Book SummaryLeonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Leonardo da Vinci

In Leonardo da Vinci, Walter Isaacson narrates the life, accomplishments, and struggles of the Italian painter, engineer, and scientist—the ultimate Renaissance man. He traces Leonardo’s evolution, finds explanations for his flaws, and extracts lessons from his life and work that you can apply to your own. (Shortform note: We refer to Leonardo by his first name rather than “da Vinci'' throughout the guide because, having been born out of wedlock, he didn’t have a family name. “da Vinci” indicates that he came from the town of Vinci.)

Isaacson believes that making cross-disciplinary connections is at the core of being innovative, creative, and, ultimately, a genius, and there’s no better example of this than in Leonardo da Vinci. His studies in science, engineering, and art helped him satisfy his curiosity and understand the world around him, and they contributed to making his masterpieces scientifically accurate, ahead of his time, and mysterious. (Shortform note: David Epstein would agree with Isaacson's idea of genius. In Range, Epstein argues that the way to achieve excellence is by [having a generalist approach where you explore and experiment...

Leonardo da Vinci Summary Part 1: Leonardo’s Life

Leonardo spent his life in many places—Vinci, Florence, Milan, Rome, and France. This section will explore his life from his birth in Vinci in 1452 to his death in France in 1519.

Vinci (1452-1464)

Leonardo was born in Vinci, Italy, on April 15, 1452. He lived there for the first 12 years of his life, alternating between his mother’s home and his paternal grandparent’s home. (Shortform note: Historians say that Leonardo was more specifically born in Anchiano, a village near the town of Vinci.)

Born to Stand Out

According to Isaacson, throughout his life, Leonardo was popular and widely liked. He was handsome, stylish, and made friends easily. He expressed himself through his clothes and had a preference for short, pink robes. He was generous and uninterested in money. Leonardo worked just enough to support himself and spent the rest of his time investigating subjects that interested him.

(Shortform note: According to the [5-factor model of...

Leonardo da Vinci Summary Part 2: Leonardo’s Genius

In Part 2, we’ll explore the three qualities or elements that made Leonardo a genius. Isaacson argues that Leonardo deserves this moniker. While he didn’t have a superhuman mind or access to formal education, he nurtured the qualities he did have, and they led him to develop his unique genius. Those qualities were:

1) A universal curiosity that he channeled into observation and experimentation. He didn’t restrict himself to any specific subject, and Isaacson believes that this allowed him to make insights that were out of reach for people who only focused on only one skill or area. (Shortform note: Experts agree that curiosity is an essential ingredient of genius. Curiosity prompts you to seek knowledge by asking questions, experimenting, and making connections others can’t see.)

**2) The creativity that resulted from his intellectual curiosity and the free range of his...

Leonardo da Vinci Summary Element #1 of Leonardo’s Genius: Universal Curiosity

As Isaacson makes clear, the starting point for Leonardo’s genius was his universal curiosity. He studied a range of subjects and applied everything he studied to his works of art, while also bringing his artistic insights into his scientific explorations. The key output of his universal curiosity was the self-directed education that turned him into the ultimate Renaissance man. This section will discuss how he shaped his education.

(Shortform note: Leonardo was only one example of the cultural revolution taking place. Many other artists brought together science, engineering, painting, sculpture, and more thanks to the commercial and intellectual exchange taking place in cities like Florence and Milan.)

Self-Directed Learning

Leonardo was different from other Renaissance intellectuals because he didn’t base his learning on examining the classics since he couldn’t speak Latin or Greek (although he tried, unsuccessfully, to learn Latin). Isaacson explains that, instead, Leonardo learned by making observations, carrying out experiments, and refining his insights.

Isaacson explains that **Leonardo became a...

Leonardo da Vinci Summary Element #2 of Leonardo’s Genius: Creativity

The second key element of Leonardo’s genius was his creativity, which, according to Isaacson, was the result of his unbridled imagination plus his scientific insights. This section will discuss how he expressed his creativity in three of his masterpieces.

(Shortform note: Isaacson’s description of Leonardo’s creativity dispels some common myths about creativity. For instance, it shows that creativity requires both logical and intuitive thought patterns, and that creativity doesn’t depend on sudden bursts of inspiration because Leonardo continuously nurtured his imagination and scientific insights.)

“Vitruvian Man”

According to Isaacson, Leonardo’s “Vitruvian Man” was the result of his explorations of mathematics and philosophy and his collaboration with architects Francesco de Giorgio and Giacomo Andrea. (Shortform note: The drawing is at the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venezia and [you can see a digitized version...

Leonardo da Vinci Summary Element #3 of Leonardo’s Genius: Flaws

According to Isaacson, the third element of Leonardo’s genius was the flaws that humanized him and gave his life and work a unique edge: perfectionism and a lack of discipline. The key result of his flaws were unfinished would-be masterpieces, a variety of engineering projects he designed but never completed, and several treatises he never published. In this section, we’ll explore two of his unfinished works: “The Adoration of the Magi,” and the horse monument. (Shortform note: Maybe Leonardo couldn’t complete many of his projects due to material constraints, rather than personality quirks. He relied on commissions to support himself, and those commissions didn’t fund his “passion projects,” including his engineering designs and treatises.)

“The Adoration of the Magi”

In 1481, Leonardo began working on a masterpiece he would never finish: “The Adoration of the Magi.” Despite it being unfinished, Isaacson explains that Leonardo’s preparatory drawings (one of which you can see here) show...

Leonardo da Vinci Summary Part 3: Leonardo’s Lessons

While Leonardo’s particular genius was unique, you can replicate it by nurturing the same natural inclinations and leaning carefully into the same flaws. To achieve this, Isaacson extracts lessons from Leonardo that you can apply to be more like the Renaissance genius:

1. Nurture an insatiable, child-like curiosity.
2. Learn because it gives you pleasure, not because you need to.
3. Pay attention to details.
4. Let your imagination run free.
5. Don’t be afraid of distractions or procrastination if they feed your creativity.
6. Use critical thinking and experimentation to find the facts.
7. Use visuals to understand complex ideas.
8. Find the intersections between different subjects and areas.
9. Seek perfection.
10. Seek collaboration.
11. Don’t let money dictate your passions.
12. Write things down (even your to-do lists).
13. Appreciate the mysteries you can’t delineate with sharp lines.

Shortform Suggestions to Help you Apply Leonardo’s Lessons

These books from the Shortform library offer more guidance to follow Leonardo’s lessons:

• In Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert explains that you can practice “gentle...

Shortform Exercise: Apply Leonardo’s Lessons

Isaacson extracts lessons from Leonardo’s life and work that you can apply to be more like the Renaissance genius.

List at least five topics you’d like to learn more about. Choose one to tackle first. Set time aside in your calendar for getting started, and write down the resources you have on hand (for example, books, a museum in your city, or an expert you can ask.)