'This elegantly written and very readable book can be highly recommended to scholars and students in regional science and economic geography alike. Those familiar with the wider discourse and contemporary debates will find this book a stimulating complement to the established repertoire on creativity and innovation while those just starting to explore these themes will experience this book as valuable introduction.' Melanie Fasche, Journal of Regional Science

What is creativity and who exactly is creative? In this insightful and highly readable book, Gunnar Tornqvist attempts to answer these questions by arguing that geographical millieux are hotbeds for creativity and renewal - places where pioneers in art, technology and science have gathered and developed their special abilities.

In light of ongoing social and economic transformations, special attention is paid to the institutional settings in firms and universities. The goal is to identify those features which facilitate and those which impede the creative process. Individual lives are illustrated through the autobiographies of hundreds of Nobel Laureates. Their life paths reveal the importance of geographic mobility and contact patterns for the development of creativity and international prestige. From these biographies we can also see how local millieux and schools have influenced many scientists.

The Geography of Creativity will be of great benefit to academics and students in regional science, economic geography and economics.