Richard Florida, bestselling author of Who's Your City? and The Rise of the Creative Class, returns with a much-needed and original vision as we emerge from the economic downturn, illuminating the incredible opportunity our times present for rethinking our future.

We tend to view prolonged economic downturns, like the Great Depression of the 1930’s and the Long Depression of the late 19th century, in terms of the crisis and pain they cause, rather than as the opportunities they invariably represent. But history teaches us that these great crises are opportunities to remake our economy and society and generate whole new epochs of economic growth and prosperity. These periods of “creative destruction” have been some of the most fertile, in terms of innovation, invention and energetic risk-taking in history, and this is what sets the stage for full-scale recovery.

In THE GREAT RESET, bestselling author and economic development expert Richard Florida provides an engaging and sweeping examination of these previous economic epochs or “resets,” distilling the deep forces that shaped their physical and social landscapes, reshaping economies and societies. Looking toward the future, Florida identifies the patterns that will drive the next Great Reset and simultaneously reshape virtually every aspect of our lives—from how and where we live to how we work to how we invest in individuals and infrastructure, and how we shape our cities and regions. Florida shows how these core elements, when taken together, will spur a fresh era of growth and prosperity, define a new geography of progress, and stimulate surprising opportunities for each of us. Among these forces will be:

- new consumption patterns and new assumptions about “ownership” that are less centered around houses and cars.

- new forms of infrastructure that speed the movement of people, goods and ideas.

- a radically altered and much denser economic landscape organized around megaregions that will drive the development of new industries, jobs and a whole new way of life.

We’ve weathered tough times before. They are a necessary part of economic cycles, giving us a chance to see clearly what’s working and what’s not. Societies can be reborn in such crises, emerging fresh, strong and refocused. Now is our chance to anticipate what that brighter future will look like, and take the steps that will get us there faster

With his trademark blend of wit, irreverence, and rigorous research and analysis, Florida presents a, positive and counterintuitive vision of our future, one that calls into question long-held beliefs about the nature of economic progress and that forces us to reassess our very way of life. He argues convincingly that it’s time to turn our efforts, as individuals, as governments, as a society, to putting the necessary pieces in place for a vibrant, prosperous future.

What others have to say:

“The Great Reset shows how new technology and the new geographies of living and working come together to drive recovery. . . . Must reading for anyone who wants to understand where we are now and where we are headed.” —Chris Anderson, editor, Wired magazine

“With a historian’s grand sweep and a geographer’s keen eye for place, Richard Florida shows us how the cycles of capitalism have built and rebuilt the farms, cities, and suburbs that define America. This timely and thought-provoking book gives us important insights into the reshaping of America’s economic and physical landscape.” — Jeffrey D. Sachs , Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University

Tagged: Business, Economics, Finance