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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
"True creativity involves the ability to combine observation with imagination, thereby blurring the border between reality and fantasy."
That quote is the crux of what I think Isaacson wanted to illustrate when he chose Da Vinci as his subject of a creative genius. What I loved about this book that positively lit me up was reading about this man with virtually no formal education due to the circumstances of his birth, but who left such an indelible mark on history due to one critical trait: a thirst for learning and a naturally insatiable curiosity.
Basically, this book is about a man who loved learning for the sake of learning. He was genuinely fascinated with the world around him and wanted to understand how it worked. He had a finger dipped into almost every field of knowledge, it just happens that art was where he left his most recognizable mark.
I agree with Isaacson's thesis statement that true creative geniuses understand that combining different fields of learning and looking at a subject from multiple perspectives simultaneously is what gives rise to innovation.
For me, this book seemed a call to action. I feel as if, in modern life, education is simply a means to an end and not as much pursued for its own sake. I have firmly believed for many years now that there exists no greater cure to many ailments than to while away the hours learning something new. But this book reminded me the world is so vast and so full of fodder for the mind willing to embrace its mysteries. Da Vinci was obsessive when he embarked on a subject of study. His level of dedication and minuteness of observation humbled me to read about. This book reminded me to take a deep and dedicated interest in whatever I set my mind to--that to sip at knowledge will not yield any grand results but rather to gulp it down deeply and fervently.
As a medical student, where the amount of knowledge I am expected to become functional in can seem overwhelming, I felt I read this book just when I needed it most. I think medical school made me a bit numb to learning and resentful of the attendant anxieties associated with the volume I am responsible for. It's hard not to resort to apathetically memorizing and drilling facts, hoping the rest will follow. This book reminded me of what set me on this path in the first place: my own fascination with the world and people around me and wanting desperately to understand it better in order to enrich myself and my writing.
Reading about Da Vinci spending a nauseating amount of hours watching a bird to see whether its wings flapped faster on the upstroke than on the downstroke made me realize that if I wanted to feel the satisfaction of true excellence in my chosen field, nothing short of that kind of obsession is required of me. I want to fall in love with learning again and not have it feel like a chore as it has for some time now. This book inspired in me the feeling that I can and must do just that.
Read it!
That quote is the crux of what I think Isaacson wanted to illustrate when he chose Da Vinci as his subject of a creative genius. What I loved about this book that positively lit me up was reading about this man with virtually no formal education due to the circumstances of his birth, but who left such an indelible mark on history due to one critical trait: a thirst for learning and a naturally insatiable curiosity.
Basically, this book is about a man who loved learning for the sake of learning. He was genuinely fascinated with the world around him and wanted to understand how it worked. He had a finger dipped into almost every field of knowledge, it just happens that art was where he left his most recognizable mark.
I agree with Isaacson's thesis statement that true creative geniuses understand that combining different fields of learning and looking at a subject from multiple perspectives simultaneously is what gives rise to innovation.
For me, this book seemed a call to action. I feel as if, in modern life, education is simply a means to an end and not as much pursued for its own sake. I have firmly believed for many years now that there exists no greater cure to many ailments than to while away the hours learning something new. But this book reminded me the world is so vast and so full of fodder for the mind willing to embrace its mysteries. Da Vinci was obsessive when he embarked on a subject of study. His level of dedication and minuteness of observation humbled me to read about. This book reminded me to take a deep and dedicated interest in whatever I set my mind to--that to sip at knowledge will not yield any grand results but rather to gulp it down deeply and fervently.
As a medical student, where the amount of knowledge I am expected to become functional in can seem overwhelming, I felt I read this book just when I needed it most. I think medical school made me a bit numb to learning and resentful of the attendant anxieties associated with the volume I am responsible for. It's hard not to resort to apathetically memorizing and drilling facts, hoping the rest will follow. This book reminded me of what set me on this path in the first place: my own fascination with the world and people around me and wanting desperately to understand it better in order to enrich myself and my writing.
Reading about Da Vinci spending a nauseating amount of hours watching a bird to see whether its wings flapped faster on the upstroke than on the downstroke made me realize that if I wanted to feel the satisfaction of true excellence in my chosen field, nothing short of that kind of obsession is required of me. I want to fall in love with learning again and not have it feel like a chore as it has for some time now. This book inspired in me the feeling that I can and must do just that.
Read it!
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
So interesting and informative; Da Vinci was an incredibly curious yet very human and relatable maestro. He studied bird tongues, human cadavers, and men washing up at bath houses. He created because he was so interested in the world, but his most famous works were typically created at the behest of wealthy families. He was flamboyant, and wore theatric attire, even for the times. He was most likely gay. This is one of my favorite biographies, I highly recommend.
Approaching the last ~100 or so pages of this book I was torn how I felt about it. Of course it is well written (Isaacson is consistent and getting better), but it felt like it had too much art critique in it. I changed my mind as I got to the finish line, and the conclusion chapter sealed a solid 3.75 for me. A departure from a typical biography, perhaps due to the lack of information we have on Leonardo compared to someone living 1,2, even 300 years ago, Isaacson often breaks down, in a surprisingly opinionated way, Leonardo's art. This was relatively interesting for me as I am curious and it is new territory, but I almost thought he could have went all the way if this was going to also be an art history book and added even more context.
The science and engineering pieces of Leonardo's notebooks, and therefore of this book, were quite interesting. I was absolutely amazed at how often Leonardo was ahead of his time on scientific matters, often by hundreds of years. It's a shame he didn't get the notoriety he deserved because he didn't publish any of it.
For my own revisitation, the "Learnings from Leonardo" in the conclusion (many of which apply to other geniuses such as Jobs and Einstein):
- Be curious, relentlessly curious
- Seek knowledge for its own sake
- Retain a childlike sense of wonder
- Observe
- Start with the details
-See things unseen
- Go down rabbit holes
- Get distracted
- Respect facts
- Procrastinate
- Let the perfect be the enemy of the good
- Think visually
- Avoid silos
- Let your reach exceed your grasp
- Indulge fantasy
- Create for yourself, not your patrons (more relevant for today: for other)
- Collaborate
- Make lists
- Take notes
- Be open to mystery
The science and engineering pieces of Leonardo's notebooks, and therefore of this book, were quite interesting. I was absolutely amazed at how often Leonardo was ahead of his time on scientific matters, often by hundreds of years. It's a shame he didn't get the notoriety he deserved because he didn't publish any of it.
For my own revisitation, the "Learnings from Leonardo" in the conclusion (many of which apply to other geniuses such as Jobs and Einstein):
- Be curious, relentlessly curious
- Seek knowledge for its own sake
- Retain a childlike sense of wonder
- Observe
- Start with the details
-See things unseen
- Go down rabbit holes
- Get distracted
- Respect facts
- Procrastinate
- Let the perfect be the enemy of the good
- Think visually
- Avoid silos
- Let your reach exceed your grasp
- Indulge fantasy
- Create for yourself, not your patrons (more relevant for today: for other)
- Collaborate
- Make lists
- Take notes
- Be open to mystery
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Amazing.
I am not usually interested in biographies, but ever since Isaacson's treatment of Steve Jobs I have become a big fan of a biographer. It may seem like a strange recommendation, but reading the Jobs and Einstein biographies is a good idea before this one. Isaacson draws connections between Da Vinci and his previous subjects.
This book is great if you are like me and want a deeper appreciation of art but have never studied it as an adult. His descriptions of each major (and some minor) works have given me a greater appreciation not just for Leonardo but for all painting and sculpture.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book was the definition and description of Da Vinci as a true Renaissance man. He stood at the intersection of art and science and would have been confused by the distinction. All of my heroes (and apparently Isaacson's) are those who serve as the connector for two fields. For Jobs it was art and technology (previously unaquainted) and for Da Vinci it was art and science.
If you have any hesitation about this book then start with the conclusion and you will definitely want to read the rest!
I am not usually interested in biographies, but ever since Isaacson's treatment of Steve Jobs I have become a big fan of a biographer. It may seem like a strange recommendation, but reading the Jobs and Einstein biographies is a good idea before this one. Isaacson draws connections between Da Vinci and his previous subjects.
This book is great if you are like me and want a deeper appreciation of art but have never studied it as an adult. His descriptions of each major (and some minor) works have given me a greater appreciation not just for Leonardo but for all painting and sculpture.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book was the definition and description of Da Vinci as a true Renaissance man. He stood at the intersection of art and science and would have been confused by the distinction. All of my heroes (and apparently Isaacson's) are those who serve as the connector for two fields. For Jobs it was art and technology (previously unaquainted) and for Da Vinci it was art and science.
If you have any hesitation about this book then start with the conclusion and you will definitely want to read the rest!
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
I enjoyed it but it took me three years to read and this book is HEAVY, I can't hold it up comfortably. If it wasn't written by Isaacson, I'm 100% certain I would have never finished it, I hope he writes about other big artists as well, I will read everything.
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
"Describe a woodpecker's tongue..."
Full disclosure, I listened to it from Audible. I thought it was really good. It was an interesting mixture of chronological biography and a look at the evolution of his da Vinci's work. For instance, the 18 years da Vinci spent in Milan, he discusses his various art works, his anatomy studies, and his flying machine rather than, this is what happened on this date. It went back and forth between those two styles, which was some what disorienting to listen to and may have felt different if I had been reading it. But overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about an interesting polymath. Or a description of a woodpecker's tongue.
Full disclosure, I listened to it from Audible. I thought it was really good. It was an interesting mixture of chronological biography and a look at the evolution of his da Vinci's work. For instance, the 18 years da Vinci spent in Milan, he discusses his various art works, his anatomy studies, and his flying machine rather than, this is what happened on this date. It went back and forth between those two styles, which was some what disorienting to listen to and may have felt different if I had been reading it. But overall I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone interested in learning about an interesting polymath. Or a description of a woodpecker's tongue.