In times of economic crisis in a city that is only growing larger, I wanted to see how much unused knowledge my neighbourhood had to offer. People are so much more than their job. Recognizing and using their qualities increases their value. And the value of the neighbourhood. 

 

With this book I wanted to bring people together by letting them profit by each others skills and knowledge. I interviewed employees of 95 companies (shops, cafes, launderettes, day-care centers) in three streets in Amsterdam about their talents, previous experiences and other knowledge that they possess but do not use in their work. This resulted in an alternative yellow pages of Amsterdam-West, where you can learn history from the owner of a fast-food joint, coping with stress at a day-care center and rhyme in a phone shop.