Is This World Flat?

I have returned to Africa (and to blogging). Some light reading during my down time is The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman. This book makes an interesting argument that the world has been “flattened” through technology so that more individuals from around the world can take part in the global economy than ever. However, one of the fundamental requirements for flattening is the internet. As I try to blog from a continent with shamefully low bandwidth, it seems obvious that Africa has been left out of the flattening.

Attempts are being pursued to bring more bandwidth to Africa, but are still years away. So, most of the continent, while increasingly filled with connected individuals eager to be part of the internet age, is forced to crawl along at monotonous speeds.

The End of Poverty

Jeffrey Sachs is a superstar economist (note his daliances with Angelina Jolie and his role as teacher/mentor to my favorite rock star, Bono, aka one of Time's Persons of the Year). Dr. Sachs recent book, The End of Poverty, is a must read in my opinion. It does an excellent job outlining the extent of extreme poverty, its consequences, and then provides measurable solutions. I think his proposals are relatively evidence-based and holistic with appropriate doses of rigor, transparency, and optimism. Note that fighting HIV/AIDS is one of the major interventions he proposes to promote economic development.