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Leonardo Da Vinci

By: Walter Isaacson
Narrated by: Alfred Molina
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Publisher's Summary

Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo's genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy.

He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history's most creative genius.

His creativity, like that of other great innovators, came from having wide-ranging passions. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips, and then painted history's most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper. Isaacson also describes how Leonardo's lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions.

Leonardo's delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance of instilling, both in ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it - to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 Walter Isaacson (P)2017 Simon & Schuster UK

Critic Reviews

"To read this magnificent biography of Leonardo da Vinci is to take a tour through the life and works of one of the most extraordinary human beings of all time in the company of the most engaging, informed, and insightful guide imaginable. Walter Isaacson is at once a true scholar and a spellbinding writer. And what a wealth of lessons there are to be learned in these pages." (David McCullough)

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Highly recommended

I didn’t know much about Leonardo Da Vinci when I purchased a copy of his biography by Walter Isaacson. To be honest, I didn’t have any interest in him either. I stumbled across a social media post by Bill Gates, who was recommending the biography.

I figured that if a guy like Bill gates is obsessed with Leonardo Da Vinci, then there’s probably something worth knowing about, so I grabbed a copy.

Wow! What a man.

I doubt there was anything that Leonardo Da Vince didn’t accomplish in his lifetime: painter, architect, inventor, showman, advisor to nobility and even a king, so much more.

He was a self-taught (and incredibly good) scientist who was willing to dump his own theories in the face of evidence to the contrary, an attitude many people have too much pride to do. He looked into everything from why sky was blue to how blood flowed through arteries. In many cases, he made discoveries centuries before they were ‘rediscovered’ by others.

We’ll probably never know how much he accomplished and discovered though, as many of his notes are lost.

The book also explores the common misconception that people like Leonardo Da Vinci are gifted in some way, that they’re blessed beyond the rest of us and achieve greatness because of that; touched by divinity.

Walter Isaacson argues against this point, but without diminishing Leonardo’s true greatness. Instead, he explains it clearly and succinctly, claiming Leonardo’s genius was driven by an intense curiosity, not divinity, and anyone can achieve such things if they really want to.

Isaacson claims Leonardo Da Vinci was passionate and curious about everything around him, from optics to the wings of dragonflies to how muscles cause lips to move. Da Vinci used his unquenchable curiosity to study light and how it reflected off surfaces, applying this knowledge when he painted his great masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa, a painting which I’d seen on display and at the time thought: ‘What’s all the fuss about?’.

This book has given me a totally new appreciation for the Mona Lisa and Leonardo’s other accomplishments. I understand now why the Mona Lisa is a masterpiece. If I ever see it again, I’ll look at it completely differently.

Overall, a very worthwhile read. I highly recommend it.

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Not the best

Struggled through this book, rather than enjoyed every minute. There were some interesting portions, however, more of the authors thoughts come across than Leonardo's.

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In ecstasy, and delited.

This was the most incredible biography I have ever read. Leonardo that maybe the name of my futur son from now. Who will not want such person to be an example for the person that love the most.

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Fascinating biography, beautifully narrated

Isaacson's biography shifts gently back and forth between storytelling and analysis, helping us understand the depth of Leonardo's curiosity, as he struggles admirably to contain centuries of scholarship to one book.
Alfred Molina's narration is flawless.

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Absolutely loved it

I first listened to Steve Jobs and loved it! Not knowing much about Da Vinci I thought it would be worth a listen. The story and detail is brilliant and it has made me want to continue my learnings of Leo and his art work. Highly recommended!

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Wow!

So sad that we won't ever produce another Leonardo. True genius, I am very glad I got this book. 😊

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Hard to fault

This is an excellent piece of work - well researched and nothing thrown in that's not properly verified. I came out with even great respect for Leonardo - a total genius. I would definitely read other Isaacson books now, based on this one.

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I didn't know that...

Not what I expected.
Leonardo, not the book. Isaacson delivers brilliantly.
Great take home summary at end.
What a weird yet phenomenally inspiring life. Take the good with the bad in people.

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Velvet

Worth it alone just to hear Alfred Molina’s velvety prononciation of “Leonardo”. The story of Leonardo’s life is a delicious bonus.

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Amazing!

A very long read, and something I could never consume in print but a story every person should know. Intriguing and hard to stop listening. Amazing!

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