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Summary
Summary
Many writers have commented on the massive social changes of the past few decades, but most of them have treated these shifts as something imposed on us, by technology or the marketplace. This is wrong, says Richard Florida: we've chosen to alter our values, work, and lifestyle, and for good economic reasons. Why have we done this?Florida finds the answer in the rise of a new social class. Like other classes, its basis is economic. Just as the feudal aristocracy derived its identity and values from its hereditary control of land and people, and the bourgeoisie derived its identity and values from its role as merchants of goods, the Creative Class derives its identity and values from its role as purveyors of creativity. When we see ourselves as "creative," our self-image affects the choices we make in every area of our lives.Based on a massive body of research, The Rise of the Creative Class chronicles the ongoing sea-change in people's choices and attitudes, and shows not only what's happening but also how it stems from a fundamental economic change. The Creative Class now comprises nearly forty million Americans, or more than 25% of all employed people. The choices these people make have already had a huge economic impact, and in the future they will determine how the workplace is organized, what companies will prosper or go bankrupt, and even which cities will thrive or wither.
Reviews (2)
Booklist Review
Florida, an academic whose field is regional economic development, explains the rise of a new social class that he labels the creative class. Members include scientists, engineers, architects, educators, writers, artists, and entertainers. He defines this class as those whose economic function is to create new ideas, new technology, and new creative content. In general this group shares common characteristics, such as creativity, individuality, diversity, and merit. The author estimates that this group has 38 million members, constitutes more than 3 percent of the U.S. workforce, and profoundly influences work and lifestyle issues. The purpose of this book is to examine how and why we value creativity more highly than ever and cultivate it more intensely. He concludes that it is time for the creative class to grow up--boomers and Xers, liberals and conservatives, urbanites and suburbanites--and evolve from an amorphous group of self-directed while high-achieving individuals into a responsible, more cohesive group interested in the common good. --Mary Whaley
Choice Review
What makes a country prosperous? Is it natural resources, productive capacity, access to capital? Contemporary wisdom points to culture and the contribution that values make to innovation. In this popularization of current thinking, Florida (regional economic development, Carnegie Mellon Univ.) describes how the creative class (e.g., scientists, artists, designers, novelists, and professors) propels advanced economies. A society that harnesses talent, technology, and tolerance for unconventional behavior will prosper. More than 30 percent of the US workforce is currently in the creative class, which thrives in workplaces that nurture inquisitiveness, minimize managerial control, reward innovation, and offer flexible schedules. According to the author, for communities to attract creative people, they must provide high-quality amenities, "diversity of all kinds," a variety of employment venues, and opportunities for "bohemian" lifestyles. (San Francisco, Austin, San Diego, and Boston head the list of creative cities.) Furthermore, governments must invest in creative capital: research and development, education, and the arts. Written in an accessible style, this book combines a proselytizer's enthusiasm with rigorous (though muted) documentation. Recommended for public, academic, and professional library collections. R. A. Beauregard New School University
Table of Contents
| Preface | p. ix |
| 1 The Transformation of Everyday Life | p. 1 |
| Part 1 The Creative Age | |
| 2 The Creative Ethos | p. 21 |
| 3 The Creative Economy | p. 44 |
| 4 The Creative Class | p. 67 |
| Part 2 Work | |
| 5 The Machine Shop and the Hair Salon | p. 85 |
| 6 The Horizontal Labor Market | p. 102 |
| 7 The No-Collar Workplace | p. 116 |
| 8 Managing Creativity | p. 129 |
| 9 The Time Warp | p. 144 |
| Part 3 Life and Leisure | |
| 10 The Experiential Life | p. 165 |
| 11 The Big Morph (a Rant) | p. 190 |
| Part 4 Community | |
| 12 The Power of Place | p. 215 |
| 13 The Geography of Creativity | p. 235 |
| 14 Technology, Talent and Tolerance | p. 249 |
| 15 From Social Capital to Creative Capital | p. 267 |
| 16 Building the Creative Community | p. 283 |
| 17 The Creative Class Grows Up | p. 315 |
| Appendix | p. 327 |
| Notes | p. 353 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 383 |
| Index | p. 387 |
