Reading and writing fill in the blanks

Some would say that improving technology has made our lives easier. Imagine what your day would be like without the internet, the automobile, or electricity. In The World Is Flat, Thomas Friedman (2005) argues that technology is a drivingdemeaningdistinguishingdemanding driving force behind globalization, while the other forces of social change (social institutions, population, environment) play comparatively minor roles. He suggests that we can view globalization as occurring in three distinct periodsperiodicalsperspectivesperceptions periods . First, globalization was driven by military expansion, powered by horsepower and windpower. The countries best able to take actionadvantageaccountcare advantage of these power sources expanded the most, exertingpushingsparingextending exerting control over the politics of the globe from the late 15th century to around the year 1800. The second shorter period, from approximately 1800 CE to 2000 CE, consisted of a globalizing economy. Steam and rail power were the guiding forces of social change and globalization in this period. Finally, Friedman brings us to the post-millennial era. In this period of globalization, change is driven by technology, particularly the internet.