"Creativity is in high demand. Today, not only artists but almost everyone is expected to be creative. But what is creativity, and how is it accomplished? To address these questions, Benzecry and Leschziner have written a highly relevant book that draws on an impressive range of sources. It is an excellent starting point for understanding the role and production of creativity in contemporary society." Patrik Aspers, University of St. Gallen " In Culture and Creativity , Benzecry and Leschziner ask how and why humans do things that others value and strive to emulate. They answer that mundane processes of social and economic life, not moments of glorious insight, is the stuff of cultural and material advance. This book is intellectually ambitious and demystifying; important in a worldly way.
" Harvey Molotch, author of Where Stuff Comes From "Creativity has become a mantra of our age, but we still cling to myths of solitary genius. Culture and Creativity reveals how innovation actually emerges from cultures, institutions, careers, and collaborations that make new work possible, visible, and valuable--and why that matters for how we study and organize creative work today." Richard Florida, University of Toronto " Culture and Creativity compellingly brings into conversation a variety of different perspectives, from cognitive to environmental, in the ever-expanding field of creativity studies. Comprehensive and engagingly-written, this is a significant contribution to scholarship and a clear cross-disciplinary introduction for scholars of creativity from any field in the social sciences or humanities." Kathy Giuffre, Colorado College.