Leonardo da Vinci

"Majestic ... Isaacson takes on another complex, giant figure and transforms him into someone we can recognize ... Enthralling, masterful, and passionate."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A monumental tribute to a titanic figure."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) He was history's most creative genius. What secrets can he teach us? The author of the acclaimed bestsellers Steve Jobs, Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin brings Leonardo da Vinci to life in this exciting new biography. Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo's genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history's most creative genius. His creativity, like that of other great innovators, came from having wide-ranging passions. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips, and then painted history's most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper. Isaacson also describes how Leonardo's lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions. Leonardo's delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance of instilling, both in ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it--to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different He Was History's Most Creative Genius. What Secrets Can He Teach Us? The [bestselling Biographer] Brings Leonardo Da Vinci To Life In This Exciting New Biography. Drawing On Thousands Of Pages From Leonardo's Astonishing Notebooks And New Discoveries About His Life And Work, Walter Isaacson Weaves A Narrative That Connects His Art To His Science. He Shows How Leonardo's Genius Was Based On Skills We Can Improve In Ourselves, Such As Passionate Curiosity, Careful Observation, And An Imagination So Playful That It Flirted With Fantasy. His Creativity, Like That Of Other Great Innovators, Came From Standing At The Intersection Of The Humanities And Technology. He Peeled Flesh Off The Faces Of Cadavers, Drew The Muscles That Move The Lips, And Then Painted History's Most Memorable Smile On The Mona Lisa. He Explored The Math Of Optics, Showed How Light Rays Strike The Cornea, And Produced Illusions Of Changing Perspectives In The Last Supper. Isaacson Also Describes How Leonardo's Lifelong Enthusiasm For Staging Theatrical Productions Informed His Paintings And Inventions. His Ability To Combine Art And Science, Made Iconic By His Drawing Of What May Be Himself Inside A Circle And A Square, Remains The Enduring Recipe For Innovation. His Life Should Remind Us Of The Importance Of Instilling, Both In Ourselves And Our Children, Not Just Received Knowledge But A Willingness To Question It; To Be Imaginative And, Like Talented Misfits And Rebels In Any Era, To Think Different.--jacket. Main Characters -- Currency In Italy In 1500 -- Note Regarding The Cover -- Primary Periods Of Leonardo's Life -- Timeline ; -- Introduction: I Can Also Paint ; -- 1. Childhood -- 2. Apprentice -- 3. On His Own -- 4. Milan -- 5. Leonardo's Notebooks -- 6. Court Entertainer -- 7. Personal Life -- 8. Vitruvian Man -- 9. The Horse Monument -- 10. Scientist -- 11. Birds And Flight -- 12. The Mechanical Arts -- 13. Math -- 14. The Nature Of Man -- 15. Virgin Of The Rocks -- 16. The Milan Portraits -- 17. The Science Of Art -- 18. The Last Supper -- 19. Personal Turmoil -- 20. Florence Again -- 21. Saint Anne -- 22. Paintings Lost And Found -- 23. Cesare Borgia -- 24. Hydraulic Engineer -- 25. Michelangelo And The Lost Battles -- 26. Return To Milan -- 27. Anatomy, Round Two -- 28. The World And Its Waters -- 29. Rome -- 30. Pointing The Way -- 31. The Mona Lisa -- 32. France -- 33. Conclusion ; -- Coda: Describe The Tongue Of The Woodpecker. Walter Isaacson. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 533-570) And Index. "Majestic...Isaacson takes on another complex, giant figure and transforms him into someone we can recognize...Enthralling, masterful, and passionate."? Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A monumental tribute to a titanic figure."? Publishers Weekly (starred review) He was history's most creative genius. What secrets can he teach us? The author of the acclaimed bestsellers Steve Jobs , Einstein , and Benjamin Franklin brings Leonardo da Vinci to life in this exciting new biography. Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo's genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa . But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and technology. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man , made him history's most creative genius. His creativity, like that of other great innovators, came from having wide-ranging passions. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips, and then painted history's most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper . Isaacson also describes how Leonardo's lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions. Leonardo's delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance of instilling, both in ourselves and our children, not just received knowledge but a willingness to question it?to be imaginative and, like talented misfits and rebels in any era, to think different The #1 New York Times bestseller from Walter Isaacson brings Leonardo da Vinci to life in this exciting new biography that is "a study in creativity: how to define it, how to achieve it...Most important, it is a powerful story of an exhilarating mind and life" ( The New Yorker ). Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci's astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Walter Isaacson "deftly reveals an intimate Leonardo" ( San Francisco Chronicle ) in a narrative that connects his art to his science. He shows how Leonardo's genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He produced the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa . With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea, and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper . His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man , made him history's most creative genius. In the "luminous" ( Daily Beast ) Leonardo da Vinci , Isaacson describes how Leonardo's delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. So, too, does his ease at being a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted, and at times heretical. His life should remind us of the importance to be imaginative and, like talented rebels in any era, to think different. Here, da Vinci "comes to life in all his remarkable brilliance and oddity in Walter Isaacson's ambitious new biography...a vigorous, insightful portrait" ( The Washington Post ). Acknowledgments Main Characters Currency in Italy in 1500 Note Regarding the Cover Primary Periods of Leonardo's Life Timeline I Can Also Paint Childhood Apprentice On His Own Milan Leonardo's Notebooks Court Entertainer Personal Life Vetruvian Man The Horse Monument Scientist Birds and Flight The Mechanical Arts Math The Nature of Man Virgin of the Rocks The Milan Portraits The Science of Art The Last Supper Personal Turmoil Florence Again Saint Anne Paintings Lost and Found Cesare Borgia Hydraulic Engineer Michelangelo and the Lost Battles Return to Milan Anatomy, Round Two The World and Its Waters Rome Pointing the Way The Mona Lisa France Conclusion Describe the tongue of the woodpecker Abbreviations of Frequently Cited Sources Notes Illustration Credits Index Leonardo da Vinci created the two most famous paintings in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But in his own mind, he was just as much a man of science and engineering. With a passion that sometimes became obsessive, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy, fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology, and weaponry. His ability to stand at the crossroads of the humanities and the sciences, made iconic by his drawing of Vitruvian Man, made him history2s most creative genius. Walter Isaacson brings Leonardo da Vinci to life, showing why people have much to learn from him. His combination of science, art, technology, and imagination remains an enduring recipe for creativity