Creative Destruction: How Globalization Is Changing the World's Cultures (Paperback)

by Tyler Cowen (Author) "Haitian music has a strong presence in French Guiana, Dominica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and St. Lucia-the smaller Caribbean markets..." (more)
Key Phrases: intertemporal diversity, cinematic markets, diversity within society, United States, Hong Kong, Third World (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"He provides an important counterbalance to knee-jerk reactions against globalization". -- Alan Clardy, Personnel Psychology

Cowen argues that global trade and communication are enriching all the world's cultures and that there's no such thing as cultural authenticity. . . . In fact, Cowen believes that commerce and art are allies. And he contends that because commerce is driving technology, ideas, goods, services and people across borders more freely than ever before, we are in the midst of an unprecedented boom in creativity all over the world. The quality, quantity and variety of cultural output is greater than ever; if there is more dreck, there is also more genius. And more people have more access to it than ever, at lower prices, regardless of where they live. -- Review

Review
Mr. Cowen's point, argued neatly in Creative Destruction, is that the invasion works both ways. Indeed, it has for such a long time that it is hard to say exactly where one culture begins and another ends. Wherever people are, almost all the cultural products that they think of as indigenous owe their existence to the cultural exchange brought about by trade.
(David R. Henderson Wall Street Journal )

A short but rich study. . . . The book's basic point is that cultural globalization can increase the diversity of choices for the individual while reducing the diversity between societies across the globe. . . . Mr. Cowen underscores that cultural globalization is and always has been a dynamic process. . . . It can be an unsettling, disruptive process, but Mr. Cowen's book argues persuasively that it is a more creative way to go than the misguided cultural nostalgia peddled by the anti-globalization crowd.
(David R. Sands The Washington Times )

Cowen has created a text at once impressively academic and thoroughly accessible.
(Library Journal )

Cowen's thesis is that diversity within society is heightened by globalization, at the same time that diversity across societies, as he puts it, is diminished. . . . His book is an attempt to take a realistic look at the changes wrought by today's market-driven, free trade-oriented world.
(Philip Marchand The Toronto Star )

Cowen argues that global trade and communication are enriching all the world's cultures and that there's no such thing as cultural authenticity. . . . In fact, Cowen believes that commerce and art are allies. And he contends that because commerce is driving technology, ideas, goods, services and people across borders more freely than ever before, we are in the midst of an unprecedented boom in creativity all over the world. The quality, quantity and variety of cultural output is greater than ever; if there is more dreck, there is also more genius. And more people have more access to it than ever, at lower prices, regardless of where they live.
(Daniel Akst Los Angeles Times )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (March 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691117837
• ISBN-13: 978-0691117836
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #430,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the economics of culture, April 28, 2003

By	"luiedu" (Berkeley, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Creative Destruction: How Globalization Is Changing the World's Cultures (Hardcover)

Cowen's book is one of the few books to
discuss free trade in the context of
cultural goods. easy and fun to read.
No economics background needed.
You will learn a lot about
the history of different cultural goods, including
persian rugs and the successful
movie industry in India (Bollywood).
simply great!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Book, February 6, 2007

By	Philip Gaudet (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is about how globalization is *changing* world cultures, for better or for worse. One of Cowen's central arguments is that globalization creates less diversity between cultures but more between individuals. So should we be pro individualism or pro collectivism?

His last three chapters on Hollywood, Dumbing Down, and National Culture are the most memorable, and persuasive. I especially enjoyed the chapter on Hollywood. His explanation of how modern cinema is what it is was enlightening.

Overall Cowen does what he set out to do; explained how globalization has changed world cultures. More often than not Cowen thinks this has had a net positive effect, but he does argue the other side of the coin. In my opinion Cowen contributes to the globalization vs. anti-globalization debate arguing that it's really one of collectivist culture vs. individual culture.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Change is Constant, July 21, 2006

By	Christina Penn (Centreville, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tyler Cowen very adeptly reminds the reader that the world's regional cultures have never been static. What we think of as "native" art is really a product of global influence on a local population. So of course it seems silly to decry globalization as homogenizing cultures, when we understand that cultures have always interacted with each other. Indeed, what we are seeing with globalization is the increasing heterogenizing of cultures. Sure you see McDonalds almost everywhere, but you also see indigenous art from Central America, music from the Congo, movies from France, and food from India.

Tyler Cowen does not dismiss the degredation of certain cultural aspects, but he matter-of-factly points out that the alternative, protectionism, is more destructive in the long run, since creativity is stifled.