Leonardo and Gabriel

By: Tim Tigner

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Leonardo Da Vinci has a problem.
A serious problem.
The soul-wrenching kind.
The career-killing kind.
He needs to finish a piece for the Pope - but doesn’t know how.

Alas, figuring it out is no trivial task. In fact, nobody ever has.

Of all the great and grand quests that humans have undertaken, none has been more attempted or elusive than gaining a comprehensive grasp of God. When seeking to know him with the head rather than the heart, to rely on reason rather than faith, the obstacles appear insurmountable.

If he is all powerful, and we are his children, why do so many suffer so horribly? Why would he punish people who don’t believe in him? Why haven’t we seen or heard from him for thousands of years?

Join Leonardo and the Archangel Gabriel as they survey and surmount these stumbling blocks. Listen in as Gabriel reveals why obvious answers remain obscured. Follow along as he leads Leonardo all the way to an intuitive understanding of the Almighty.

Set during Da Vinci’s struggle to give God a face in his masterpiece, The Last Supper, Leonardo and Gabriel is no less entertaining than it is educational. Although the framework is historically accurate, the conclusions of this original work are as unpredictable as they are compelling. Engage with an open mind - as Gabriel councils Leonardo to do - and it may even change your life.

©2019 Tim Tigner (P)2019 Tim Tigner

Philosophical Argument For Something?

I have been trying to consider what exactly this author was engaging in apologetics for. At first, I thought it was atheism, but it seems to me that he was saying “time” was god. Time was what set everything in motion and everything exists in time. Leonardo represents logic and reason. Gabriel is a dream conjured in Leonardo’s mind attempting to argue from “God’s” POV. The book is very thought provoking. As it has a Christian POV and setting, the argument was basically against Christianity and the Bible. Muslims and the Koran are also thrown under the bus. In fact, the author makes clear that in order to understand his argument one cannot consider the Bible (or any other sacred writings) the inerrant Word of God. Again, what is he attempting to say? As a Christian, he did not offend me even though dismissing the Bible is a nonstarter for me. I think his argument against God being a “wizened old man with a wand” is correct. His argument that God is not physical and therefore has no gender is also not in opposition to Christian doctrine. He does invite much internal examination regarding the nature of God and exactly what God is. Clearly, human beings have absolutely no idea about what God is. We get glimpses of his (its) nature in his (it’s) word. He (It) is love. He (It) is so far above our finite minds that any concept we have is sorely incomplete. This author may have hit upon time being an important aspect or tool of God. I have always thought that God exists outside time as we know it. Time is a created dimension in the physical universe - created by God. I do not think time IS God any more than any other physical concept is God. As Creator, God, by definition, has to exist outside of creation. Again, I’m not sure what is going on with the argument that time is God, but this book is a good conversation starter. Time is most definitely our greatest resource according to the author and I think everyone will agree on that. It does challenge everyone (believers and nonbelievers alike) to not put God in a box that conforms to your thinking. This is another thing I think we can all agree with. Finally, I think that the book should be considered a work of philosophy and not theology. The difference being that philosophy offers no pathway to salvation. If the author’s aim was to get me to further appreciate that God is too complex and his (its) ways are so far above my ways that any understanding that I have of him is woefully inadequate - he succeeded.

5 for interesting

But only a 3 for captivating. I did listen to all of it and didn’t really get board but only because I knew it was short. Very interesting questions however.

A Delightful What IF

What happens when an artist suffers from a 'drawing block' and is fortunate enough to be blessed by a divine intervention to help him along the way?
Tim Tigner gave us a lot to think about with this short book. It is entertaining and thought provoking. Good Job!

TIME

Most believable explanation of God. Clever story. Good character development. Excellent narrator. Perfect length. Have listened multiple times.

May the Force Be With You

I have noted a number of reviews who have claimed that this book has changed their lives. Having been taught critical thinking at a young age, the concepts weren't new or shocking, nor did I need to read it twice. The framing story was lovely, I particularly enjoyed the final exchange of how many would not be able to understand the truth. Apt observation.
As a geek, allow me to break it down for fellow geeks.
It's not Harry Potter and his magic wand, it's what Jedi and Sith have known all along.
May the Force Be With You. JJ Abrams was correct when he described Star Wars as a religion.
Rogue One -I am One with the Force and the Force is One With Me.
I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book. Richard Poe did a wonderful job with narration.

Listened to it Twice

Wow! What a thought-provoking book. I've never read anything quite like it. My head is still spinning, but I'm smiling.

It's important to avoid spoilers in discussing this book, as they would rob the reader of something precious. (You have to go through the process to comprehend the punchline.) So I'll start by saying the narrator was perfect. He really drew you into the fascinating dialogue and intriguing historical context.

For pure entertainment value, this book gets 5 of 5.

But it's much more than entertainment. Beyond the compelling characters, what drew me in most was the central point of discussion. The nature of God. Da Vinci raised the kind of questions I've pondered from time to time, but Gabriel supplied answers like nothing I've heard before, and he did so very convincingly. (Da Vinci then bounces them off Machiavelli, which is a hoot.)

I don't know that I agree with everything, but the more I think about it, the less that seems important. Going through the process is what makes this book special. It's a fascinating journey taken from the comfort of your own mind, and one that leaves you with a gift.

It's also funny at times and fast-paced throughout. Trust me when I say you'll want to listen to it twice.

Thought provoking!!

Leonardo and Gabriel is written as historical fiction but it could have been written as preachy self development or philosophical non-fiction. It likely works best as fiction since it comes across as less preachy/judgemental. Whatever else it is this novella delves into philosophical issues very deeply indeed. It is a book that I will listen to again and again expecting to get more out of it each time.

Definitely worth your time!

I'm taking the author's advice and listening again. Being a fan of underappreciated coincidence, I literally just finished Isaacson's DaVi ci biography when I stumbled across Mr Tigner's Price of Time. The thriller genre is a departure for me, but my enjoyment of Tigner's work there prompted the purchase of Leonardo and Gabriel. Glad I did. But enough of me taking your time. I have this one to listen to again!

Leonardo and Gabriel

I read a lot of non fiction. I just finished this book. I don't know what I heard; i will read it again to fine tune out.

Something different

After having gone through all the Tim Tigner thrillers available on Audible, I turned to this book. As it says it its introduction: This is NOT a typical Tim Tigner style thriller. This is something completely different. So if you are looking for a thriller, go check out all the other books by Tim Tigner.

This one, however, is more philosophical and thought-provoking. The closes thing this reminded me of is „The Egg“ by Andy Weir It‘s hard to see at first where it is aiming, but I have to say, I quite liked to outcome.