Sunday, July 29, 2007
The Last Man Who Knew Everything
This is a biography of a polymath. Thomas Young was a physicist, doctor, and archaeologist who deciphered the Rosetta Stone. It is written by a science writer. I was attracted to this biography because it was about a polymath: polymaths are historically not well received by academics. But I have only reached one conclusion: never read a biography written by a science writer. There are essays on Young's scientific discoveries, as opposed to insights into his life and character. Rats.
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1 comment:
Too bad, because the concept of a polymath fascinates me. I aspire to it, but fall far short.
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