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The Neo-Generalist: Where You Go is Who You are
Have you encountered difficulties describing what you do to other people?
Have you ever labelled yourself in order to be understood?
Is there a difference in the way that a generalist and a specialist can stay relevant?
If you had to design an approach to education fit for the twenty-first century, what would it look like?
How do you live a life of meaning if you live in more than one world?
During an era still dominated by hyperspecialism and experts with 'the one right answer', the neo-generalist defies easy classification. They are tricksters who traverse multiple domains, living between categories and labels. Encompassing rather than rejecting, the neo-generalist is both specialist and generalist. A restless multidisciplinarian, who is forever learning. They bring together diverse people, synthesising ideas and practice, addressing the big issues that confront us in order to shape a better future.
They are curious, responsive, connective.
Have you ever labelled yourself in order to be understood?
Is there a difference in the way that a generalist and a specialist can stay relevant?
If you had to design an approach to education fit for the twenty-first century, what would it look like?
How do you live a life of meaning if you live in more than one world?
During an era still dominated by hyperspecialism and experts with 'the one right answer', the neo-generalist defies easy classification. They are tricksters who traverse multiple domains, living between categories and labels. Encompassing rather than rejecting, the neo-generalist is both specialist and generalist. A restless multidisciplinarian, who is forever learning. They bring together diverse people, synthesising ideas and practice, addressing the big issues that confront us in order to shape a better future.
They are curious, responsive, connective.
270 pages, Paperback
Published April 11, 2019
43 people are currently reading
691 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth Mikkelsen
3 books47 followersCosmopolitan soul. Constant learner. Aesthetics seeker. Voracious reader. Existential wayfinder. We are all just winging it anyway.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 18, 2016
The book description on Amazon was intriguing enough to convince me to read the book: “Have you encountered difficulties describing what you do to other people? Have you ever labeled yourself in order to be understood?” My answer is a big YES. If your answer is yes as well, do not hesitate to read the book. You will not regret it.
The basic idea of the book is the Neo-Generalists. These people live in different worlds in their private lives (having multiple nationalities, living in different countries or even continents over time), social lives (belonging to different cultural, religious or ethnical groups), and professional lives (working in science, art, humanities or medicine). They are life-long learners who do not stick to an industry, specialty, role or any other label. They learn according to the context they are in to bring new ideas and facilitate change. Learning happens very naturally by the rhythm of the mind and the heart, nurturing a journey of self-actualization. A journey more important than the destination.
The book is right to the point and has a spiral structure: You learn about the ideas, examples and stories in different layers. As you go further, you will connect the dots and finish the puzzle for yourself. The narrative was coherent so I could understand the authors easily. The reading was also a relief because I felt connected to a community of people who do exist and do live on earth.
The basic idea of the book is the Neo-Generalists. These people live in different worlds in their private lives (having multiple nationalities, living in different countries or even continents over time), social lives (belonging to different cultural, religious or ethnical groups), and professional lives (working in science, art, humanities or medicine). They are life-long learners who do not stick to an industry, specialty, role or any other label. They learn according to the context they are in to bring new ideas and facilitate change. Learning happens very naturally by the rhythm of the mind and the heart, nurturing a journey of self-actualization. A journey more important than the destination.
The book is right to the point and has a spiral structure: You learn about the ideas, examples and stories in different layers. As you go further, you will connect the dots and finish the puzzle for yourself. The narrative was coherent so I could understand the authors easily. The reading was also a relief because I felt connected to a community of people who do exist and do live on earth.
February 15, 2021
What a book, this one. I may be biased here because it helped unlock some serious imposter syndromes I had building up (sounding something like I LIKE EVERYTHING AND COULD BECOME GOOD AT ANYTHING SO WHAT EVEN AM I GOOD AT. Yeah a bit of an arrogant problem to have maybe but it's been a struggle in my professional and personal life for sure). This book allows you to break free from labels and embrace the generalist and unstoppable curiosity as an actual strength instead of "lack of focus", and build a cohesive narrative around it.
If there's a label I'll accept, it's definitely this one :)
If there's a label I'll accept, it's definitely this one :)
December 13, 2017
A philosophical manifest of holistic curiosity and creativity. It's almost a reference list of really interesting people and ways of working in many contexts. I liked the fact that is is written in such a way that it respects the intelligence of the reader and it's not just repeating one idea several times like too many "business books" do.
March 16, 2017
This is an unusual book. It's light on the usual structure and explanation, and it's heavy on the stories of the people the writers are trying to understand. If the book's description describes your world, I recommend it. If it doesn't, I don't think you'll like it. Above all, don't expect one of those business books that tells you everything you will learn in the first chapter.
Because of its unusual structure, this is not an easy book to absorb in one pass. It has so many stories, external references, and people to look up. There's another opportunity for something else to be interested in on almost every page. Eventually, I decided that I just have to read it twice. Once for the ideas and for the initial impressions of all those stories, and a second time to pick up on the references I missed and to see what else I need to learn about.
Because of its unusual structure, this is not an easy book to absorb in one pass. It has so many stories, external references, and people to look up. There's another opportunity for something else to be interested in on almost every page. Eventually, I decided that I just have to read it twice. Once for the ideas and for the initial impressions of all those stories, and a second time to pick up on the references I missed and to see what else I need to learn about.
March 30, 2019
2 stars for the concept : pretty neat to come up with a label for those who don't like labels (Lol!)
0.5 star for the ease of reading and a plethora of examples to back the case.
And that's all. It isn't an enlightening book, doesn't offer much scientific explanations for the why. Just various Venn diagrams and repetitiveness of how binary the world is and it's just not fair to the neo-generalists. Sheer black and white narration, coming from those writing about greys, didn't go down well with me I suppose.
If this was a 10-page research paper than a book, might have been more enjoyable.
0.5 star for the ease of reading and a plethora of examples to back the case.
And that's all. It isn't an enlightening book, doesn't offer much scientific explanations for the why. Just various Venn diagrams and repetitiveness of how binary the world is and it's just not fair to the neo-generalists. Sheer black and white narration, coming from those writing about greys, didn't go down well with me I suppose.
If this was a 10-page research paper than a book, might have been more enjoyable.
June 26, 2018
An absolutely fascinating review of the changing dynamic of the spectrum of specialization. Written with thoughtfulness and strong prose. A book that has helped me make sense of myself and given me a platform from which to speak regarding the value of generalism in an changing world. That being said, the book could have done a better job exploring the generalist of yesterday and emphasizing the absolute need of deep specialization. It felt somewhat bias towards its own thesis at times.
February 3, 2019
The book was a somewhat confusing read; but I did find myself from some parts of the neo-generalist description.
This is for those who find it hard to label themselves—and it is hard for others to label them. Which is tough in this specialism-oriented environment. It was great to see how others with neo-generalist tendencies have contributed in the world.
This is for those who find it hard to label themselves—and it is hard for others to label them. Which is tough in this specialism-oriented environment. It was great to see how others with neo-generalist tendencies have contributed in the world.
July 7, 2017
A dense book that makes the case for people who shift between generalism and specialism by drawing for a myriad of real life cases and (literary) references. It doesn't provide you with one big truth, yet it invites you to make the concept and knowledge your own
August 4, 2018
states the obvious
March 18, 2017
Good read--thoughtful, erudite, inspirational. Never devolves to sound bites. Seems like a terrific career model for these times
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October 19, 2024I picked this up thinking it would be a how-to guide, with helpful tips on organizing your notes and synthesizing varied topics into something useful. Instead it is a prosaic screed the merits of being a generalist, peppered with little stories about how lots of cool people have refused to specialize in the past.
March 16, 2017
Thrilled to announce that The Neo-Generalist has been named a finalist in the "Psychology" category for Foreword INDIES 2016 Book of the Year Awards! https://awards.forewordreviews.com/bo...
April 1, 2017
I finished Richard Martin and Kenneth Mikkelson‘s new book, The Neo-Generalist, this morning (actually, back in October 2016). Where to start talking about this incredible book? I think I’ll start at the back, with the 17 page bibliography.
Yes, 17 pages. I was happy to see that I have read at least a few items from each of those 17 pages, a couple are on my Kindle waiting to be read, and even more are on my ever expanding to-read list. But so many more I’ve not read, or even heard of. Daunting for some, perhaps, but intriguing and inspiring for a neo-generalist like me. Because I am, in answer to the final question Richard and Kenneth pose in the Fade Out chapter, a neo-generalist.
That is not the only question they leave with us, though; they provide a full list of the questions they used to guide the interviews they conducted with the many incredible and interesting people featured in the stories told throughout the book. Seeing these questions at the end, after reading all the stories and the insights that Richard and Kenneth pull from them, helped me start to pull together my own thoughts on what I had read, to begin creating my own new knowledge from what they shared of theirs.
I only gave the questions some cursory thought, and am looking forward to answering them in detail (when I’m not typing this on my phone on a full airplane flying through turbulent air on my way home.)
The most powerful part of the book for me was the wrap up, in the final two chapters, where Richard and Kenneth talk about what neo-generalism means in more practical terms, the effects it has on career and life, and some of the challenges of being a neo-generalist in a world of hyperspecialization. Although I have always known, in the abstract at least, that the challenges and decisions and implications of my approach to the world are shared by others, it is still nice to see kindred spirits share their experiences and insights.
Speaking of kindred spirits, the book is full of them. I’ll leave it to you to read their stories and learn about them, with the following warning: prepare to be awe-struck. Unless, of course, you’re not.
If you are not a neo-generalist, your impression of the people and their stories may be a little – or a lot – different than mine. You may not see yourself in the stories, but I encourage to to read the book all the way through, to absorb it, so that you can better understand the neo-generalists in your life. Chances are you will see in these stories someone you know, someone you work with. Or perhaps you are a parent of a child who has these crazy ideas and can’t just focus on one thing because there is so much out there to know and to learn.
I was one of those kids, and was fortunate to have parents who accepted and generally encouraged my eccentricity. Though I never had a chance to explore these types of questions with my dad, I have a feeling that he would have identified as a neo-generalist as well.
As for the book itself, I chose to get the soft cover (“paper back” doesn’t do it justice) instead of the Kindle. Partly because the Kindle version was not yet available in the US at the time I ordered it, but mainly because this is the kind of book I personally prefer on paper. Paper on which I can jot notes, doodles, and other markings, and which I can dog ear for browsing again later. And which I can add to the permanent collection of key texts I keep above my desk for when I need a shot of inspiration and encouragement. The only thing I really missed about the Kindle was the dictionary; I found myself long-tapping words in the book on at least one (OK, more than one) occasion in a futile attempt to have a definition displayed.
To say I learned a lot from this book would be a huge understatement. I have a feeling I will continue to learn from it.
tl;dr Highly recommended, add it as close to the top of your to-read pile as you can.
Yes, 17 pages. I was happy to see that I have read at least a few items from each of those 17 pages, a couple are on my Kindle waiting to be read, and even more are on my ever expanding to-read list. But so many more I’ve not read, or even heard of. Daunting for some, perhaps, but intriguing and inspiring for a neo-generalist like me. Because I am, in answer to the final question Richard and Kenneth pose in the Fade Out chapter, a neo-generalist.
That is not the only question they leave with us, though; they provide a full list of the questions they used to guide the interviews they conducted with the many incredible and interesting people featured in the stories told throughout the book. Seeing these questions at the end, after reading all the stories and the insights that Richard and Kenneth pull from them, helped me start to pull together my own thoughts on what I had read, to begin creating my own new knowledge from what they shared of theirs.
I only gave the questions some cursory thought, and am looking forward to answering them in detail (when I’m not typing this on my phone on a full airplane flying through turbulent air on my way home.)
The most powerful part of the book for me was the wrap up, in the final two chapters, where Richard and Kenneth talk about what neo-generalism means in more practical terms, the effects it has on career and life, and some of the challenges of being a neo-generalist in a world of hyperspecialization. Although I have always known, in the abstract at least, that the challenges and decisions and implications of my approach to the world are shared by others, it is still nice to see kindred spirits share their experiences and insights.
Speaking of kindred spirits, the book is full of them. I’ll leave it to you to read their stories and learn about them, with the following warning: prepare to be awe-struck. Unless, of course, you’re not.
If you are not a neo-generalist, your impression of the people and their stories may be a little – or a lot – different than mine. You may not see yourself in the stories, but I encourage to to read the book all the way through, to absorb it, so that you can better understand the neo-generalists in your life. Chances are you will see in these stories someone you know, someone you work with. Or perhaps you are a parent of a child who has these crazy ideas and can’t just focus on one thing because there is so much out there to know and to learn.
I was one of those kids, and was fortunate to have parents who accepted and generally encouraged my eccentricity. Though I never had a chance to explore these types of questions with my dad, I have a feeling that he would have identified as a neo-generalist as well.
As for the book itself, I chose to get the soft cover (“paper back” doesn’t do it justice) instead of the Kindle. Partly because the Kindle version was not yet available in the US at the time I ordered it, but mainly because this is the kind of book I personally prefer on paper. Paper on which I can jot notes, doodles, and other markings, and which I can dog ear for browsing again later. And which I can add to the permanent collection of key texts I keep above my desk for when I need a shot of inspiration and encouragement. The only thing I really missed about the Kindle was the dictionary; I found myself long-tapping words in the book on at least one (OK, more than one) occasion in a futile attempt to have a definition displayed.
To say I learned a lot from this book would be a huge understatement. I have a feeling I will continue to learn from it.
tl;dr Highly recommended, add it as close to the top of your to-read pile as you can.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews