Thomas Friedman’s (2007) The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century has become seen as an authoritative text on globalization within some academic circles and a bestseller. In critically reviewing the book I put its framework, underlying ideas and assumptions into a dialogue with arguments in three recent scholarly books (Boron, 2005; Mathew, 2005; and McNally, 2002), which provide critical insights into the phenomena and debates associated with capitalist globalization. Further, I argue that The World is Flat reproduces a dominant narrative of American supremacy and anxiety in an era of rapid global change which obscures the historical, political and economic roots of capitalist globalization, ignores or dimisses its social costs, and views much of the world and its peoples through a deeply colonial and orientalist lens.

As college instructors endeavor to integrate technology into their classrooms, the crucial question is, “How does this integration affect learning?” This article reports an assessment of a series of online modules the author designed and piloted for a business communication course that she presented in a hybrid format (a combination of computer classroom sessions and independent online work). The modules allowed the author to use classroom time for observation of and individualized attention to the composing process. Although anecdotal evidence suggested that this system was highly effective, other assessment tools provided varying results. An anonymous survey of the students who took this course confirmed that the modules were effective in teaching important concepts; however, a blind review of student work produced mixed results.

Research suggests that book reviews in academic journals tend to be positive but that readers prefer book reviews that include negative and positive evaluation. In this study, the author examines 48 books reviews from three business communication journals to determine whether these reviews are mainly positive. She counts compliments and criticisms, analyzing their location and topics. She also analyzes the force of the criticisms and strategies that reviewers use to mitigate criticism.