Polymath

Waqās 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, Waqās 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, Waqās 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.

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 MindI 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 CollectionsErudite and most enlightening - an indispensable addition to every educational institution worldwide - Ashok Jahnavi Prasad, the world's most academically qualified intellectualVastly educational…refreshingly inspirational - Edward de Bono, Bestselling Author of Six Thinking Hats andcoiner of ‘Lateral Thinking’

• Prologue ixPreface xiii1. Introduction 12. A Timeless People 73. Shapers of Our World 274. The Cult of Specialisation 875. Reconditioning the Mind 1156. An Alternative System 1997. Twenty-First-Century Polymaths 2458. Owners of Our Future 281Polymathy through Time and Space 285Select Bibliography 295About the Author 299Acknowledgments 301Index 303