d much rather see Japan take our place than China. Japan may be an insular society, but they don’t have a record of human rights abuses. And their products are generally high quality. And, they haven’t shot down our weather satilites or hacked into our electric system. Or started massive loans to South American countries.