Living on Thin Air: The New Economy By Charles Leadbeater Ever wondered just exactly what the "weightless economy" is and why the Government keeps talking about the "knowledge-driven economy of the 21st century"? Then this is the book for you. In a highly readable text, Leadbeater leads us through the scary aspects of rapid change and globalisation to see how the intangible assets of the "thin-air" economy - ideas, knowledge, skills, talent and creativity - can create a more humane economy, organised around people and the knowledge and social capital they produce. Love them or hate them, Diana, Princess of Wales and Delia Smith feature as two insightful (and humorous) examples of this new economy. In "Dianomics" Leadbeater explores Diana's global celebrity branding as Royalty Direct. Delia replaces her namesake Adam's position as top economist, in her successful packaging of recipes to achieve a multi-million pound business. Her books are tangible products of intangible content - recipes - which are the true source of their value: a classic example of knowledge creation and distribution. There are examples from science and technology too, where new forms of collaborative and networking practices enable organisations to build trust and encourage innovation. Leadbeater calls on the public and voluntary sectors to espouse social entrepreneurship, citing the Bromley-by-Bow Centre, in which the arts play a significant role, as a model of social-capital creation. Leadbeater's vision for the future is based on harvesting the power of the knowledge economy to create a learning society that is "open, entrepreneurial and inclusive". The arts are well placed to make this vision a reality.
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