The simple definition of globalisation is the interweaving of markets, technology, information systems, and telecommunications networks in a way that is shrinking the world from a size medium to a size small," according to Thomas L. Friedman, author of The World is Flat. "It began decades ago, but accelerated dramatically over the past 10 years, as the price of computing power fell and the world became an ever-more densely interconnected place." More broadly, globalisation can also refer to a worldwide amalgamation of ideas, languages, and popular cultures. Populations are more mobile than ever before, both geographically and virtually. People can now engage in wideranging interactions with a broadly diverse segment of the world's inhabitants.