Tuesdays are Ideas Day here at Taking it to the Streets
Tom Friedman’s new book (co-written with Michael Mandlebaum) is masterful. It’s called “That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World it Invented and How We can Come Back.” The title – That Used to Be Us – came from a speech Obama gave.
I’ll do a review next week but I’m so excited about this important book that I wanted to do a little sneak preview. Do you know of Tom Friedman? Maybe read some of his other books, such as “Hot, Flat and Crowded” or “The World is Flat”? He’s a brilliant New York Times columnist, journalist and author of many books (I’m just citing the other ones I’ve read). I do believe this is one of his strongest books.
If you’re an American I would think that, like me and Tom Friedman, you’ve noticed that we’ve been slipping. A lot. We’ve taken our eyes off the ball – focusing instead on the mustard stain that the lady in the bleachers has on her shirt. Really, I think THAT makes more sense than some of the marginalized “issues” that our press and the whacko extremists in BOTH parties conjure up.
Friedman and Mandlebaum give a detailed analysis of how we lost our way, what we SHOULD be focusing on, and how to get back on track. Not get back to where we were – because the world has changed so much – but get back to WHO we were.
The book is comprised of five parts:
Part I: The Diagnosis
1. If you See Something, Say Something
2. Ignoring our Problems
3. Ignoring our History
Part II: The Education Challenge
4. Up in the Air
5. Help Wanted
6. Homework x 2 = the American Dream
7. Average is Over
Part III: The War on Math and Physics
8. “This is Our Due”
9. The War on Math (and the Future)
10. The War on Physics and Other Good Things
Part IV: Political Failure
11. The Terrible Twos
12. “Whatever it is, I’m Against It”
13. Devaluation
Part V. Rediscovering America
14. They Just Didn’t Get the Word
15. Shock Therapy
16. Rediscovering America
I’ve underlined most of the book and swear I could write a post about almost every page – there are so many facts to absorb. But better than the facts are Friedman and Mandlebaum’s analysis. Their ability to get the 50,000 foot view and make sense out of what heretofore had seemed baffling is one of the things I like most about this book.
I’m savoring the last 20 pages, then I’ll let it marinate in my brain a bit more – I’ll be back to you on this. But meanwhile, if you’ve read the book I’d love to hear your take. I think it should be required reading for Americans. All Americans.
This is very intriguing to me. I think I would enjoy it BUT, I cannot tolerate books that bash one party over another (the perfect party is a melding of the two if you as me). Is this a left or right book? Or is it an all in no matter what side of the table you sit at? Looking forward to next week.
Teri – you’d LOVE this book – you and Tom Friedman agree (as do I – though I must say I’m very left/progressive/liberal). THe whole point of the book is that we MUST stop our squabbling and attend to the big issues at hand.
I have to say, when he spoke about some of the Republican/conservative/right-wing perspectives I could hear him – it wasn’t partisan. And that was his point – both sides DO have some good ideas – and both sides have big blind spots. He was an equal opportunity praiser and basher – but that was really not what the book was about at all (which I appreciated) – it was mostly about the issues and ways we can get past them.
I don’t know if you’ve read his other books, but he has intriquing ideas. Ones where you wonder why you never thought of that before because once presented it makes SO much sense. I finished the book on the train this morning and just LOVED it!!
I haven’t read the book…yet…but have been very aware of it. I’ll be sure to read it.
The topics you outlined are all things that hubby and I talk about frequently. This country is really at a crucial point in it’s history. We have lost our manufacturing capabilities because it appeared to be cheaper to move manufacturing to third world countries. We haven’t rewarded engineers and scientists in this country for at least the last 30 years…. instead we have rewarded marketing and finance. It’s been a shortsighted approach that is catching up with us.
Kay – you’ll love the book – he makes exactly that point – that in focusing on marketing and finance at the expense of engineering, math and science, we have become lopsided and created this mess. He points out that our response to being one-upped with the Russians and Sputnik was to focus on math and science – thus all the Baby Boomer engineers, scientists, et al (and indeed, the Internet Revolution, started by the youngest Boomers). Then everything changed. You will totally love this book and i’d love an evening of discussing it with you and Jim and other smart people – I may have to revivie my salons or start a book group
[...] 19, 2011 by dianescholten Awhile back I wrote a sneak preview of the book I was reading – Tom Friedman & Michael Mandelbaum’s “That Used [...]
[...] Mandlebaum’s book got my attention (in fact, I wrote two reviews in this blog – here and here). With no offense meant to Eastern Europe, it was the thought of being behind Slovenia in [...]
[...] 20, 2012 by dianescholten I’ve written two posts (here and here) on “That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How [...]