News Briefs: February 27, 2009
New York Times columnist to deliver DDLS
Thomas Friedman, foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times , will discuss "Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution — And How It Can Renew America" at 10:45 a.m. Friday, March 6, in the Bldg. 123 auditorium.
Friedman’s No. 1 bestseller "The World Is Flat" helped millions of readers to see globalization in a new way. In his new book, "Hot, Flat, and Crowded (2008)," Friedman looks at two of the biggest challenges we face today: the crises of destabilizing climate change and rising worldwide competition for energy. Friedman proposes an ambitious national strategy, called "Geo-Greenism," to save the planet from overheating and simultaneously inspire us to make America healthier, richer, more innovative, more productive and more secure. Friedman will talk about the ideas presented in his book, then take questions from the audience.
Friedman, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, began his long career with the New York Times in 1979 as a reporter in the Middle East. For that work, he received two Pulitzer Prizes for international reporting, one in 1983 (from Lebanon) and the other in 1988 (from Israel). On a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, he wrote and published "From Beirut to Jerusalem (1989)," which won the 1989 National Book Award for nonfiction and the 1989 Overseas Press Club Award for the best book on foreign policy.
In 1989, he moved to Washington to become The Times’ chief diplomatic correspondent. From 1992 to 1994, he held the posts of chief White House correspondent and chief international economic correspondent, and in 1995 became foreign affairs columnist. His book, "The Lexus and The Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization (1999)," won the Overseas Press Club Award for best book on foreign policy in 2000. "Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11" appeared in 2002 and the international bestseller, "The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century,"in 2005 .
He received his third Pulitzer Prize (in 2002 for distinguished commentary) based on his New York Times Op-Ed page column commentary in the months following 9/11. In 2004, Friedman was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for lifetime achievement as well as the honorary title, Order of the British Empire (OBE), by Queen Elizabeth II. The Wall Street Journal ranked Friedman the second most influential business thinker in 2008 and U.S News and World Report named him one of "America’s Best Leaders."
For more information, see the flier .
