I heard Stephen Johnson interviewed about his new book, The Invention of Air.

Here’s a description of the book on Amazon:

It is the story of Joseph Priestley—scientist and theologian, protégé of Benjamin Franklin, friend of Thomas Jefferson—an eighteenth-century radical thinker who played pivotal roles in the invention of ecosystem science, the discovery of oxygen, the founding of the Unitarian Church, and the intellectual development of the United States. And it is a story that only Steven Johnson, acclaimed juggler of disciplines and provocative ideas, can do justice to.

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Early in the interview, Johnson called Priestly a “compulsive sharer.” Not only did Priestly have an amazing intellect, but he shared his knowledge wherever he went. If you want to increase your own knowledge and energy for learning, than share what you are learning with others. Being a “compulsive sharer” locks your learning into you mind and body, and it also opens you up to the knowledge found in others.

When you share, you expand…plain and simple.