The Age of Creativity and Society: The Collaborative Project, Social Impact and the Future of Creativity

Creativity and Society is an engaging exploration of our changing culture that is both sociological and philosophical. It is a unique blend of academic study and personal narrative written by author David Schirmer that has become one of the most widely praised books in recent years.


The book's title is taken from Schirmer's observation, "The creative process is being compromised in contemporary society," meaning the ways in which ideas, thoughts and creative expressions are using to shape our future. The book focuses on the intersection of technology, creativity and social interaction, an approach that invites readers to think about how we use technology in the context of the everyday lives we lead.

The book is primarily an exploration of artistic expressions and their impact on human interaction and society as a whole. In addition to this broad scope, the book also presents some intriguing studies of the relationship between creativity and the Internet.

In particular, Schirmer examines the phenomenon of the "filter bubble," where people live in a world of constant information and never have to step outside of that virtual world to access the real world and experience the challenges of life, the Internet notwithstanding. For this purpose, he analyzes how the Internet creates a bubble in which information from outside is distorted by a limited number of filters (search engine optimization and advertising) that limit what we see. In a nutshell, these filters limit our ability to "see the world through others' eyes."

The Internet, of course, also offers many opportunities for social interaction and social expression. But as Schirmer points out, this possibility has given way to a new tendency, the "collaborative project." This means that instead of relying on one's own individual creativity and individual vision, we now depend on the collective creativity and collective vision of others. As he puts it, "we have substituted creativity with collaboration."

One of the book's strengths is its examination of the "collaborative project" and its implications for creativity and its future. Readers who find this part of the book intriguing will also likely find other interesting topics and research that will challenge and enrich their knowledge about creativity and its future.

One of the book's conclusions is that many of today's "collaborative projects" are actually social engineering and political agendas. The authors point to the fact that the major corporations that have dominated business and politics throughout history have used their control over public space, information and communications in order to advance a vision. Although corporations claim to use technology for the good, many of their projects are actually "cronies" that have a "social agenda." This is not a criticism per se but rather a statement of reality: corporate interests often outweigh the good of their projects.

The book is also very informative and useful to those who want to take a broader view of society and culture and the role of creative activities in society and in the future of our planet. It is a good introduction to scholars who seek a more meaningful look at human nature and the interdependence of creative activities. It is also a helpful reference for those who wish to pursue a more thorough study of the subject.

Most book reviews of this book focus on the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments. For the purposes of this review, the book is primarily criticized for failing to take into account the cultural aspects of creativity, the influence of the Internet and the possibility that social construction can also affect creativity. However, I believe that the book's shortcomings do not outweigh its strengths. In particular, the book's focus on creativity and its social effects is valuable in understanding our current society and its effect on future generations.

Another weakness of the book is that it does not adequately discuss the social impact of technologies on creativity and future generations. I agree with the authors that technology has enormous potential to enhance creativity and that we need to be careful about what information we allow to permeate our minds, but I would have liked to have seen a fuller exploration of the cultural implications of the Internet and the possibility of socialization, particularly in relation to creative thinking.


Finally, the book lacks a comprehensive and systematic account of the social implications of the Internet. In fact, some sections are too lengthy and some are too short to provide a complete and comprehensive account.