AGE: 54
OCCUPATION: Author and columnist for the New York Times
NUMBER OF TIME COVERS: 0
PREVIOUS APPEARANCES ON THE TIME 100: 0
PRO: Friedman's a centrist evangelist for globalism, and his best seller The World is Flat is its New Testament. He believes passionately in the poverty-killing, nation-nurturing, democracy-disseminating effects of free (but judiciously regulated) trade. For Friedman's also passionate about environmentalism, labor fairness and justice. Like Oprah, he tells us we can have it all.
CON: It's almost enough to make you forget how wrong he was about invading Iraq. Wait a minute — no it isn't! And while there's nothing wrong with a little rationalizing and positive thinking, some of Friedman's columns appear ghost-written by Dr. Pangloss.