You used to be able to get Governing for free. You might want to try a bit of social engineering, search through their Web site, and look for subscription information.
As for "The Rise of the Creative Class," its not just about gays. Really, there's just one chapter in the book that deals withthe geography of the creative class. Take the word "Pittsburgh," substitute "Buffalo," and Florida would still be dead on, IMHO. The book repeats what I've been saying about the area for years, only he's got footnotes and the numbers to back it up.