With the collapse of the dominant publishing, photographic and music empires, the Modern Creative is left wondering which way to turn, and whether anything can be salvaged from the rubble.

In this context of chaos, lessons can be drawn from the rise and fall of Asian and African empires, and from the innovations that are gaining significant traction in today’s Developing World.

The Chinese, for example, are responsible for what are arguably the four greatest inventions of all time: gunpowder, the compass, paper-making and printing. But why could they not turn these into economic successes, and how can modern creators avoid those mistakes? In Africa, the photocopier trumps ebooks, but authors and photographers are not robbed of their royalties. How?

Drawing on ancient histories and modern success stories from the Global South and Emergent East, Dominique le Roux inspires creatives to re-examine their assumptions, rethink their beliefs and reimagine their business models.