Gelb discusses each of these principles in relation to what da Vinci accomplished, thereby giving this book a built-in history lesson. The illustrations from the master's work and time add a nice warmth to the work. As the president of NPR said after working with Gelb, this is a program recommended for "anyone who wants to experience a personal and professional Renaissance."
The Book that Started It All
I read this book because I read the author's latter offering about ten revolutionary minds which included Leonardo da Vinci. Anyhow, this book solely dedicated to the great man himself and naturally, the ten revolutionary minds book is more succinct but definitive whilst this book is more "draggy" perhaps due to the requirement to fulfill the words quota. Still, for those that only knew briefly about Leonardo da Vinci, this book would provide you with a quick and general introduction about his life and his seven main beliefs which perhaps would rub upon readers who are keen to push themselves a step further. Because of the author, I'm inspired to try to do new things such as juggling and secondly, to visiting France just to see Mona Lisa painting (even though I know that the real work is securely hidden at the vaults somewhere at the deep recess of the Louvre) and to visit Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci's final residence is located. Whilst this book might be pop-cornish, suffice to say that it contains useful exercises and also a stepping stone for us to understand deeper about the great man himself and along the way, if we were to be more fulfilled because of new things that we are trying, maybe, it's enough. Commendable reading.
How to think like Leonardo da Vinci:Sevens to Genius EveryDay
Excellent companion book to the Hewlett Packard course (by the same name): or to do self-improvement studies on your own!
Authentic as a Hollywood Romance
Why do people convince themselves that they can become rich, happy, good-looking or (in this case) smart by reading a book? Reality Alert: No one reading this book is going to "think like Leonardo da Vinci" even if they speak Italian, get a masters in the Renaissance Age and have a brand-new set of artist brushes. The reason da Vinci is so memorable is that he DIDN'T become a genius by reading a book or listening to a motivational speaker. He was, as the saying goes, a natural.
Da Vince, like Einstein, Glenn Gould, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Louis Pasteur and Isaac Newton, had an inate intelligence and wide-ranging mind that worked differently than those around them which is why they continue to fascinate. Not only is the author factually wrong about what people thought and how they lived during that era, his conclusions seem guided more by affirming his points rather than from actual data. The attitude of a European from that time is about as far from ours as an alien's would be. About the only thing we have in common with them is art and some sense of religion. This point (different mindsets) should be noted before asking Leonardo advice on how to find our inner genius.
Let's face it: We are what is bequeathed to us in our genes; we can only tweak around the edges as we search for knowledge. This may sound discouraging since it means we cannot become an artist, composer, architect, writer, designer or chef simply by reading a book. The author keeps veering between personal, business and general genius, confusing insights with inspiration and as is common in works like this, repeating himself. One could easily trim away 2/3 of this, state that the goal was to create a society based on aspects of da Vinci and be fine. Unfortunately he took himself too seriously since about half way into the book, one realizes that much of the advice is the author's - not poor Leonardo's.