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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
I knew I was going to love this book, and whattayaknow I loved this book. I could have done with a little less engineering and science and a little more painting, but it's clear after finishing this book that the picture of Leonardo's life would have been incomplete and honestly lacking without all of the insight provided into his scientific passions and endeavors.
Often I see people say of their favorite books that they slowed down their reading because they never wanted the story to end... I've never related to that behavior, and I pretty much always get to a point in books when I'm racing to finish them. It even happened to me while reading this book. But this is also one of the only books where I actually have found myself slowing down my reading or re-reading passages not because I didn't understand them, but because I wanted them to last longer.
Well-written and insightful and insanely interesting. One of my favorites, hands down.
Often I see people say of their favorite books that they slowed down their reading because they never wanted the story to end... I've never related to that behavior, and I pretty much always get to a point in books when I'm racing to finish them. It even happened to me while reading this book. But this is also one of the only books where I actually have found myself slowing down my reading or re-reading passages not because I didn't understand them, but because I wanted them to last longer.
Well-written and insightful and insanely interesting. One of my favorites, hands down.
informative
medium-paced
informative
slow-paced
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5 reasons I liked this and you might too:
1. It gave me a sense of what the European world was like in late 1400s/early 1500s, and expanded my connection points between other things I've learned, like that Columbus and Leonardo were alive at the same time.
2. I learned about who Leonardo was and how he was able to become such a polymath, beyond his natural obsessiveness.
3. I gained insight into cultivating creativity, and the joy (and potential value) of pursuing knowledge outside of my normal wheelhouse.
4. I now have more appreciation for *why* the Mona Lisa and his other art are such a masterpieces, and I am eager to view some again to experience them more fully... I hope this will continue opening a door to me being able to appreciate art more in general.
5. Lastly, much of Leonardo's inventions and ideas are fascinating... to see where technology was at his time and see how far ahead some of his ideas were is incredible and inspiring.
It is long and some sections were harder to get through as they were farther removed from my interests, perhaps to be expected when reading about someone with such a wide range of interests.
I used to keep a pocket book of blank pages and a pen with me in high school and I would write and sketch ideas into it as they came to me. This is encouraging me to revisit that idea, reduce the time I spend browsing for entertainment, and see what comes of embracing my own shifts of interest.
1. It gave me a sense of what the European world was like in late 1400s/early 1500s, and expanded my connection points between other things I've learned, like that Columbus and Leonardo were alive at the same time.
2. I learned about who Leonardo was and how he was able to become such a polymath, beyond his natural obsessiveness.
3. I gained insight into cultivating creativity, and the joy (and potential value) of pursuing knowledge outside of my normal wheelhouse.
4. I now have more appreciation for *why* the Mona Lisa and his other art are such a masterpieces, and I am eager to view some again to experience them more fully... I hope this will continue opening a door to me being able to appreciate art more in general.
5. Lastly, much of Leonardo's inventions and ideas are fascinating... to see where technology was at his time and see how far ahead some of his ideas were is incredible and inspiring.
It is long and some sections were harder to get through as they were farther removed from my interests, perhaps to be expected when reading about someone with such a wide range of interests.
I used to keep a pocket book of blank pages and a pen with me in high school and I would write and sketch ideas into it as they came to me. This is encouraging me to revisit that idea, reduce the time I spend browsing for entertainment, and see what comes of embracing my own shifts of interest.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Slightly over long but there's obviously a lot to cram in. I'd never fully appreciated Leonardo da Vinci's efforts in science before reading - I knew of his attempted inventions and anatomy studies but he really was breaking new ground in several fields, albeit often purely for his own curiosity and never published or announced. Inspiring guy.
An excellent overview of a life of an artist, innovator, scientist and philosopher who lived decades before the world was ready for him. I have loved getting to know more about Leonardo and his life behind all of his work. The book is very easy to read and makes logical connections between his life and his work. I am looking forward to reading other Walter Isaacson's books.