Prepare for a world of compound innovation which blends 3, 5, 10 strands of infotech, greentech, biotech and healthtech to solve the "e;Grand Challenges"e; our world faces-and the more routine ones Polymath is the Greek word for a Renaissance person like Leonardo Da Vinci or Ben Franklin who excels in many disciplines. The New Polymath is an enterprise which has learned to amalgamate 3, 5, 10 strands of technology-infotech, cleantech, healthtech, nanotech, biotech-to create compound new products and to innovate internal processes. Anchors around case studies on innovations and creative processes at 8 New Polymath enterprises - BP, Cognizant, GE, Kleiner Perkins, National Hurricane Center, Plantronics, salesforce.com, WRHambrecht+Co Details eleven building blocks these Polymaths are utilizing - from cloud computing to sustainability to social networks Calatogs over 100 mini case studies of other innovators who are defining state-of-the-art in those eleven building block areas The New Polymath brims with innovation examples from a variety of industries, countries and business processes.

Prepare for a world of compound innovation which blends 3, 5, 10strands of infotech, greentech, biotech and healthtech to solve the"Grand Challenges" our world faces-and the more routine onesPolymath is the Greek word for a Renaissance person likeLeonardo Da Vinci or Ben Franklin who excels in many disciplines.The New Polymath is an enterprise which has learned toamalgamate 3, 5, 10 strands of technology-infotech, cleantechhealthtech, nanotech, biotech-to create compound new products andto innovate internal processes.Anchors around case studies on innovations and creativeprocesses at 8 New Polymath enterprises - BP, Cognizant, GEKleiner Perkins, National Hurricane Center, Plantronicssalesforce.com, WRHambrecht+CoDetails eleven building blocks these Polymaths are utilizingfrom cloud computing to sustainability to social networksCalatogs over 100 mini case studies of other innovators who aredefining state-of-the-art in those eleven building block areasThe New Polymath brims with innovation examples from avariety of industries, countries and business processes.

Foreword xviiPreface xxiAcknowledgments xxxiiiPrologue: The Field of Polymath Dreams xxxviiPART I SPREZZATURA: THE ART OF MAKING THE COMPLEX LOOK EASY 1CHAPTER 1 The New Polymath: In an Age of "Wicked Problems" and Technology Abundance 3CHAPTER 2 Modern-Day Dark Ages: So Much Stagnation 17CHAPTER 3 Polymath Profile #1: General Electric 31PART II THE R-E-N-A-I-S-S-A-N-C-E FRAMEWORK: BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE NEW POLYMATH 51CHAPTER 4 Residence: Better Technologically Equipped Than the Offi ce 53CHAPTER 5 Exotics: Innovation from Left Field 67CHAPTER 6 Polymath Profile #2: Cognizant 81CHAPTER 7 Networks: Bluetooth to Broadband 89CHAPTER 8 Polymath Profile #3: Plantronics 107CHAPTER 9 Arsonists: And Other Disruptors 113CHAPTER 10 Polymath Profile #4: W. R. Hambrecht 129CHAPTER 11 Interfaces: For All Our Senses 137CHAPTER 12 Sustainability: Delivering to Both the Green and Gold Agendas 151CHAPTER 13 Polymath Profile #5: Kleiner Perkins Cleantech 165CHAPTER 14 Singularity: Human-Machine Convergence 175CHAPTER 15 Analytics: Spreadsheets, Search, and Semantics 191CHAPTER 16 Polymath Profile #6: National Hurricane Center 205CHAPTER 17 Networks Again: Communities, Crowds, Contracts, and Collaboration 213CHAPTER 18 Clouds: Technology-as-a-Service 233CHAPTER 19 Polymath Profile #7: salesforce.com 251CHAPTER 20 Ethics: In an Age of Cyberwar and Cloning 257PART III GROOMING YOUR OWN NEW POLYMATH 275CHAPTER 21 Polymath Profile #8: BP CTO 277CHAPTER 22 Moon Shots for Budding Polymaths 295Epilogue: The Beginner's Mind 303Notes 307About the Author 325Index 327