Ever since Richard Florida published his groundbreaking book, The Rise of the Creative Class, in 2002, cities have been embracing his formula for success. But the backlash against Florida’s arts-first agenda has been brutal, and has come from both sides of the political spectrum. “The one side accuses Florida… of having a ‘gay agenda’ or an ‘arts agenda’ and of undermining the Judeo-Christian foundations of our society. The other asserts that he has abandoned the working class in favor of promoting a group of elites.” For his part, the author claims that his work has been over-simplified and misinterpreted, and is getting tired of knee-jerk reactions.