When

Mon, Oct. 15, 2018
3 pm - 5 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

Where

James A. Baker III Hall

In his latest book “Thank You for Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations,” New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman discusses the tectonic movements that are reshaping the world today and explains how to both take advantage of them and cushion their worst impacts. His main thesis is that in order to understand the developments of the 21st century, one must recognize that the three largest forces on the planet – Moore’s Law (technology), the market (globalization) and Mother Nature (climate change and biodiversity loss) – are accelerating all at once. These accelerations are transforming five key realms: the workplace, politics, geopolitics, ethics and community.

At this Director’s Lecture Series event, Friedman discussed his book, which argues that society can overcome the multiple stresses of this age of accelerations by slowing down and using the time to reimagine work, politics and community.

A book signing followed the presentation. Copies of the book were available for purchase courtesy of the Rice University Campus Store.

This event was part of the 25th anniversary commemorative programs featuring the centers and research of Rice University’s Baker Institute.

Follow @BakerInstitute on Twitter and join the conversation online with #Baker25th.
 

 

 

 

Agenda

3:00 p.m. – Presentation
4:30 p.m. – Book signing

 

Director’s Lecture Series

The Director’s Lecture Series was created and endowed by Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian and Mrs. Françoise Djerejian to provide a specific forum for Baker Institute Roundtable members, faculty and students to engage in the most relevant and pressing issues we face today.

 

Featured Speaker

Thomas L. Friedman is an internationally known author and journalist and three-time recipient of Pulitzer Prize for his work at The New York Times. His foreign affairs column in Times reports on U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy, Middle East conflicts, international economics, environment, biodiversity and energy. Friedman was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in international reporting in 1983 and 1988 for his coverage of the Middle East. He also won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Commentary for “his clarity of vision…in commenting on the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat.” In 2004, he was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for lifetime achievement, as well as the honorary title Officer of the British Empire (OBE), by Queen Elizabeth II. Friedman is the author of numerous books, including “From Beirut to Jerusalem” (Picador, 1989), which won both the National Book and the Overseas Press Club awards; “The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization” (Picador, 2000), winner of the 2000 Overseas Press Club Award for best nonfiction book on foreign policy; “Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11” (Penguin Books, 2003) which features columns he published about Sept. 11; and “The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005), for which he received the inaugural Goldman Sachs/Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award. His latest book, “Thank you For Being Late: An Optimist's Guide to Thriving in the Age of Accelerations 2.0,” was updated and released 2017.

 

When

Mon, Oct. 15, 2018
3 pm - 5 pm
(GMT-05:00) America/Chicago

Where

James A. Baker III Hall