This is a valuable project and the world will want to know what Gail and Barry think about the matters they touch; I can't think of authors whose practical wisdom is better suited to the task.

Felipe Fernández-Armesto, William P. Reynolds Professor of History,University of Notre Dame

Given the current devastation resulting from British Petroleum's catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the book is quite timely in its elucidation of the world's fundamental shift to a post-coal oil-based/credit-based/knowledge economy, and our resulting awareness of and concern for ongoing environmental degradation.

Canadian Architect

At the heart of the book, the Lords provide a fascinating history of art patronage from the earliest tools to abstract art today….Perhaps the most valuable chapter to museum professionals is one near the end of the book that explores contemporary cultural change. The Lords apply their previous premises on art, culture and patronage to today's trends, and specifically to museums and municipalities. They examine how museums are experimenting with new ways to present their collections and, in turn, showcase culture and patronage and create more engaged citizens.

Diplo: Towards more inclusive and effective diplomacy

All involved in the visual and performing arts will be intrigued by the seven principles….They provide an interesting framework for understand cultural and artistic evolution.

Arts Professional

I find this an important book because of the clarity in which the Lords set out the terms. I don't think such a thing has been done before. It's going to be an enormous aid to anyone working in the culture sector-practitioners, teachers, historians, and theorists, too.

Marta Braun, School of Image Arts, Ryerson University; author of Picturing Time: The Work of Etienne-Jules Marey

The book acts both as a retrospective and synthesis of over 30 years of thinking about and working with museums. As leaders of one of the world's largest firms specializing in the planning and management of cultural institutions, Lord & Lord propose a framework for understanding the dynamic of cultural change…. The book offers a valuable perspective from practitioners whose remarkable professional trajectory alone demonstrates their grasp of the phenomena. The book provides a framework to situate the intervention of the museum as a civil society institution that simultaneously respond and contribute to cultural change. It should be considered a reference book for both museum practitioners and students.

Muse