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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
There's a lot to be learned from Leonardo da Vinci. A man centuries ahead of his time, Leonardo was a student his entire life & believed that science was the secret to all aspects of life & art.
A genius still fascinating 500 years after his death.
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” ~Leonardo da Vinci
A genius still fascinating 500 years after his death.
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” ~Leonardo da Vinci
This is just a fabulous book! Isaacson brings Leonardo to life through hours of research, examining his notebooks, works of art, ideas about science, mathematics and curiosity. The details of Leonardo's work and life are amazing and helped me to understand his art, his genius and his ability to puzzle through ideas and systems that were not actual discoveries until hundreds of years later! The revelation of water, the heart, the body and plants is fascinating. Do not miss this book- wow!
Memoirs are not usually my thing, but Isaacson is one of the masters. This was no exception. I have read much about da Vinci, and still, the writing is compelling, dramatic, and full of new and interesting takes on such an important historical figure.
Well-researched lookback at the life and times of Leonardo. Isaacson makes daVinci human and shows us the context in which his genius took root. He explores Leonardo's many profound accomplishments beyond painting and sculpture. The story is born from the authors' interpretations of daVincis' motives, personality, and the varied influences on his life. For me, this book was an absolute page-turner. I couldn't wait to hear what crazy idea Leonardo would explore next or how he got himself out of a jam, or where his life-adventure would take him next, or with whom. Just one chapter is dedicated to the Mona Lisa but of course, I learned a lot from that chapter and now wish to revisit Lisa in the Louvre to see her again with informed eyes.
If you love art, invention, the Renaissance, hard work triumphing hardship, this book is a delightful and compelling read.
PS The audible Audiobook comes with a PDF that is rather essential to reading the book. I often listened to the audio book with the PDF open on my laptop while I did another mindless task and from time to time I'd glance at the figure referenced in the PDF to better understand the references the author was making to a sketch, notebook page, or painting.
If you love art, invention, the Renaissance, hard work triumphing hardship, this book is a delightful and compelling read.
PS The audible Audiobook comes with a PDF that is rather essential to reading the book. I often listened to the audio book with the PDF open on my laptop while I did another mindless task and from time to time I'd glance at the figure referenced in the PDF to better understand the references the author was making to a sketch, notebook page, or painting.
Isaacson is a great writer, clearly very experienced in biography and I think this book deserves the praise that it gets. It's very, very thorough, which I enjoyed since I'm working on a project involving one of Leonardo's works now. I don't have any interest in reading about the other people that Isaacson has written about, but I would recommend him as an author for his writing even if Leonardo isn't your taste.
Basically I knocked off a star because he keeps mentioning Freud and I wish we would all just collectively start ignoring everything that Freud ever said, especially in regards to gayness. It's just irritating.
Basically I knocked off a star because he keeps mentioning Freud and I wish we would all just collectively start ignoring everything that Freud ever said, especially in regards to gayness. It's just irritating.
informative
medium-paced
Leonardo would have gotten mediocre performance reviews. “Easily distracted. Fails to meet deadlines. Leaves work unfinished.”
Though initially intimidate by the size of this book, I devoured and loved it. “What made Leonardo a genius, what set him apart from people who are merely extraordinarily smart, was his creativity, the ability to apply imagination to intellect.” He was incredible and this book is a testament to the importance of creativity and the arts in our lives. Read it.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
My first time reading a biography, and I could not have chosen a better one. Helped by the fact that it's subject is maybe the most interesting person to ever live, Walter does an exquisite job at giving a factual yet exciting depiction of the genius.