Michael's main philosophical influences broadly come from the school of Process Philosophy, in particular Alfred North Whitehead (Process and Reality) and Henri Bergson (Creative Evolution). The emphasis on flux, change, evolution and networks is not only personally resonant but appears to provide insights of value to Michael's main fields of interest. From a more Social perspective he is influenced by the network thinking of Manuel Castells; many of the writers upon early theories of Social Ecology and more recently Actor Network theories as developed by academics such as John Law. Much of Michael's work involves the study of mobility, amongst many influences here are the works on mobility and complexity of John Urry. From a management perspective he is influenced by insights into the formulation of Strategy from what might be termed the 'emergent strategy school' probably best illustrated in the works of Henry Mintzberg. More generally Michael's thinking is heavily influenced by the social commentary and artistic insights of John Ruskin and the romantic and natural philosophies of the romantic poets, in particular Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Percy Bysshe Shelley.