Bill gates wrestles with big questions in five books that make up his latest summer reading list. His father took custody of him shortly after his birth. Ive been fascinated by the artist and inventor leonardo da vinci for decades. Leonardo was born on 1415 april 1452 in the tuscan hill town of vinci, in the lower valley of the arno river in the territory of the mediciruled republic of florence. Bill gates wants you to read these 5 books over the summer cnet. New biography decodes leonardo da vincis odd genius. The codex leicester also briefly known as codex hammer is a collection of scientific writings by leonardo da vinci. During his career at microsoft, gates held the positions of chairman, chief executive officer ceo, president and chief software architect, while also being the largest individual shareholder until may 2014. Why leonardo da vinci was a genius the conversation. His life and universe, steve jobs and leonardo da vinci, from which parts of.
Leonardo da vinci by walter isaacson 97815019154 booktopia. Given my fascination with leonardo, i was eager to read leonardo da vinci, walter isaacsons new biography. Although today hes best known as a painter, leonardo had an absurdly wide range of interests, from human anatomy to the theater. A rare look at a the most expensive book ever sold. The manuscript, known as the codex leicester was written from leonardo da vinci from 1508 to 1510 and purchased in 1994. The purchase, which happened in 1994, made the socalled codex leicester the most expensive book of that time. In, he purchased leonardo da vincis codex leicester, a manuscript that dates back to the 16th century. He was the outofwedlock son of messer piero fruosino di antonio da vinci, a wealthy florentine legal notary, and a peasant named caterina, identified as caterina buti del vacca and more recently as caterina di meo lippi by.
The codex was sold to bill gates by christies auction house on 11. Bill gates wants you to read these 5 books over the summer. Jan 21, 2019 bill gates to read this magnificent biography of leonardo da vinci is to take a tour through the life and works of one of the most extraordinary human beings of all time and in the company of the most engaging, informed, and insightful guide imaginable. The codex was on view at the phoenix art museum in phoenix, arizona from 24 january 2015 through 12 april 2015 for the exhibition leonardo da vinci s codex leicester and the power of observation. In 1997, gates lent the work to the seattle art museum, as part of a seasonlong. Dec 11, 2015 a rare look at a the most expensive book ever sold.
Ive read a lot about leonardo over the years, but i had never found one book that satisfactorily covered all the different facets of his life and work. The codex now belongs to the microsoft cofounder and philanthropist bill gates. The illegitimate son of a 25yearold notary, ser piero, and a peasant girl, caterina, leonardo was born on april 15, 1452, in vinci, italy, just outside florence. Studies on the ashen glow of the moon, from leonardo da vincis. Leonardo da vinci, as we know, was the epitome of the renaissance man. Billionaire philanthropist bill gates may spend heavily on vaccines and aid programs, but he seems to recognize that the one of the things that money cant buy is more knowledge.
He shows how leonardos genius was based on skills we can improve in ourselves, such as passionate curiosity, careful observation, and an imagination so playful that it flirted with fantasy. He is best known as the cofounder of microsoft corporation. Look inside the rare leonardo da vinci notebook that bill. Guardian us leonardo da vincis prowess as a polymath driven by insatiable curiosity about everything from the human womb to deadly weaponry still stuns. Leonardo da vinci designed a flying machine over 400 years before the. Leonardo da vinci by walter issacton is the best book till date not only in my opinion but ac. Isaacson, a former managing editor of time, is the author of benjamin franklin. First, if you listen to the audio version as i did, you really need to have a copy of the accompanying pdf which i didnt because i listen in my car. These are the 5 books bill gates wants you to read this summer. Leonardo da vinci wrote from right to left in mirrored writing, so his work was only legible when held up to a mirror. Im fortunate to own one of the 32 surviving journals of leonardo da vinci. Codescope is an interactive kiosk with a touch screen that lets you explore the codex leicester, a notebook of leonardo da vinci s that bill gates bought in 1994. These are the 5 books bill gates wants you to read this.
The leicester codex, also known as the hammer codex from the name of the american millionaire who owned it before bill gates, was compiled between 1506 and 15, during the period when leonardo was dividing his time between short stays in florence and returning to milan, this time under the protection of the french king, louis xii. Codescope is an interactive kiosk with a touch screen that lets you explore the codex leicester, a notebook of leonardo da vincis that bill gates bought in 1994. Bill gates bought the codex leicester a notebook of leonardo da vincis. Next year is the 500 th anniversary of his death, and i thought i would share a short video about a project ive worked on that is helping to mark the occasion the project is called the codescope. Last year gates loaned the work to australias powerhouse museum, which prepared this companion to its exhibition. Why bill gates bought da vincis notebooks fast company. Bill gates on the genius of leonardo da vinci wellsbaum.
Leonardo da vinci designed a flying machine over 400 years before the wright brothers achieved the first sustained flight. The codex leicester is a collection of scientific writings by leonardo da vinci. Beachread like a billionaire with touching novel lincoln in the bardo, a biography of renaissance genius leonardo da vinci, and more. Gates has put the notebook out on loan to select museums this summer. Yet each was deprived of his mother at an early age and was reared in an apparently socially insecure milieu they might easily. Shortly after melinda and i got married, i told her i was bidding on a notebook that. Trained in florence as a painter and sculptor in the workshop of andrea del verrocchio 14351488, leonardo is also celebrated for his scientific contributions.
Based on thousands of pages from leonardos astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, walter isaacson weaves a narrative that connects his art to his science. Bill gates is an american business magnate, software developer, investor, and philanthropist. Whats the best book about leonardo da vinci, his life. Dec 18, 2018 codescope is an interactive kiosk with a touch screen that lets you explore the codex leicester, a notebook of leonardo da vincis that bill gates bought in 1994. In this copiously illustrated biography, we feel its force all over again. Based on thousands of pages from leonardo da vincis astonishing notebooks and new discoveries about his life. This oneofakind device feels like youre flipping through the pages he wrote on. More than any other leonardo book ive read, this one helps you see him as a complete human being and understand just how special he was, gates.
And why should he, as it is authored by none other than the renaissance genius himself. I think leonardo was one of the most fascinating people ever. Bill gates makes his 2018 summer reading recommendations time. Anyone can enjoy the microsoft cofounders summer reading list, but some. Bill gates bought the codex leicester a notebook of leonardo da vincis scientific observations and. Florence, italy as fascinating as leonardo da vincis musings on the nature of the world and what makes it tick are, the intellectual and visual.
His life and universe, steve jobs and leonardo da vinci, from which parts of this piece. Walter isaacson wonderfully conveys how leonardos genius unified science and art. Nov 16, 2017 isaacson, a former managing editor of time, is the author of benjamin franklin. Ive read a lot about leonardo over the years, but i had never found one book that satisfactorily covered all the different facets of his life. The gates foundation focuses primarily on progressing healthcare, so it comes as no surprise that one of bill gates favorite books is about how to eradicate disease. In leonardo da vincis scientific notebook, the mind of a genius at. Growing up in his fathers vinci home, leonardo had access to scholarly texts owned by family and friends. We know that he was a genius, a polymath, a pioneer in fields as diverse as anatomy and hydrodynamics. Bill gates to read this magnificent biography of leonardo da vinci is to take a tour through the life and works of one of the most extraordinary human beings of all time and in the company of the most engaging, informed, and insightful guide imaginable. The author of the acclaimed bestsellers steve jobs, einstein, and benjamin franklin brings leonardo da vinci to life in this exciting new biography. Hes the coauthor of everything connects, a book about how intrapersonal, interpersonal, and. Leonardo da vinci 14521519 is one of the most intriguing personalities in the history of western art. I can name exactly 2 things that are the best with out a doubt.
More than any other leonardo book ive read, this one helps you see him as a. More than any other leonardo book ive read, this one helps you see him as a complete human being and understand just how special he was. Microsoft cofounder bill gates is known to be an avid reader, and his home library is filled with rare books selected by a professional book dealer. Isaacson does the best job ive seen of pulling together the different strands of leonardos life and. Leonardo is one of the most fascinating people ever bill gates. Even if leonardo da vinci had just been an artist and painter, he would still have been a great just for the last supper and mona lisa. But leonardo da vinci was not just a painter and artist, he was also an engineer, architect, scientist, in.
In leonardo da vincis scientific notebook, the mind of a. Learn about the major challenges faced by the health community in disease eradication and what public health is predicted to look like in the future. When someone mentions the name bill gates, the first thing that may pop. Workin on a laptop, close to the end of a job ive been doin since half past ten i dont believe that its frozen again the system has gone downo, downo, downo i dont. Leonardo da vinci remembered 500 years after his death as. Leonardo da vinci, by walter isaacson gates became the proud owner of one of leonardo da vincis surviving journals in the 1990s, and his fascination with the artist and inventor has lived on. Its presentation at phoenix art museum was the first time a work by the hand of leonardo himself was on view in arizona.
Leonardo da vinci book by walter isaacson official. Leonardo da vinci the most creative genius in history, a man we associate with the mona lisa and a seemingly mindboggling array of technological inventions turns out to have also been a. In the luminous daily beast leonardo da vinci, isaacson describes how leonardos delight at combining diverse passions remains the ultimate recipe for creativity. Michelangelo and leonardo da vinci typify our notions of genius. These are the books bill gates says to read this summer. In the manuscript, da vinci the italian renaissance master who was a painter, sculptor, architect, mathematician, engineer, and musician inventor. Leonardo da vinci by walter isaacson, paperback barnes. The codex is named after thomas coke, later credited to earl of leicester, who purchased it in 1719. Leonardo da vinci is an elegantly illustrated book that broadens isaacsons viewfinder on the psychology of major lives henry kissinger, benjamin franklin, albert einstein and steve jobs are the subjects of his previous biographies, bestsellers all. The manuscript currently holds the record for the second highest sale price of any book, as it was sold to bill gates at christies auction house on 11 november 1994 in new york. But walter shows how leonardos genius is in the details. Ive been fascinated by leonardo da vinci for decades. Given my fascination with leonardo, i was eager to read walter isaacsons new biography. Leonardo da vinci is an elegantly illustrated book that broadens isaacsons viewfinder on the psychology of major lives henry kissinger, benjamin franklin, albert einstein and steve jobs are the subjects of his previous biographies.
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