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ericfheiman's review against another edition
4.0
It’s a testament to this book—essentially neo-Marxist theory that indicts almost every aspect of my life as lived today—that I came away from it almost 100% convinced of its arguments. How’s that for some healthy self-loathing?
ryanseffinger's review against another edition
3.0
A bit too UK-specific for my tastes, a bit all over the place, stretching definitions a bit too much. A bit light on “what do we do about this.” However, a reasonable survey of neoliberal “creativity”
labyrinth_witch's review against another edition
3.0
Written as a direct rebuttal to Richard Florida’s books on the “creative class,” Mould lays out an argument for why creativity suddenly has to be part of everything we do and how that creativity isn’t actually
Creative at all, but a mechanism of capitalism to fuel more consumerism and de-aggregate resistance to neoliberal forces.
The book is dense, written much like a dissertation turned into a book. He chose very academic words, which made comprehending his arguments difficult and made much of the book obtuse, creating a barrier for mass understanding.
My big takeaway is his discussion of austerity policies and programs. Mould defines austerity as the ideology of spending less in order to decrease debt. But the way this plays out is that social services are defunded because they are too expensive, while private ventures are bailed out because they increase consumerism and profit for the elite. This is not something I had known about, but is interesting to think about in its larger context and implications.
This book is great to introduce you to concepts of austerity, gentrification, art washing, and other consumerism tactics to hyper individualize the workforce in order to prevent or break collective organizing and resistance.
It is dense, but it will also leave you wanting to learn more about these resistance efforts and burgeoning alternative political models.
Creative at all, but a mechanism of capitalism to fuel more consumerism and de-aggregate resistance to neoliberal forces.
The book is dense, written much like a dissertation turned into a book. He chose very academic words, which made comprehending his arguments difficult and made much of the book obtuse, creating a barrier for mass understanding.
My big takeaway is his discussion of austerity policies and programs. Mould defines austerity as the ideology of spending less in order to decrease debt. But the way this plays out is that social services are defunded because they are too expensive, while private ventures are bailed out because they increase consumerism and profit for the elite. This is not something I had known about, but is interesting to think about in its larger context and implications.
This book is great to introduce you to concepts of austerity, gentrification, art washing, and other consumerism tactics to hyper individualize the workforce in order to prevent or break collective organizing and resistance.
It is dense, but it will also leave you wanting to learn more about these resistance efforts and burgeoning alternative political models.
yuefei's review against another edition
3.0
(Read on ProQuest Ebook Central, access provided by UAL)
A good introductory text arguing against creativity as interpreted and deployed by neoliberalism. Really solid foundations and a strong beginning that I feel like doesn't quite hold up in the later chapters. Wish it went a bit deeper into the issues at hand and their dynamics and origin, but that probably wasn't the intent. Nonetheless, there were some very striking and insightful passages to hold onto. Accessible and short, like a manifesto of sorts backed with case studies. This isn't proposing a resolution, it's calling for a reclamation and a beginning.
A good introductory text arguing against creativity as interpreted and deployed by neoliberalism. Really solid foundations and a strong beginning that I feel like doesn't quite hold up in the later chapters. Wish it went a bit deeper into the issues at hand and their dynamics and origin, but that probably wasn't the intent. Nonetheless, there were some very striking and insightful passages to hold onto. Accessible and short, like a manifesto of sorts backed with case studies. This isn't proposing a resolution, it's calling for a reclamation and a beginning.
ronanmcd's review against another edition
4.0
A powerful look at how the idea of creativity is packaged for profit in a capitalist society.
It's not really creativity per se, but the capitalist, commodified and neatly packaged version of it that gives us gentrification, artisanal products and other "creative solutions"
This creativity cannot rock the boat, or question too much, but instead should give a veneer of novelty to more of the same as before.
What I do for work, basically.
It's not really creativity per se, but the capitalist, commodified and neatly packaged version of it that gives us gentrification, artisanal products and other "creative solutions"
This creativity cannot rock the boat, or question too much, but instead should give a veneer of novelty to more of the same as before.
What I do for work, basically.
beth_has_books's review
3.0
Interesting but some parts seemed contradictory. Also I got confused quite often, but I did read it while sleep-deprived so not sure if that is the book's fault or my own.
Some aspects resonated with things I had been feeling uncomfortable with but had not fully articulated, such as the cynicism around how creativity is pushed and harnessed. The details he put about some gentrification areas were shocking.
Some aspects resonated with things I had been feeling uncomfortable with but had not fully articulated, such as the cynicism around how creativity is pushed and harnessed. The details he put about some gentrification areas were shocking.
mitchellvolk's review against another edition
3.0
I will be thinking about this book for a long time. The artwashing section especially struck a chord with me. There were so many ideas expressed in the book from an angle I had not yet considered. From now on please consider me an aspiring anti-capitalist. But unfortunately the, “Here are some possible solutions!” section at the end was way too small.
vanillawounded's review
4.0
doesn't get five stars to make it amazing solely because i feel like he definitely could've (and probably should've) gone into more depth about what to do next, and how to actually 'stop' this neoliberal bullshit; he kinda just glazed over that at the end and idk if he purposely discussed this on such a level as to not offend anyone or like outwardly talk about supporting marxism etc but anyway he should've lol but overall just a book of truth and an important read to start the discussion