The Lexus and the Olive Tree

“The Lexus and the Olive Tree” is a novel breaking down globalization. The book, goes into detail on what globalization is, explaining the importance of it, the break down of what has to occur, and who is in involved, and much more. Friedman’s book is a good realistic idea of what is occurring in our world. Though some of the examples he has used are out of date, that in itself is an example of globalization.

This book is not an easy read. At times, there is an overkill on the use of examples, but overall, it is very educational, especially for the learning and adapting student. In my opinion, I think this reading material should be observed with more college students and young adults, because it gives a good idea of other parts of the world, but also, for me, put the world as a whole in perspective.

Living in the 21 Century, things change on a regular basis, from technology advancements to science research to medical cures. While the majority of the population would like the newest and finest things that come out, they also want what was, weather a simpler time of the pass or something else. What caught my attention, that tends to impact me the most and support the changes he was expressing is when Friedman used the Lexus and the olive tree as examples of the Cold War era. He stated that the “olive trees are important. They represent everything that roots us, anchors us, identifies us and locates us in this world—whether it be belonging to a family, a community, a tribe, a nation, a religion or, most of all, a place called home. Olive trees are what give us the warmth of family, the joy of individuality, the intimacy of personal rituals, they depth of private relationships, as well as the confidence and security to reach out and encounter others.” The Lexus represents “an equally fundamental, age-old human drive—the drive for sustenance, improvement, prosperity and modernization—as it is played out in today's globalization system. The Lexus represents all...