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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
An informative if dry biography of Leonardo da Vinci. The only complaint would be that at times the author refuses to see da Vinci as a person and only writes about him as a paragon, a genius whom we mortals can only hope to comprehend.
True confessions. I am not a Walter Isaacson fan. But he certainly picks outstanding subjects.
The book is a mashup of biography and a close thematic reading of da Vinci's extraordinary "Notebooks". The biography portion of this book doesn't yield much more than Wikipedia and offers precious little in the way of insight into the life and character of this truly amazing man. I'm also not impressed with the author's foray into the analysis of art. But Isaacson's deep dive into the Notebooks is worth the read.
Leonardo da Vinci was a man centuries ahead of his time, exploring physics, technology, and the representation of information. He anticipated discoveries such as Newton's that would change the way humankind understands the universe and how it works.
It makes me long for a real exploration of his character, this man who paraded through early Renaissance Italy in pink clothes with his male lovers; who seemed at once cavalier and prescient about politics of the times; who thought so deeply and cared so little about disseminating his ideas and discoveries; who could spend decades working on a painting and who could walk away from lucrative commissions.
The book is a mashup of biography and a close thematic reading of da Vinci's extraordinary "Notebooks". The biography portion of this book doesn't yield much more than Wikipedia and offers precious little in the way of insight into the life and character of this truly amazing man. I'm also not impressed with the author's foray into the analysis of art. But Isaacson's deep dive into the Notebooks is worth the read.
Leonardo da Vinci was a man centuries ahead of his time, exploring physics, technology, and the representation of information. He anticipated discoveries such as Newton's that would change the way humankind understands the universe and how it works.
It makes me long for a real exploration of his character, this man who paraded through early Renaissance Italy in pink clothes with his male lovers; who seemed at once cavalier and prescient about politics of the times; who thought so deeply and cared so little about disseminating his ideas and discoveries; who could spend decades working on a painting and who could walk away from lucrative commissions.
Very interesting information. Although started to get a bit repetitive and dry.
The most boring part of Da Vinci is his art. The man made progress in science and medicine that wasn’t rediscovered for another 200 years.
The book gives a unique perspective on the life of Leonardo Da Vinci. It is written in a very captivating way, re-stating Isaacson's mastery of biographical works.
Sometimes textbooky, sometimes informative, sometimes riveting, this Leonardo da Vinci is based on his own writings in sketchbooks and diaries. Especially enjoyed the interactions with prominent figures of the time: Sforza’s of Milan, employment by Cesare Borgia, and the surprising long by term friendship with Machiavelli. Background on paintings gives new insight to the study of his work
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
informative
slow-paced