Goodbye 2003!
Unemployed, I've been ding odd jobs unrelated to my work experience. The largest contributors to my economic (and resulting social) disfunction are, in order, the bust of the local economy, and overused marketing euphemisms.

Working as a self-employed graphic designer, I am challenged by the task of self-marketing. Looking back on a year of self-marketing and resume cover letters, I noticed my writing style was steeped in hyper-marketing double speak. I've picked up some bad habits and didn't even notice.

This is a hard lesson. Due to my own perseverance, and remnant critical faculties of a college education, my ability to focus inward on a subject is going to be put to the test in 2004. This past year was very difficult as a "worker". I found a lot of perspective in books. Surprisingly, books about the economy were really helpful. Here are a few favorites from 2003.

Good reading no matter what year
Books on the economy and its effects on the worker were some of the most relevant readings. Even in situations where the intended audience of the book is governmental policy makers or cultural economic theorists, I found the reasoned proposals not just informative. They merged my conscious into the language surrounding cultural, social and economic critique (in ways that letters from a creditor do not).

Rifkin, Jeremy. The End of Work. New York: Putnam Publishing, 1995.
The End of Work begins with a long historical perspective on work looking back to agricultural and early industrial revolution society. From these perspectives Rifkin creates the backdrop for examining the modern view of work and of the working class. His discussion of the factory worker and their relation to advertising creates a compelling description of the market sector. Here the working class made the transition to what we would recognize as the modern capitalist culture.

Essentially, his take is that continuing advances in technology have resulted in increased productivity that will displace workers. This creates a picture of the breakdown of the structure of work culture. It sounds like a Michael Moore argument without all the textbook examples (because of Moore, Rifkin's assertions are not easily dismissed). Rifkin takes the academic approach with historical contrasts.

These assertions of economic breakdown have been circling. Rifkin's book seems to have jumped past the economic boom of the dot-com and landed it squarely into the 21st century. Shifts of jobs to third world countries are a troubling trend in high tech. Oddly here is where Rifkin makes a connection that is inspired and ironic. Through a global and historical account of work, he has uncovered creative solutions by the third world's disenfranchised work force. These efforts are not coming from the governments of the third world or from the corporations in the third world, but from communities of empowered citizens. They form the "third sector" of economic governance. This makes a compelling need for social software.

“In the coming century, the market and public sectors are going to play an ever-reduced role in the day-to-day lives of human beings around the world. The power vacuum will likely be taken up either by the growth of an increased outlaw subculture or by greater participation in the third sector.� p. 249

Florida, Richard. The Rise of the Creative Class. New York: Basic Books, 2002.
The Rise of the Creative Class describes a changing workforce that is clearly emerging from the economic structures created by the internet and the dot-com boom. In order for Florida to accomplish the task of defining who is a creative class worker he takes stock of other structures and labels. Recent data from census and business journals form the core evidence. Contrasting with descriptions of corporate culture since the 1960's, Florida describes class workers larger than the pigeon holes that economic pedagogical and journalistic structures allow. It could also be argued that he leads a conceptual trail for the reader to connect the creative classes back into the larger traditional roles of production, service and management classes.

Most of the book follows his descriptions of creativity, creative social values, creative savvy employers, and creative communities. Florida uncovers some unique economic data revealing the mentality of creative workers. Research indicates the creative person needs to live in certain geographical environments that rejuvenate creative expression. Creative class workers will forgo even monetary incentives to realize these factors.

An insightful observation of Florida is to notice the way creativity as a value is expressed in changes of social patterns. Austin Texas is a focus of creative workers for various factors including a music scene that thrives there. The Austin city government has used this to entice businesses to relocate their facilities. Examining the characteristics of other cities that lost companies to cities such as Austin reveals the power of the creative class to influence business and reverse traditional trends. Where creative culture is assimilated by commercial establishments the values that attracted creative people to them becomes eroded or generic. In this way the creative communities of Austin win out over traditional communities that were perviously valued for traditional instutions such as a sports franchise.

Speculative Fiction
With a lot of cable television viewing, I've taken to keeping notes on everything in the form of browser bookmarks. One of my favorite discoveries of 2003 was the term "speculative" fiction. Previously, I went straight to the "science" fiction isle to choose my reading. Speculative fiction is similar to science fiction. In addition to exploring the relationships between characters in extreme situations these novels also focus on technological and theoretical premises that take on their own significance. Speculative fiction still gives the sensation of the marvelous that science fiction affords while setting characters in the no too distant now-cultural observations with all the sex included.

Wilson, Robert Anton. Schrodinger’s Cat Trilogy. NY: Dell Publishing, 1979.
Power Politics and “primate culture� is just about the best place to start to consider this book. This is an amalgamation of personal, sexual and human characteristics viewed through the lens of drug and alternative culture. To say that the book takes a lot from science fiction would be a misleading remark. There are no death rays or alien monsters. There is death. Several characters are mugged walking the streets of NY. Brutal and somehow inconsequential when viewed through the framework of the books structure, they are revealed in surprising contrasts throught the book. Schrodinger has a lot to contribute to Wilson’s license to explore his universe.

Grimwood, Ken. Replay. New York: Arbor House, 1986.
This book really has much of the nieve of the 1980’s in several of its story lines. There are references to reveal popular topics of the day such as making money by the stock market and the creepy shadow government of the Regan era. Otherwise it's Grimwood's take on the sci-fi idea of time travel, with a twist. The basic idea is that the main character, Jeff, is dead. Rewinded to his youth he can begin again.

Halperin, James L. The Truth Machine. NY: Del Rey, 1996.
The truth machine is a book of self proclaimed speculative fiction. Each chapter begins with a brief summary of “News of the World�. Mostly covering topics of murder, death, genocide and world health, the news intro makes the backbone of the entire novel. This sets these stage for the revelations on the ideas explored by the author, centered around the invention of an anti-Gates uber geek who invents a truth machine that reorders the basic fabric of society.

McCarthy, Wil. Bloom. NY: Ballantine Publishing, 1998.
Not really Speculative fiction but this was a good read. Intended to force the reader to consider the implications of emergent consciousness, this book is worth a read. Characters are well likable and nicely handled by the author. The underlying theme of Conway's Game of Life easily places this book into the nerd set. Although this reference emerges half-way into the book, it is a foundation for much of the antagonist’s counter point to the story-line.