Edward Tufte is an authority of analytical design (whatever that means!), but really a jack of all trades. In the interview below with the Washington Post, he talks about how he can learn everything you need to know about any trade and, though not become an authority, have enough knowledge to make a contribution.
The mantra, “95% of knowledge is junk” has gotten Tufte lots of attention. It is the high-brow version of anti-establishment. Tufte is brilliant and can easily adapt to many fields (interesting how most are in design and symmetry, however), but it’s not too hard to see how this approach to other fields begins to break down. For one, it’s entirely unclear how someone can know what the relevant 5% is in any field without being a specialist of some sort. This sounds a bit intellectually arrogant—something like Michael Jordan attempting to play baseball or the seminary student rolling his eyes at the irrelevant Greek and Hebrew courses. Being a “jack of all trades, master of none” is good for impressing people at cocktail parties, but not for making a lasting contribution.
And, of course, let’s hope Tufte doesn’t decide to pick up brain surgery.
A neurosurgeon is specializes in operating on the brain, head, neck, and spinal cord. Because neurosurgeons are some of the most highly-paid surgeons, the field is extremely competitive. Additionally, the complexity and high-risk nature of brain surgery contributes to the level of surgical skills and knowledge necessary to become a successful neurosurgeon.