Guide Note
Tom Friedman, commonly referred to as Thomas L. Friedman, is an author and foreign-affairs columnist for The New York Times. He has been awarded three Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and numerous prestigious awards for his nonfiction. He has written and lectured extensively on world topics and is best known for his support of a compromise resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, modernization of the Arab world, environmentalism and globalization. He is also a strong advocate for the Green Movement. Despite wide acclaim, his work has received some criticism, most notably from two students at Brown University.
The Columnist
Beginning as a journalist for The New York Times in 1981, Friedman has traveled extensively reporting on the Middle East conflict, the end of the cold war, U.S. domestic politics and foreign policy, international economics, and the worldwide impact of the terrorist threat. His bi-weekly foreign affairs columns are syndicated to seven hundred other newspapers around the world. He has won three Pulitzer Prizes between 1983 and 2002, two for international reporting and one for commentary.
The Author
Friedman has written four nonfiction books about his experiences. His first, From Beirut to Jerusalem(1990), an account of a decade of reporting in the Middle East, won the National Book Award for non-fiction. The Lexus and the Olive Tree(2000), a unique look at globalization, won an OPC award for best nonfiction book on foreign policy. Friedman's third, Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11(2002) is comprised of his columns about 9/11/01 as well as a personal account of his experiences and reflections on the event and its aftermath. His most recent book, The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century(2007) is an update of his views on globalization including its opportunities for individual empowerment, its achievements decreasing poverty, and its drawbacks.
Fast Facts
- Full Name: Thomas L. Friedman
- Born: July 20, 1953
- Birthplace: St. Louis Park, MI
- Spouse: Ann Bucksbaum
- Education:
- B.A. degree in Mediterranean studies from Brandeis University in 1975
- Master of Philosophy degree from Oxford in Modern Middle East studies in 1978
- Winner of 3 Pulitzer Prizes
- Foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times since 1995
- Author of 4 nonfiction books
- From Beirut to Jerusalem
- The Lexus and the Olive Tree
- Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11
- The World is Flat
- Awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for lifetime achievement in 2004
- Recieved the honorary title, Order of the British Empire (OBE), by Queen Elizabeth II
- A member of the Pulitzer Prize Board since 2005
