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enzyme9134's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
Spannender Einblick in Leos Leben. Buch ist nicht direkt eine Biographie, da es vieles auslässt und mehr Leo als Universalgenie beschreibt. Teilweise wirkt es etwas unstrukturiert. Beschreibungen der Erfindungen auch nich immer leicht zu verstehen. Ansonsten gut geschrieben und mach Lust tiefer in die Zeitepoche einzutauchen.
wynwicket's review against another edition
4.0
Before reading this exploration of Leonardo Da Vinci's work, I couldn't see what was so great about the Mona Lisa. Now, Stefan Klein has convinced me why Leonardo was ahead of his time in so many ways.
This Leonardo is eternally curious, a man of creativity and ideas, who believed that art and science went hand-in-hand. He used his scientific studies of optics, anatomy, flight, and the movement of water to create his art. He drew incredibly detailed, artistic depictions of his many inventions. Ironically, he also created designs for weapons of mass destruction, including a giant crossbow and poison gas.
So why is there no Leonardo of our generation? The author points out that Leonardo Da Vinci would never have been successful today, with our modern focus on specialization, in our education and careers. Pity--the book makes a strong case for eclecticism and pursuing all your curiosities, wherever they make take you.
This Leonardo is eternally curious, a man of creativity and ideas, who believed that art and science went hand-in-hand. He used his scientific studies of optics, anatomy, flight, and the movement of water to create his art. He drew incredibly detailed, artistic depictions of his many inventions. Ironically, he also created designs for weapons of mass destruction, including a giant crossbow and poison gas.
So why is there no Leonardo of our generation? The author points out that Leonardo Da Vinci would never have been successful today, with our modern focus on specialization, in our education and careers. Pity--the book makes a strong case for eclecticism and pursuing all your curiosities, wherever they make take you.
mick_travel's review against another edition
3.0
Das Buch versteht sich als Biographie Leonardos. Leider verbringt der Autor für mich zuviel Zeit damit Leonardo zu verteidigen. Der Inhalt ist zwar ganz interessant, aber es hätte mehr Potential im Thema gesteckt.
nicole_s_07's review against another edition
4.0
I need a little nonfiction right now, and who better than Da Vinci.
Anything about Da Vinci is riveting. This book was more about the genius of his perspective on the world and less about the genius of his accomplishments. I still think his drawings and experiments were outstanding. Even his theories and inventions that he never tested are quite amazing for his time.
The epilogue addressed that more Da Vincis could be out there in the world, but with the societies we've created for ourselves we may never find them. His genius lay in large part in the way he viewed the world and his ability to follow several different paths. That kind of outlook is not encouraged anymore.
Anything about Da Vinci is riveting. This book was more about the genius of his perspective on the world and less about the genius of his accomplishments. I still think his drawings and experiments were outstanding. Even his theories and inventions that he never tested are quite amazing for his time.
The epilogue addressed that more Da Vincis could be out there in the world, but with the societies we've created for ourselves we may never find them. His genius lay in large part in the way he viewed the world and his ability to follow several different paths. That kind of outlook is not encouraged anymore.
stargirlcaraway's review against another edition
4.0
I read this a few years ago when I was obsessed with da Vinci. Super easy to read and interesting the entire time. Great book, hopefully I can read it again some day because Leonardo truly was an incredible man who lived a life worth reading about.
tatidengo's review against another edition
4.0
While people LOVE to mention Leonardo, that's all they do: mention him, followed by a laundry list of achievements observed at face value, devoid of depth. This was even the case for me, despite having graduated from an art college where we took many, many art history classes.
This book investigates all of Leonardo's artistic and scientific interests, intermingled with bits of his biography. The writing maintains a pleasant balance between the narration of his life, the facts, and the author's points of view. I only wish it would have included more pictures, since the author spends a lot of time describing images that I always wanted to see.
I learned a lot that I never knew about Leonardo, but especially loved the conclusion, where the author poses the following: Why hasn't there been any other human being to match Leonardo, in his grand ingenuity? This raises some questions about the modern educational system and as an art teacher, these are issues about which I ask myself almost daily, and am glad that he acknowledged that even though people love to say Leonardo was "centuries ahead of his time", Leonardo was actually very much a product of his time, and maybe (definitely) would not have flourished in modern times, as he was able to in his time.
This book investigates all of Leonardo's artistic and scientific interests, intermingled with bits of his biography. The writing maintains a pleasant balance between the narration of his life, the facts, and the author's points of view. I only wish it would have included more pictures, since the author spends a lot of time describing images that I always wanted to see.
I learned a lot that I never knew about Leonardo, but especially loved the conclusion, where the author poses the following: Why hasn't there been any other human being to match Leonardo, in his grand ingenuity? This raises some questions about the modern educational system and as an art teacher, these are issues about which I ask myself almost daily, and am glad that he acknowledged that even though people love to say Leonardo was "centuries ahead of his time", Leonardo was actually very much a product of his time, and maybe (definitely) would not have flourished in modern times, as he was able to in his time.
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