The Neo-generalist: Where You Go Is Who You Are

Kenneth Mikkelsen Richard Martin

LID Publishing Softcover $19.95 (256pp) 978-1-910649-55-8

Highlighting the stories of modern-day jacks-ofall-trades, this is a study with depth.

Kenneth Mikkelsen and Richard Martin’s The Neo-generalist is a breakthrough work, with research that is conducted on a global scale and identifies and defines the contemporary “jack-ofall-trades.”

Leonardo da Vinci, often held up as a symbol of remarkable versatility, was a testament to the concept of the “Renaissance man.” This invigorating study of multifaceted individuals shows that the modern-day da Vinci still exists in the form of the “neo-generalist.”

A neo-generalist is “both a generalist and a specialist … adaptive, responsive, catalytic.” By calling attention to this neo-generalist persona, the authors debunk the negative perception of a “jack-of-all-trades, master of none,” positing that such a person “can often become master of many trades.”

The Neo-generalist deftly mixes its theoretical viewpoint with concrete examples, most of which are distilled from extensive interviews. The stories told are far from uncomplicated; rather, they illustrate the complex and often circuitous route that many neo-generalists take in their lives and careers. Dolly Garland, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, lived in multiple countries, obtained multiple college degrees, and decided to pursue