| | |  | Solar Power | Home » » Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America | | | | | | | Description: | | Thomas L. Friedman’s no. 1 bestseller The World Is Flat has helped millions of readers to see globalization in a new way. Now Friedman brings a fresh outlook to the crises of destabilizing climate change and rising competition for energyboth of which could poison our world if we do not act quickly and collectively. His argument speaks to all of us who are concerned about the state of America in the global future. Friedman proposes that an ambitious national strategy which he calls Geo-Greenism”is not only what we need to save the planet from overheating; it is what we need to make America healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive, and more secure. As in The World Is Flat, he explains a new erathe Energy-Climate erathrough an illuminating account of recent events. He shows how 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the flattening of the world by the Internet (which brought 3 billion new consumers onto the world stage) have combined to bring climate and energy issues to Main Street. But they have not gone very far down Main Street; the much-touted green revolution” has hardly begun. With all that in mind, Friedman sets out the clean-technology breakthroughs we, and the world, will need; he shows that the ET (Energy Technology) revolution will be both transformative and disruptive; and he explains why America must lead this revolutionwith the first Green President and a Green New Deal, spurred by the Greenest Generation. Hot, Flat, and Crowded is classic Thomas L. Friedmanfearless, incisive, forward-looking, and rich in surprising common sense about the world we live in today.
| | | Features: | |
• ISBN13: 9780374166854
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
| | | Product Details: | | | Author:
| Thomas L. Friedman | | Hardcover:
| 448 pages | | Publisher:
| Farrar, Straus and Giroux | | Publication Date:
| September 08, 2008 | | Language:
| English | | ISBN:
| 0374166854 | | Package Length:
| 9.1 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.7 inches | | Package Height:
| 1.4 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.55 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 267 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
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The time is nowJun 24, 2010
This is an important work that explains something I've been feeling for a long time but couldn't put into words: It is imperitave that we have a green energy revolution. It needs to be done for the the human race to survive and thrive. If the US takes charge, we could lead the next lifestyle revolution. It would benefit our economy and take money away from the oil producers who hate us anyway. I wish I had the money to buy 1,000 copies and mail them to every politician and business leader I could find.
That said, the reason I gave this 4 stars, not 5, is because 2/3 of the book could have been edited out with no loss of content or message. Like other works by this author, once you get it, you get it.
 The state of the world from a pragmatic perspectiveMay 22, 2010
Tom Friedman always has a practical point of view on things and this book is no exception. I found this book to be more forward-looking compared to The World Is Flat, which is more journalistic in its reporting of events that led to the world's economic state today. This book is more about steps the United States can take to ensure American dominance in the 21st Century.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that just thinks of environmental rights advocates as "treehuggers". Tom Friedman goes into extensive detail about how a green movement can have economic and national security benefits as well, such as reducing poverty and increasing productivity in regions of poor countries that do not have a stable electric grid and bankrupting petrodictators, who benefit from and are able to remain in power due to oil revenues.
May 17, 2010May 18, 2010
Thomas Friedman makes his point and continues to be loquacious to an excessive degree. The author gives many examples but fails to mention how our system can bring about the Green Revolution.
0 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 "Addicted to Oil"???May 16, 2010
I have to admit, after picking up this book I was pretty excited to dive right into and learn a new outlook on the worlds energy and climate problem. BUT, after the first few chapters of idealist thinking and a few contradictory statements, this book was a disappointment. His urgency for better environmental actions is well noted and is correct, but his scope on a few things seems to be incorrect. His campaign that "America is addicted to oil" is purely out of scope. To think about an average Americans oil consumption, it is directly proportionate to their lifestyle, commuting habits, and to the number of hours they still have their oil lamps on at night. We don't crave oil and dream about it at night, we use it because it's the cheapest and most easily accessible commodity available that fits our lifestyle. Once it stops being cheap and readily available, we will adapt and use a different resource. That doesn't sound like an addiction, it sounds like common sense. Using "Addicted" is just another way to instill fear in people to buy hybrids and solar panels for their houses. So I guess if he wants to use "Addicted" he should write about a 12-step program to get us out of addiction and back to our sober ways of living earth-conscience.
Overall, I would not waste your time reading this book and would recommend "SuperFreakonomics" by Steven Levitt.
Onwards,
Bryan
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Our Energy and Environmental Outlook for the 21st CenturyMay 14, 2010
Hot, Flat, and Crowded, a book written by award-winning author Thomas Friedman, lends valuable insight in addressing the energy and environmental problems and challenges of our time. With the environment at the forefront of the American media and political system, it is important that Americans understand the problems and solutions of our environmental status quo. Such an understanding can be derived by reading the deep analysis and research that fills the pages of this book.
The title of the book has a deep significance and meaning. Friedman argues that as the world expands and industrializes, it is becoming increasingly difficult to live in a world that is hot, flat, and crowded. By hot, reference is made to the increasing global temperature. By flat, the author reflects on the effect that the internet has had on leveling the global "playing field" for those in developing countries. By crowded, Friedman notes the ever increasing population: a population that has begun to move into industrialized areas and large cities. The book describe the multiple challenges that these three factors bring to America (and the rest of the world), and what we can do to address them.
The book was well researched and well written, and contained a great deal of informative material. Friedman talks about our world's dependence on Middle Eastern oil, the potential effects of global warming, biodiversity, energy poverty, nuclear power, natural gas plants, and many other prominent environmental topics. Yet, in my personal opinion, the information given was a bit too thorough, and at times I found the reading to be rather tedious. I disagreed with Friedman's perspective on global warming, a supposed environmental phenomenon that he believes is occurring and poses significant threat to our society. However, I do agree with his stance that we should decreasing energy poverty as a means to increasing productivity, as well as slow the significant loss of biodiversity in our current system. Overall, I found the book to be informative, thorough, and well-supported.
Mr. Friedman spends a great deal of time discussing the possible action the United States could take in regard to the environment. He recommends increasing the fuel efficiency of our vehicles, investing in nuclear power, increasing alternative energy such as wind and solar, increasing energy efficiency, and discontinuing the burning and cutting down of forests. Most certainly, we, as Americans, must protect our environment--whether through political or individual means.
While a few readers may disagree with some of the author's presuppositions, this book is an excellent tool to broaden one's understanding of our environment.
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