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Peter Burke

Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag

Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag

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  • More about Polymath: A Cultural History from Leonardo da Vinci to Susan Sontag


Polymaths have significantly advanced knowledge, but history often remembers them for only one aspect of their achievements. Peter Burke's book identifies 500 western polymaths and explores their diverse successes, demonstrating how their rise coincided with a rapid growth of knowledge in the age of printing, the discovery of the New World, and the Scientific Revolution. However, the recent acceleration of knowledge has led to increased specialization and a less supportive environment for wide-ranging scholars and scientists.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 352 pages
\n Publication date: 02 July 2021
\n Publisher: Yale University Press
\n


From Leonardo Da Vinci to Oliver Sacks: The First History of the Western Polymath, from the Renaissance to the Present

An absorbing group portrait and intellectual history, as noted by Kirkus Reviews. An admirable mixture of industry and erudition, as praised by Robert Wilson, Wall Street Journal.

From Leonardo Da Vinci to John Dee and Comenius, from George Eliot to Oliver Sacks and Susan Sontag, polymaths have pushed the boundaries of knowledge in countless ways. However, history tends to remember these individuals for only one aspect of their remarkable achievements.

In this captivating and scholarly account, renowned cultural historian Peter Burke advocates for a more comprehensive perspective. He identifies 500 Western polymaths, delving into their diverse accomplishments and demonstrating how their rise coincided with a rapid expansion of knowledge during the age of printing, the discovery of the New World, and the Scientific Revolution. It is only in recent times that the further acceleration of knowledge has led to increased specialization and a less supportive environment for scholars and scientists with broad interests.

Spanning the Renaissance to the present day, Burke reshapes our understanding of this remarkable intellectual species.

\n Weight: 326g\n
Dimension: 128 x 196 x 33 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780300260465\n \n

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