Rating: 
Summary: Some inspiring ideas..
Review: A very inspiring and thought provoking book, Michael Gelb does an outstanding job of addressng the elements that made Leonardo a timeless inspiration. This book has helped me improve in so many aspects of my personal and professional life, I recommend it to anyone looking for inspiration or guidance on how to expand their scope of knowledge or experience.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and creative!
Review: This book is absolutely fascinating and quite creative!! Leonardo da Vinci certainly was a well-rounded scholar who mastered a wide array of subjects and topics. All the more of a reason to believe the multiple intelligence theories - especially Howard Gardner's - and the real life application of such theories. Although da Vinci may have lived during the Renaissance Era, this book shows how such skills can be applied in the Information Era! A good read.
Rating:
Summary: Fun reading!
Review: Gives a brief biography of da Vinci; then distills his "genius" into several types of intelligence and gives practical suggestions for expanding your own skills in each area. I found it interesting that most people the world considers geniuses or superstars excell in one of the types of intelligence; da Vinci excelled in all of them. Amazing.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Dumpster Diving
Review: Sure, there are some good things here, but you have to wade through a lot of trash to find them. Gelb sets out his seven buckets at the beginning, and proceeds to toss things randomly into them, whether or not they actually fit there. Exercises float in and out of reality without being tethered to any purpose, and not just the silly "ambiguity dance" quoted elsewhere. Even granting that one of Gelb's main points is to "Live with uncertainty", the sheer randomness of the text is maddening. The whole thing feels tossed together in a hurry. Additionally, it is obvious that Mr. Gelb lives an upper-class, academic life, and several of his statements and ideas do not connect with life in my part of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent
Review: This book is everything I hoped for and more! It is full of fun and valueable exercises to expand your mind. You are gauranteed to learn something when you read this book. I highly reccomend that if you purchase this book-which you would be crazy not to- to also purchase the "How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci Workbook", Its an excellent companion to this book. If you love Leonardo Da Vinci or you want to be a modern day reniscance man or woman than please buy the book. Anyone who buys it will surely benifit from it!
Rating: 
Summary: This Book Does NOT Teach You How To Think Like Leonardo
Review: And I quote, "Then experiment with gestures and perhaps an improvisational dance that expresses that feeling; if you are not sure what to do, then you have got the idea. What music would you choose to accompany your ambiguity dance?" I could just see the Old Italian gentleman now, dancing around like Tinker Bell. Michael Gelb fills this book with exercises of this nature. At the beginning of the book, Gelb provides only a very short biography (less than 25 pages) of Leonardo's life. Gelb then goes onto describe what he calls "The Seven Da Vincian Principles" giving them clever Italian names. He sprinkles short quotes from Leonardo throughout the book that seem to support his principles, but the support is short lived and most of Gelb's book is filled with exercises such as the dance described above. Granted, some of Gelb's suggestions are good, "keep a journal," but you can get suggestions like these from reading just about any self-help book. One thing that any historian would agree on is that Leonardo Da Vinci was a very practical man - a man of science. The title of this book promises something special. It promises a look into the mind of a man who was one of the world's greatest thinkers. In my opinion, it fails to deliver.
Rating:
Summary: For the Logical/artistic type
Review: I found that this book put words to principals that I had already been living. It can be summed up in one sentence: Truly become a part of the magnificence that surrounds you every day. Gelb not only addresses the senses, but helps you on the way to understanding, on a gut level, the continuity of the universe. No one can ever truly capture the Maestro's (master's) understanding of things, but this is better that most. Ignore the "improve your life" mumbo jumbo and focus on the ideas, and you will experience fear, then growth. Bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Since I was a child I liked Leonardo Da Vici. Hence, I started to read the book by curiosity and finished reading it all by comfort! What is interesting about this book, is that instead of writing a biography about Leonardo Da Vici, it actually teaches you how to be a Leonardo Da Vici of the XXI Century. Certainly, although Leonardo was born centuries ago they are still valid today. Step by step, this book gives you tips to self-improve in every aspect of yourself. That is, it helps you to be a well-balanced person: intelectually and spiritually. I'd recommend this book very much for everyone, specially for young people since if they are able to adopt the Leonardo philosophy, it will give be beneficial throughout their life.
Rating:
Summary: The logical truth behind the book
Review: This book was fabulous. Leonardo states, "No one should imitate the manner of another...it is important to go straight to nature..." As a Computer Science student with a strong logical background, and after researching the life and observations of Leonardo da Vinci, I can state that some of Leonardo's best teachings contradict the purpose of this book. If we eliminate this contradiction, then this book truly teaches you how to identify nature and use it to harness creativity. This book opened my eyes to the patterns in life, and allowed me to understand computer theory in a new light. Possibly, it might do the same for you with whatever it is that you do. It goes straight to what is important, and does not sound like a parrot that only knows a few words. I believe that anyone who reads this will be enlightened with a positive attitude for change, and be able to identify the means toward achieving a greater level of success in life; if he or she lets it.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the beef?
Review: The book's premise is interesting. What is it that made da Vinci unique and great? Can I observe his life and learn? Gelb's seven characteristics were insightful. The introduction of each characteristic was interesting. Sadly, there was no development, no depth. I'm sure Gelb's speeches and workshops are entertaining and inspiring, but when reduced to print, it's superficial, self-improvement, feel-good guru mush. It's pseudo science in a bottle - a cure for 21st century man with too much leisure and money and not enough purpose. There is page after page of exercises to help me become more like Leonardo. But sorry, but this left brained guy just can't bring himself to close his eyes and make ever larger circles (first with each finger, then the hand, then the whole arm...) all the while visualizing a rainbow of colors coming up through his body and out his fingertips.
| 
