The broader topic of this book is Human Geography - the how and why behind peoples' movement and why they tend to cluster around specific geographic regions. The author describes several 'mega-regions' that hold a majority of the worlds' population, power, light, scientific advances, etc. Several maps are included that show the distribution of income, singles, jobs, etc. and they make for interesting viewing, but don't hold any surprises. I suppose that was the biggest disappointment in this book - there are no surprises here and the maps and information come together exactly as you'd expect - the highest incomes, most scientists and creative people, etc. in the USA are in the most populated places and the most populated places are the two coasts. There is a heavy reliance upon statistics in this book, which was nice, but I wish the author had focused less on statistics and more on globalization and what might happen in the future to US cities. He does make mention of globalization and how it will force job clusters to cluster even more, but he didn't reference the subject much. The author makes the case that co-location (of people and specific industries) is beneficial, despite the fact that it ends up raising prices of homes and services for the average person. For instance, the Silicon Valley is known for its computing industry so the author states that up-n-coming computer companies will benefit by locating to the Silicon Valley to take advantage of services and amenities already in place. This is obviously true, but when others move into the area they cannot afford the high prices and costs associated with these areas. The author does attempt to answer the question of why people pay such a premium to live in places like the Silicon Valley, but it's still a puzzlement overall. There are several appendices in the book, which list the best places for singles, professionals, older adults, and retirees, but the lists are, again, very similar to anything else you'd see elsewhere. There is no consideration given to affordability of the regions (the author ranked San Francisco #1 for retirees - ummm... NOT at all possible on a fixed income and in a city with few senior services!). That was the other failing of this book - it seems to only consider the needs and abilities of people with means and money; it wasn't written for average workers and families, but for the people who are 'wanna-bes' in their fields and willing to follow trends. Anyway, you have to take the data with a grain of salt and look at it from a much broader perspective - look at the world picture and notice that several areas are surging ahead while others are seemingly being left behind. This is definitely a topic in need of further investigation and insight. The book, unfortunately, will not tell you where to live, but it might open your eyes to some areas that are burgeoning with opportunity. There is actually a very helpful chart in the back of the book (the Place Finder) to help focus your search and look for specific things in the place(s) you're considering. The one piece of advice the author gave that I wholeheartedly agree with: VISIT the place you want to move to and, regardless of statistics or perceived desirability by others, if it doesn't feel right to you forget it.

One of the most important decisions anyone makes is where to live. What Richard shows is that this decision not only affects people, but it changes places, markets and governments. This books helps us understand how we live today....

bill bishop
austin, tx

I work as a local politician in a community where we are planning an accelerated growth. I don't agree with the ideas of the majority.
I find mr Floridas ideas helpful when arguing.

The Question of Where is introduced by Florida as a "decision that has an equal, if not greater, effect on our economic future, happiness, and overall life outcome" (Florida, 5). In this succinct economic examination of the city, Richard Florida asks, Should we lend any credence to a study of asset prices derived from a 'Bohemian-Gay Index'? Perhaps. As Florida alludes, the Bohemian-Gay index may offer insight to an aesthetically appealing community, that is open, full of social amenities (think service sector jobs), and top-quality public goods (think public services), and therein, more likely to promote the economic growth that supports a vibrant urban environment. "Where we live is increasingly important to every facet of our lives. We owe it to ourselves to think about the relationship between place and our economic future, as well as our personal happiness, in a more systematic-if different-way" (Florida, 4). As important as what one does, or who one does it with, Richard Florida eloquently intertwines philosophy, psychology, and economic examination into a delightful examination on the impact of resources and human behavior for an answer to the question of Who's Your City?

This book is an easy read and it is insightful. Richard Florida has an engaging style, especially given that we are discussing demographic analysis here. He offers practical advice that you can use when deciding whether or not to relocate.