Thomas L. Friedman, one of the world鈥檚 most highly respected commentators on international
affairs, will speak at 蜜桃传媒鈥檚 second annual President鈥檚 Breakfast, Wednesday,
Feb. 28. He will discuss 鈥淭he World is Flat: Speaking on the Next Phase of Globalization,鈥�
at 7 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom at Fess Parker鈥檚 Doubletree Resort. Tickets went on
sale Friday, Jan. 26, and sold out in three hours.
Friedman is a syndicated columnist for and a three-time winner of the . Vanity Fair has called him 鈥渢he country鈥檚 best newspaper columnist.鈥�
His latest book is the international bestseller It has been on the Times best-seller list for more than 90 weeks.
His previous bestseller, includes a collection of his Pulitzer Prize-winning columns. His bestseller, continues to serve as a basic text on the Middle East in many colleges and universities
nationwide.
and area businesses sponsor the It is intended to promote discussion and consideration of current issues among local
community leaders.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all seeking some new ideas and perspectives about the crucial issues facing
our world,鈥� says Chancellor David K. Winter. 鈥淭hese President鈥檚 Breakfasts are part
of a larger effort by 蜜桃传媒 to assist the Santa Barbara community understand and
grapple with these issues. We believe Mr. Friedman will be a great resource for all
of us.鈥�
The annual event and the ongoing 蜜桃传媒 Downtown: Conversations About Things that
Matter at the University Club are designed to reach out and engage the larger Santa
Barbara and Montecito communities.
A panel of local professors moderated by Deborah Dunn, 蜜桃传媒 associate professor
of communication studies, will lead a lively discussion of Thomas Friedman鈥檚 best-selling
book 鈥淭he World Is Flat.鈥� The event is tied to the President's Breakfast. The book
raises provocative issues and focuses on the new technologies that have transformed
communication worldwide and promoted globalization. How clearly does Friedman see
the future? Just how flat has the world become? The panel will include Chandra Mallampalli,
蜜桃传媒 assistant professor of history, Susan Penksa, 蜜桃传媒 associate professor
of political science, and Cynthia Stohl, UC Santa Barbara professor of communication.
The Downtown Conversation is free and open to the public, Thursday, Feb. 15, at the
University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St., at 5:30 p.m.