Richard Florida’s Rise of the Creative Class was published in 2002. Since then, in between speaking engagements, he has written two more books. The second book, Cities and the Creative Class (call it 2005a), provides the antecedent work for his first, a rejoinder to his critics – delightfully labelled as squelchers – and a disarming account of his personal journey of intellectual discovery from regional economic development to the mysterious world of creativity.
This book is short and crisp, and is highly recommended for anyone wanting the kernel of what Florida is saying in much more prolix form in his other two books. Florida’s third and latest book – The Flight of the Creative Class or version 2005b – has just hit the shelves. I have just finished reading it. Irritatingly for anyone who has bought the second book earlier in 2005, this latest book is bulked out by regurgitating the new material from the second, and only then proceeds to elaborate upon the theme of the global competition for talent, and his fears that America may be shooting itself in the foot in this new game. For the short version, retrieve his February 2004 article from the archive of Washington Monthly.
