The flight of the creative class : the new global competition for talent / Richard Florida.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [295]-307) and index.

For the first time, the United States is in danger of losing its most crucial economic advantage--its status as the world's greatest talent magnet, argues economist Florida. Where America was once the first destination for foreign students and the last stop for scientists, engineers, artists and entrepreneurs wishing to engage in the most robust and creative economy on the planet, it has now become only one place among many where cutting-edge innovation occurs. Burgeoning global technology hotspots, from Sydney, Shanghai, and Amsterdam to Dublin, Bangalore, and Toronto; the outsourcing of ingenuity; rising intolerance; a faltering education system; cities torn by inequality; disconnected political leadership--all point to the looming creativity crisis that is causing the decline of American economic might. But if the United States can discover solutions to address these problems, it will once again lead the pack. If only the rest of the world doesn't discover those solutions first...