Learning from Leonardo: Decoding the Notebooks of a Genius (BK Currents) by Capra, Fritjof (2014) Hardcover

by Fritjof Capra

Leonardo da Vinci was a brilliant artist, scientist, engineer, mathematician, architect, inventor, and even musician—the archetypal Renaissance man. But he was also a profoundly modern man.Not only did Leonardo invent the empirical scientific method over a century before Galileo and Francis Bacon, but Capra’s decade-long study of Leonardo’s fabled notebooks reveals that he was a systems thinker centuries before the term was coined. At the very core of Leonardo’s science, Capra argues, lies his persistent quest for understanding the nature of life. His science is a science of living forms, of qualities and patterns, radically different from the mechanistic science that emerged 200 years later.Because he saw the world as an integrated whole, Leonardo always applied concepts from one area to illuminate problems in another. His studies of the movement of water informed his ideas about how landscapes are shaped, how sap rises in plants, how air moves over a bird’s wing, and how blood flows in the human body. His observations of nature enhanced his art, his drawings were integral to his scientific studies, and he brought art, science, and technology together in his beautiful and elegant mechanical and architectural designs.Capra describes seven defining characteristics of Leonardo da Vinci’s genius and includes a list of over forty discoveries he made that weren’t rediscovered until centuries later. Capra follows the organizational scheme Leonardo himself intended to use if he ever published his notebooks. So in a sense, this is Leonardo’s science as he himself would have presented it.Obviously, we can’t all be geniuses on the scale of Leonardo da Vinci. But his persistent endeavor to put life at the very center of his art, science, and design and his recognition that all natural phenomena are fundamentally interconnected and interdependent are important lessons we can learn from. By exploring the mind of the preeminent Renaissance genius, we can gain profound insights into how to address the complex challenges of the 21st century.

Genres: Science, History, Nonfiction, Art, Biography, Philosophy

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Fritjof Capra (born February 1, 1939) is an Austrian-born American physicist. He is a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, and is on the faculty of Schumacher College. Capra is the author of several books, including The Tao of Physics (1975), The Turning Point (1982), Uncommon Wisdom (1988), The Web of Life (1996) and The Hidden Connections (2002).

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers of Fritjof Capra’s deeply interesting Learning From Leonardo: Decoding the Notebooks of a Genius might jump to the conclusion that Leonardo da Vinci was a mere polymath. While that would be partially true, it wouldn’t do him full justice. Capra approaches greater accuracy by calling him a “systemic thinker.” For Leonardo didn’t simply study different disciplines—often to levels of mastery—he searched for the connectedness of diverse disciplines. Capra says, “Understanding a phenomenon, for him, meant connecting it with other phenomena through a similarity of patterns. He usually worked on several projects in parallel, and when his understanding advanced in one area he would revise his ideas in related areas accordingly.”

Two other critical qualities differentiate Leonardo da Vinci from his contemporaries. First, he was an extraordinarily prescient thinker. Not only were some of his theories and experiments well ahead of contemporary 15th century thinking, but he laid important foundations for areas of science that are studied formally in the 21st century. Author Capra performs a valuable service to readers by providing both a “Timeline of Scientific Discoveries” as well as a “Chronology of Leonardo’s Life and Work” (this reviewer believes some version of the latter should be a required section in all biographical works).

Leonardo’s forward thinking in fluid dynamics, for example, discovered the “universality of flow” almost 300 years before it was rediscovered; similarly, in botany, he identified branching patterns linked to nutrient flow 400 years before its rediscovery. Other advanced findings occurred in disciplines of optics, acoustics, geology, mechanics, aerodynamics, human anatomy, and ecology.

The second quality differentiating Leonardo was his skill as an artist. Though renowned for such paintings as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, he was a master sketch artist. When he sought to understand a subject further, he produced exceptionally detailed sketches repeatedly as his investigations and experiments progressed. Capra has produced a book that is capable of doing double duty: first, as an authoritative, well-researched biography of a pre-eminent intellectual thinker, scientist, and inventor; and second, as a coffee-table book filled with stunning examples of Leonardo’s art on everything from water flow patterns, to botany, to human anatomy.

Capra notes that Leonardo had an enduring and deep respect for life and nature. Leonardo’s own words may be quoted: “One who does not respect life does not deserve it.” Capra believes that this philosophy, along with his propensity for systemic thinking may be the most valuable and inspiring part of Leonardo’s legacy for modern scientists bent on making a more sustainable world.

[Sandhya Bhatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

who among us has not been awe-struck at his genius.. this book just reaffirms the belief that super heroes do exist in real life. maybe not in physical sense but da vinci sure had super mental strength. the author has gone a step ahead and has tried to decode the workings of his brilliant mind. the book does lean towards the technical side but should be equally appealing to people from all fields. since leonardo never confined his mind to the boundaries of a specific field, why should we..

[J.E. Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every thing that Frijog Capra writes penetrates that core of his book's subject. Learning from Leonardo is no exception. Capra's insights on interconnectivity and systemic thinking are profound. It is a long read, however, but for those looking to learn more about Leonardo's thought process, it's worth it.

[MissUnderstoodGenius · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author provides fascinating insight into Leonardo da Vinci... a little technical for a person like me. It took me a lot of concentration to infer some scientific citations but that was my curious mind which wanted to understand.

Would I recommend it?:
A must read if you wish to deepen in your knowledge and admiration for Leonardo da Vinci.

[Michael Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first learnt about Leonardo da Vinci, whilst studying Maths, Physics Pure, Physics Applied and ART at 'A' Level, during my [TIME] at Borehamwood Grammar School • 60 years since • I have as a similar left-handed, mirror-writing, right brained multi-dimensional visual thinker, spent my time ever since, reading everything I could about his life and [TIME] on this planet, to the point of [BE]ing eventually able to sponsor an event at the Mall Galleries to celebrate the work of Dyslexic Artists, whose central focus was Leonardo da Vinci, as the pre-eminent dyslexic artist of the very science of nature and the nature of science.

https://www.facebook.com/mallgallerie...

My soulmate Linnie gave me a copy of this very particular book some two Chistmas's ago and [IT] has taken me until now to have actually at least read every page and [IT] will no doubt take a lot longer to inwardly digest the full significance of this truly excellent treatise of Fritjof Capra's.

http://letschangetheworld.ning.com/ma...

[Chris Marks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Weak and far from Capra's best. More the author's speculation, some of which is no doubt true, than Leonardo's wisdom, but better to let the reader come to his own conclusion than beat him over the head. The argument could have been made better in 100 pages.

[Jough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent essay on the notebooks of Leonardo Di Vinci. The detail is considerably greater than other books I've read on the subject. It is well documented and thought out. Highly recommend it.

[Ashok Krishna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book on Leonardo da Vinci by Fritjof Capra - now, that's what you call a double-delight! ❤️

[Lamouchi Lfc · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Learning from Leonardo' is a fascinating read that unveils through his own notebooks much of Leonardo’s unique personality, and especially the nature of his scientific and human genius.

[Román Esqueda atayde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy interesante

[Srinath Advani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for all wanting to lead a life driven by intellect..

[Jimmy Rosier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a few years after reading Isaacson's book and have to say that Capra did a fine job in covering Leonardo's notes.

[Betsy Maher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't like this book. It was quite boring - just about all his studies. I started watching a PBS special about him which is much better. It talks about his life and his personality.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book took me a long time to read. Not so much for the material, although that did play a factor as well. One reason is the physical book itself is heavy. It's printed on quality paper! It feels very nice to the touch. The font is beautiful and there are color plates and black and white drawings throughout. It is a beautiful object. I did not want to ruin it with my reading, so I had to take care with it. Which meant, not traveling with the book to and from work. It meant greatly reducing the time I had available to be with the book for reading.

I'm happy to have read about the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. I learned much more about the man and his scientific mind. He's also known as a great artist, and one reason is his meticulous study of the human body. Yet he also wanted to know how things worked, like muscles. His studies on the human form made for much better paintings. And his extremely good skill of observation made his paintings all the more realistic for the geographic settings and other flora and fauna.

Several long chapters cover Leonardo's mechanical and engineering studies. Previously I did not know that he served as ducal engineer, meaning mechanical and hydrologic among some of his duties. This appointment was perfect for him, with his mathematical and logical mind. He also was fascinated by spirals, such as water makes when flowing.

The information in this book was fascinating for me. As for the writing style, it was clear the author is a huge fan as he is continuously fawning over Leonardo. It is too much at times, especially as the book continues. Yes Leonardo was a very smart cookie and was able to deduce many things about the human body, etc. way ahead of many other people, hundreds of years ahead in some cases. It is too bad he didn't publish his thoughts instead of having his notebooks buried and (partly) forgotten.

The book is well documented with notes, index and such. It's odd to read (see page#) and it's just a few pages from where you just read. Perhaps Capra thought people might read randomly and not thoroughly? Anyway, the references abound and I'd rather see that instead of none, which tends to be popular in many non-fiction books these days.

A thorough read about Leonardo da Vinci if you are interested to learn more about what he studied in his life. Capra wrote a previous book that is similar called The Science of Leonardo: Inside the Mind of the Great Genius of the Renaissance. Don't think I'll get to that one.

Book rating: 3.5 stars

Just to note: I won a copy of this book through a goodreads giveaway contest. My only win.
(I suspect I haven't won any further since there was a long delay from receiving to reviewing. maybe? In my defense, shortly after getting it I moved and lost the book in a box in storage for a few years. And last year when I finally "found" it again, I had too many other books going at the same time.)

[Johanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

A quote from the book:

“Today the scientific method is practiced worldwide, but it is still ignored by many individuals and institutions outside of science. This is true, for example, of many conservative politicians in the United States”

Seriously? What should be a remarkable learning experience and an unbiased look into the accomplishments of da Vinci is instead a book with such a left-leaning, anti-theistic bend that I could not even bring myself to finish reading through the prologue.

Perhaps the book improves, but I fail to see how anyone could manage (even accidentally) to insert modern-day politics into a book that is supposed to be about Leonardo da Vinci. It is both inappropriate and inexcusable for anyone who considers themselves to be a serious writer or scholar.

If Mr. Capra insists on shoveling such copious amounts of refuse, I encourage him to do so in the appropriate forum of the “Politics” genre. I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed with this book and do not recommend it.

I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

Check out this review on my blog:EpicBookQuest.com

[Jennifer Ochoa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for "I liked it." Very thorough exploration of Leonardo da Vinci's studies of the elements, the human body, mechanics, as documented in his "notebooks." It is very well written but I found myself a little lost in the science several times. I think if you are a big science geek and can keep up with the explanations, you'd love this book. Honestly, the writer does a good job of explaining things at a pretty basic level, but I'm just one of those people whose eyes glaze over when you start talking about physics and mathematics. The earlier chapters on water and botany I enjoyed the most, particularly how Leonardo applied his knowledge to his art. Art, is a topic I really enjoy. The book is nicely organized and illustrated where needed. I have a greater interest in Leonardo after reading the book than I did before, so I think that speaks to the writer's ability to captivate the reader's interest.

I received a copy from Goodreads giveaways.

[Michael Delaware · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant collection of material on Leonardo. I could not stop reading and going back over prior material I already covered, comparing to what came later. A well thought out book which is a must for any DaVinci fans.

[Tony Parsons]

wow

[Jim M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating portrait of da Vinci !

Very well written thank you for the opportunity to read this.

[Science For The People]

Featured on Science for the People show #254 on February 28, 2014, during an interview with author Frotjof Capra. http://www.scienceforthepeople.ca/epi...