The Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag by Peter BurkeMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm not sure what I expected from this, but it ultimately ends up being a list of 500 (I assume) polymaths and a brief description of what makes each one a polymath. There are some discussions about things they may have in common, although of course nothing holds for all of them. The author mentions, in passing, the advantage one has being a polymath (can connect disparate points from unrelated fields), and some of the issues (not taken seriously by experts).
I guess I was hoping it would discuss more of the advantages/disadvantages and how to become more of a polymath and think like one. Or something along those lines.
I did like the quote "Adrien Baillet feared the return of barbarism because of too much literature available", in the 1600's.
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