Leonardo's Brain

Understanding da Vinci's Creative Genius

By: Leonard Shlain

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Bestselling author Leonard Shlain explores the life, art, and mind of Leonardo da Vinci, seeking to explain his singularity by looking at his achievements in art, science, psychology, and military strategy (yes), and then employing state of the art left-right brain scientific research to explain his universal genius. Shlain shows that no other person in human history has excelled in so many different areas as Da Vinci and he peels back the layers to explore the how and the why.

Leonardo's Brain uses Da Vinci as a starting point for an exploration of human creativity. With his lucid style, and his remarkable ability to discern connections in a wide range of fields, Shlain brings the listener into the world of history's greatest mind.

Shlain asserts that Leonardo's genius came from a unique creative ability that allowed him to understand and excel in a wide range of fields. From here Shlain jumps off and discusses the history and current research on human creativity that revolves around the right brain-left brain split. Most of us now know that there is a split between the right and the left side of the brain; the left primarily controls our rational mind, the right our emotions.

Shlain discusses the cutting edge research that is refining our understanding of the split brain model and deepening our knowledge about the nature of human creativity. There is more integration between the left and right brains than previously thought. Shlain argues that Leonardo was unique in human history for the degree of integration that he showed. He also speculates on whether or not the qualities of Leonardo's brain and his creativity presage the future evolution of man.

Leonardo's Brain integrates art, history, science, medicine, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy uniting all of the ideas that Leonard Shlain studied and wrote about since the publication of the influential and bestselling Art and Physics in 1991.

©2014 Leonard Shlain (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Varied Approach with Surprising Results

Surprisingly interesting, varied, and enjoyable approach. A little less speculation dressed as fact would have been appreciated. Great read. Recommended even for non-Leonardo admirers.

Brilliant...

synthesis of the creative and analytical to examine the most creative and analytical mind in recorded history.

Incredible impact...a Genius beyond expectation.

Many of his ideas and muses would not be revisited for hundreds of years post mortem. A gift of a human being the author has most accurately portrayed...BRAVO!

My 2 cents

Would you try another book from Leonard Shlain and/or Grover Gardner?

Grover Garder, yes
Leonard Shlain , no

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Mr. Shlain obviously knows a lot about the subject , and the first chapters are amazing, but in the last chapters the narrative and credibility falls to pieces.

What does Grover Gardner bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The pace of his narrative suits the book very well

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No

Any additional comments?

If you want a science / fact based book, this is not for you.

Excellent insight on DaVinci

Learned so much about a man I only really knee as an artist and inventor. The incredible list of his achievements for which he is not recognized was eye opening and shows how amazing he truly was.

Facts or Author's opinions.

Any additional comments?

The story of Leonardo's life was very interesting. I enjoyed the biographical information but the author appears to have created various conclusions about the way Leonardo's mind works (or any genius mind) and his sexual preference based on his own assumptions with attempts to support his claims with cherry picked data and psychological studies. For example, the author concluded that Leonardo was gay because he was creative, strove to experience life and learning, loved color and never married. The book was one sided in that way. Genius minds are not one sided.

touched by the story behind the book

The author's passion for Leonardo and his struggle to get the book finished before passing, as well as the content, made this an enjoyable read.

Wow!

A new and deeper appreciation for the scholarship and art of Da Vinci. Well written, easily keeping my attention which was rewarded with new insights.

amazing

if you romance curiosity this is for you o enjoyed ever bit of this book from start to finish

Interesting.......................................

History, art analysis, brain theories and science all in one book.
I didn't know leonardo was homosexual, nice.