Those were the last words Leonardo da Vinci wrote in his
final notebook. These notebooks that were full of sketches of military machines, anatomical
diagrams, random notes, detailed lists, and puzzling marginalia provided Walter
Isaacson with rich source material for his biography of the original
Renaissance man.
As with the two previous biographies of his that I have read
(Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs) I found this look into the life of a genius engaging
and illuminating. Isaacson lays out for the reader both the genius and the humanity of his subjects. At one moment I am overwhelmed by da Vinci’s detailed examination of
the muscles used in a smile, and the next I am seeing myself in his list of
unfinished projects.
At the conclusion of the book, Isaacson provides a list of lessons
he has learned from da Vinci. In this age where an act is only considered worthy if it can be quantified, I think we would do well to follow da Vinci down a
few rabbit holes--for as long as the soup stays warm.
- · Be curious.
- · Seek knowledge for its own sake.
- · Retain a childlike sense of wonder.
- · Observe. (Do it in steps, detail by detail)
- · See things unseen.
- · Go down rabbit holes.
- · Get distracted.
- · Respect facts.
- · Procrastinate.
- · Let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
- · Think visually.
- · Avoid silos. “He knew that art was science, and science was art.”
- · Let your reach exceed your grasp.
- · Indulge fantasy.
- · Create for yourself, not just your patrons.
- · Collaborate.
- · Make lists and be sure to put odd things on them.
- · Take notes on paper.
- · Be open to mystery.
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