The Polymath (eBook)

Waqas has been called 'an emerging young Leonardo da Vinci' for his work in various fields. He is currently Artistic Director at The Khalili Collections -- one of the world's great art collections -- and is simultaneously completing his postgraduate studies in Neuroscience at Kings College, London. Previously, Waqas was Global Correspondent at FIRST Magazine, where his exclusive interviews included world leaders in government, business and academia. He was also the editor of Holy Makkah, the first-of-its-kind exploration of the sacred city, which received praise from UNESCO, the Commonwealth and the Vatican. Born and raised in Britain, Waqas has since lived in several countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. He has degrees in Economics (BSc, SOAS) and International Relations (MSc, LSE), but his real education came from the five years he spent travelling the world researching and writing The Polymath, his first book.

Prologue ix

Preface xiii

1. Introduction 1

2. A Timeless People 7

3. Shapers of Our World 27

4. The Cult of Specialisation 87

5. Reconditioning the Mind 115

6. An Alternative System 199

7. Twenty-First-Century Polymaths 245

8. Owners of Our Future 281

Polymathy through Time and Space 285

Select Bibliography 295

About the Author 299

Acknowledgments 301

Index 303

An erudite, masterful and entertaining study by a great writer and thinker... essential reading for the coming decade - Daniel Levitin, Neuroscientist, Musician and Bestselling Author of The Organised Mind

I am too stunned to comment on this book... I am transformed and transcended; I will never be the same - Story Musgrave, NASA astronaut and 'World's top-ranked Renaissance Man'

This revolutionary book has filled one of the great voids in the history of knowledge - Nasser D. Khalili, Scholar, Philanthropist and Founder of the Khalili Collections

Erudite and most enlightening - an indispensable addition to every educational institution worldwide - Ashok Jahnavi Prasad, the world's most academically qualified intellectual

Vastly educational...refreshingly inspirational - Edward de Bono, Bestselling Author of Six Thinking Hats andcoiner of 'Lateral Thinking'