BookBabble #60: "Think Like Da Vinci" by Michael Gelb

"7 easy steps to boosting your everyday genius"

This is a great book a came across a few years ago, based, as the name may suggest, around the genius that was Mr Leonardo da Vinci! The quintessential Renaissance man is studied and distilled into some principles that may well help us emulate him in our own lives.

Michael Gelb is the author that has pulled this together. I don't know much more about him but he has collected and expanded on these principles.

I found it through Brian Johnson who referred to it and reviewed it back when I used to watch many of his videos. As an aside, Johnson has a series of videos on his YouTube channel called Philosopher's Notes TV (PNTV) which is worth a look if you're in to all this kind of stuff.

The book starts with some background on da Vinci, then delves into the principles and exercises which takes us on a journey perhaps following the footsteps of the great man himself…

A few quotes from the book, followed by my thoughts…

The word Renaissance comes from the combination of the French verb renaître, meaning “to revive,” and the noun naissance, meaning birth. The Italians call it Rinascimento.

A little background on the word Renaissance, which I didn't know. It was a revival though, as there had been centuries of 'nothingness' and then all these great people and works bred a whole new world.

The revival of this classical ideal was presaged by Giotto, initiated by Brunelleschi, Alberti, and Masaccio, and reached full expression through Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

There were predecessors and others in this whole movement. Leonardo may be the most famous, and of course we have all heard of Michelangelo and Raphael… but those other names not so much. Perhaps they were lost in the shuffle but they really kicked things off, before being built and expanded on.

changes in the rules of chess. Prior to the Renaissance, the queen moved only one square at a time

Interesting. The Queen is the most powerful piece on the chess board and can move all directions and as many spaces as it wants/can. So apparently before it was only moving one square at a time. Doesn't make for a fun game and I've no idea as to why and how the changes, but it does suggest a way of thinking and how attitudes and culture change over time.

From Wikipedia:

The queen was originally the counsellor or prime minister or vizier (Sanskrit mantri, Persian farzīn, Arabic firzān, firz or wazīr). Initially, its only move was one square diagonally. Around 1300, its abilities were enhanced to allow it to jump two squares diagonally (onto a same-colored square) for its first move.

Source

The seminal event that led to the Renaissance, my colleague Raymond Keene and I believe, occurred in the fourteenth century when the Black Plague swept through Europe.

That was the catalyst. The world had lived through the dark ages and as ever it takes a large event to force a change. That cleared everything out and left a blank canvas for an age of enlightenment, which is exactly what happened.

In five hundred years we’ve moved from a world where everything was certain and nothing changed to a world where nothing seems certain and everything changes.

Everything changed. Possibilities, art, science, people trying things and not getting stifled, and then it all grew. And now we're continuing on that path (although another 'clear out' may be required and imminent).

We have more possibilities, more freedom, more options than any people who have ever lived. Yet there is more junk, more mediocrity, more garbage to sort through than ever too.

For sure, we have access to more information and more quality of life than kings and presidents of not long ago. That comes at a cost though, and it means we need to be expert sifters, as well as command our attention.

The barrier for entry is low, everyone has access to (almost) everything, so, it's those who use it the best and rise above that will help take us through the next stage of evolution.

“Write drunk, revise sober”

I like this quote. Not to be taken literally (although you can do, could work), but rather to mean go wild when you're in the draft/creation stage… then go through it methodically in the revision/editing stage.

“Study the science of art and the art of science.” – LEONARDO DA VINCI

Both go hand in hand, and it's those who understand how the 2 work together in tandem that make the big leaps, and have the most fun.

The left-brain dominants in the finance department gather by their coffee machine, look over at the right-brained marketing people, and think, “Those flaky dreamers have their heads in the clouds. They don’t understand the bottom line like we do.” Meanwhile, at the right-brained watercooler, the right-brainers are eyeing the left-brainers and thinking, “What tiny minds those bean counters have. They don’t see the whole picture like we do.”

A great quote on those with different minds, skills and personalities. And also the lack of understanding for 'the other side'. We all have our talents and abilities, which we should nurture plus appreciate in the other person.

It is well to fill the gaps where we lack but having said that we don't want to lose what we have. Every actor plays their part and is essential for the overall whole.

The Magnificent Seven

These are the areas delved into in the meat of the book…

Curiosità – An insatiable quest for knowledge and continuous improvement
Dimostrazione – Learning from experience
Sensazione – Sharpening the senses
Sfumato – Managing ambiguity and change
Arte/Scienza – Whole-brain thinking
Corporalità – Body-mind fitness
Connessione – Systems thinking

As you can see, you’ll also get a chance to brush up on your Italian… 7 words of it anyway 😉 🇮🇹

Thanks Mike & Leo! Anything else?

A classic book and definitely worth a read if you have an interest in da Vinci or the Renaissance. But aside from that it takes the above principles and teaches you how best to apply them in your life.

It takes a different angle on mindset, personal development and generally making the best of the world. So a unique perspective over other books covered in this series and elsewhere.

It also delves into SMART goals, as well as a basic drawing course in the last section. That may be less interesting unless you have a desire to draw, but then again, it's another practical use of your creativity so is worth a look and trying out.

Well worth a read and is one of those that could be a life-changer or just so-so depending on the reader and the stage of life they're at…

Have you read it? Any other great books you'd like to see covered? Let us know in the comments!

Video review:

Source
Brian Johnson YT

First image my own, others linked to source