Leonardo da Vinci

By: Walter Isaacson

Narrated by: Alfred Molina

Now a docuseries from Ken Burns on PBS!

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).

Remember to download the PDF!

Wonderful book, wonderful narration. The joy Isaacson has for his subject permeates the book. Alfred Molina is a fantastic narrator. The pdf is essential.

Avoid the audible

I was excited when I started to listen to the great narration until chapter one started and I realized the author had done the great intro. The book narrator was disappointing. A British narrator with fake italian pronunciation of Leonardo and every Italian word reminded me of the David Sedaris story about “nicarrrraaaggguuuua”. Annoying. Selective but not all words given their native pronunciation Isaacson should have narrated the whole thing. I’m sure it’s a great book. Will have to get a paper copy.

Still do not know Leonardo

Isaacson is a fine word smith and the performance was very good. But he spent so much time describing pictures and a couple science observations, that almost nothing was said about Leonardo himself. His other books (like on Franklin) did not have this problem- plenty of insight to the man and the stories & inventions just reinforced the vision. Perhaps it is the limitations of five hundred years, but I have come to expect more.

Great book. Interesting

Interesting to here the history of Da Vinci, Mona Lisa, etc, especially all the medical science he discovered 100's of years before anyone else.

A great read of a very good book.

Alfred Molina brings a strong and clear approach to his reading of Leonardo and in doing so enhanced the book where in many places a casual reader might have elided past some key dynamics because of complicated names or titles.
Isaacson’s account adds to my understanding of this great master but there are many areas where I wish we knew more. The addition of the interplay with the Medici families and the Holy See were particularly riveting given the recent interest in televised shows. I hope if the rights are sold that the author will be jealous with his work so that a great visualization can be made.