A review by margaretcampbell
Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

The conclusion and epigraph tie all of the observations of Leonardo‘s life together wonderfully. Isaacson points out that the driving force in da Vinci‘s life and work was curiosity, rather than necessity. At the same time, as Isaacson records it, da Vinci‘s last written words were “the soup is getting cold”, which for me brings to mind so many of the stories I have found particularly inspiring: those which acknowledge the tension between infinite curiosity and practicality. For myself, the necessity of practicality has been such a driving force that it is both inspiring and a little heartbreaking to hear of all that da Vinci learned and explored in his life. At the same time, his inability to incarnate so many of his dreams makes me wish he had erred more on the side of creation than creativity. He did not have the power to push his insights in a way that could have transformed and ennobled humanity. Surely, it’s a difficult balance to strike.