How to Think like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael J. Gelb, Michael J. Gelb

• Table of Contents
• Interviews & Essays
• Read an Excerpt
• Read a Sample Chapter

Table of Contents

Interviews & Essays

On Thursday, November 19th, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Michael Gelb to discuss HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DA VINCI.

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Moderator: Welcome, Michael Gelb! Thank you for taking the time to join us online this afternoon to discuss your book HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DA VINCI. How are you doing today?

Michael J Gelb: Great! Glad to be here.

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Chris from Boston, MA: For those of us new to the book, could you tell us a bit about the "da Vincian spirit"?

Michael J Gelb: Well, the spirit of da Vinci is perhaps best represented in the unfinished equestrian monument that he labored on for more than 11 years. In 1499, Leonardo crafted a 24-foot-high clay plaster model of what would have been one of the greatest works of sculpture ever created. But the bronze needed to cast the horse was diverted to the making of cannons in an unsuccessful attempt to fight off invading French troops. On September 10, 1499, Leonardo and his patron, the Duke of Milan, were driven into exile by the French soldiers, who used Leonardo's masterpiece for target practice. Then, in 1977, National Geographic published an article on Leonardo's lost horse, with illustrations from Leonardo's notebooks showing the maestro's original sketches for the horse. A pilot from United Airlines, Charles Dent, read that article and conceived a dream to rebuild Leonardo's lost masterpiece and give it to the Italian people as a gift from the American people, as a thank-you present for the treasures of the Renaissance. Before he died in 1994, Dent assembled a team of Renaissance scholars, sculptors, and metallurgists, who successfully cast a reproduction of this extraordinary work of art. And, on September 10, 1999, the completed recreation of this masterpiece will be unveiled in Milan. Charles Dent, who devoted the last years of his life to this project, did it purely for love. There was no profit motive, no self-aggrandizement, just a commitment to the intrinsic value of art. More than anything, that intrinsic love of beauty, and of truth, is the essence of the da Vincian spirit. That's why HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO DA VINCI: SEVEN STEPS TO GENIUS EVERYDAY, is dedicated to Charles Dent, and to the da Vincian spirit in everyone.

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Mike from New Mexico: Do you think genius is something that lies within everyone, and it is just untapped? What do you expect the "average Joe" to get out of your book?

Michael J Gelb: The answer to the first question is yes. The average human being is gifted with 30 billion brain cells and the potential to generate an almost infinite number of thoughts and ideas. Anyone who spends time with very young children, any parent who has cradled their newborn baby in their arms and looked deeply into their eyes, sees this pure intelligence. As the writer Thomas Mann once said, "We are all born as infant prodigies." Unfortunately, this phenomenal brain and virtually unlimited potential didn't come with a manual. HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO aims to fill that gap! And for the average Joe or Jill, the first thing to understand is that your potential to learn, create, and enjoy life is probably greater than you might have imagined. Then, a step-by-step plan has to be made to take advantage of our birthright. HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO focuses on helping average folks apply the principles of history's greatest genius to making their lives more creative and more fulfilling. Life has become so complex and stressful that nowadays, one has to think like a genius to find balance and fulfillment.

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Louis from Darien, CT: Hello. We're coming up on an incredibly busy season, where it's easy just to go through the motions to get by and to get everything done. Any helpful hints on how to cope? How would Leonardo handle this?

Michael J Gelb: The fifth da Vincian principle, Arte/Scienza, introduces a simple, powerful method for generating and organizing ideas, called "mind mapping." Mind mapping is a note-taking and planning tool based on da Vincian thought. Read the mind-mapping chapter, practice the exercises, and then make a big mind map of all your plans, concerns, challenges, and priorities for the season. Many of my readers and clients and friends do what I do, which is to hang up a big whiteboard in their kitchens. I'm actually looking at the mind map on my kitchen whiteboard as I answer your question. Mind mapping is a wonderful way to literally see the big picture, as well as the details, and to see connections between different aspects of a plan. So, for example, you might have an image in the center of your map that represents the essence of what you'd like the holiday season to be about -- so for example, if you are religious you might have a cross or a drawing of the Savior. If your emphasis or priority for the holiday season is more on your family, you might draw little stick figures in the center of your map, representing your loved ones. From your central image, you radiate out, printing keywords and drawing other images on lines, like a web. So, you might have one branch for business, another branch for family, another branch for friends. You might have a branch for celebrations, and another for shopping. And you let your mind associate freely, fleshing out the big picture of all your holiday season concerns. It's a great way to plan any complex event. My business clients also use mind mapping in their strategic planning and problem solving. And I used mind mapping to integrate and organize all the material for this book, and for the five books I've written previously.

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Steven from Marlboro, MA: What to you is the biggest misconception made about the way we think as human beings?

Michael J Gelb: Well, it's hard to say which one is biggest, because there are so many, but certainly one of biggest misconceptions is the common view of IQ, which limits human intelligence to verbal and mathematical skills. Since Howard E. Gardner published FRAMES OF MIND in 1983, there has been a growing awareness that intelligence also includes other areas, such as musical, mechanical, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and interpersonal ability. The main debate now is not whether intelligence is verbal and mathematical, but whether there are only 7 intelligences or as many as 24. The other huge misconception is that our intelligence is unchangeable, that we are born with a set quota of intelligence. But a growing body of research demonstrates that intelligences can be developed through appropriate training and practice. In other words, the ability to think isn't just something that one is born with. It's a skill that can be learned, and there are different types of thinking: analytical, creative, and so on...

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Joanne Barlo from Los Angeles CA: Who do you think has effectively developed this da Vincian power?

Michael J Gelb: The people who are reading the book and practicing the exercises!

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Niki from Niki_palek@yahoo.com: How did you come up with the seven principles that you write about in this book?

Michael J Gelb: After immersing myself in the study of Leonardo, reading his notebooks, reading and rereading books about him, travelling to Amboise, where he spent the last three years of his life, to the Louvre, Florence, and elsewhere to view his works, I became increasingly aware of the remarkable mystery surrounding history's greatest genius. Nevertheless, as I mapped out everything that I learned about him, the seven principles became increasingly clear.

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Andia from Florida: Hi! I'm sorry to say I haven't read your book yet, but I'm curious as to why you wrote one explaining how to think like da Vinci. Is there anything you think special about his thought processes as opposed to, say, Michelangelo or Mozart?

Michael J Gelb: Yes! Leonardo is special, because his range and depth of talent and genius is unparalleled. In addition to his transcendant talents as a painter and sculptor, he was also an inventor so far ahead of his time that it is mind-boggling. Leonardo designed in his notebooks the snorkel, the bicycle, the scissors, the ball-bearing, the tank, machine gun, submarine, helicopter, and parachute. The parachute is particularly amazing, because, of course, no one was yet able to fly, and Leonardo devised a means for getting down from flying. And engineers tell me that Leonardo's proportions for the parachute are the only ones that actually work! But there's more! In addition to his artistic genius, and his design and invention genius, he was also a scientific genius. Sixty years before Copernicus, Leonardo wrote in his notebook that the sun does not move, and it is the sun, not the earth, that is the center of what we now call the solar system. Leonardo also anticipated discoveries by Galileo, Newton, Darwin, and many others. His anatomical work was the finest of his day, and he effectively developed the modern discipline of botany. And, he was also exceptionally gifted as a musician, and an athlete. He was also renowned for his interpersonal intelligence, his ability to get along with others. The first art historian, Vasari, said of Leonardo, "He made every sorrowful soul serene." So, the breadth of Leonardo's genius, the balance of art and science, of interpersonal, musical, and physical, makes da Vinci a supreme role model for anyone wishing to develop their God-given potential.

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Pac87@aol.com from XX: Dear Mr. Gelb, I am a writer, and I definitely feel that at times my mind is extremely creative and productive, while at other times it runs a flat line of thoughts. At first I thought this might have to do with how tired I was, but I found no consistencies between my creativity and being well rested. I don't know how to control this creativity. Does your book cover this? Do you have any advice on how to better gauge when the mind is functional versus when it just isn't running at full speed? Does this question even make sense?

Michael J Gelb: Yes, the question makes a lot of sense. It's a concern that many people have in attempting to develop their creativity and self-expression. Learning to harmonize with one's natural rhythms, to listen to one's intuitive voice, was an important aspect of Leonardo's creative process, and it's something that can be nurtured and developed. There are many exercises in the book designed to help the reader find that balance. One aspect that you might want to experiment with, for example, is altering the nature of the environment in which you attempt to do your creative work. Lighting, music, air quality, visuals, and even aroma can affect the harmony of our natural rhythms. Learning when to focus and when to take breaks, and what to do in the break, is also very important. The book goes into these matters in some depth. I hope that's helpful.

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Joe from Brooklyn, NY: You mention in your book that juggling is very important. Can you talk some more about that?

Michael J Gelb: Well, juggling is a wonderful way to develop balance and coordination. There is also considerable informed speculation suggesting that juggling and other ambidextrous, cross-lateral activities cultivate coherence between the brain waves of the left and right hemisphere of the cerebral cortex. Juggling is also a lot of fun. It tends to wake up the childlike, playful part of even the most serious and gruff adult, and this childlike openness is a key to awakening our creative self-expression, and our full power to learn. It is no surprise that Leonardo was a juggler!

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John Riegert from New York City: Do you think most workplaces are stifling to the imagination? How do you break out of that?

Michael J Gelb: I'm afraid that many workplaces are stifling. They frequently suffer from "cubicle-consciousness." Organizations put people in boxes and then wonder why they have trouble thinking "out of the box." The "Sensazione" chapter of HOW TO THINK LIKE LEONARDO offers a recipe for creating a "brain-nourishing" environment in the workplace. Many of my clients have applied the suggestions in the book with very positive results related to supporting imagination and creative thinking.

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Laurie from Hoboken, NJ: What's the first thing you can do to start opening your mind?

Michael J Gelb: Recognize that it's important to do so.

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Paul from Chicago, IL: I know that you are also a speaker. Will you be speaking anywhere about this book?

Michael J Gelb: I'm doing book signings all over the country. I may be in the Chicago area in the first week of February. Check with your local Barnes & Noble.

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Anna from Rochester, NY: Have you ever been over to Italy to visit da Vinci's marvelous creations? What was that experience like, after he had been your hero for so long?

Michael J Gelb: It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I have been there many times, but I went back for three weeks this past summer in order to immerse myself in the da Vincian worldview in preparation for the launch of the book. One travel writer said of Tuscany that it's the place on earth where the normal most regularly approaches the sublime. One of the aims of the book is to bring a taste of that sublime quality to the reader. The other point that stood out for me in my most recent visit was that as a result of this intensive study, I saw and appreciated things that I had seen before with new eyes and an even deeper sense of wonder.

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Moderator: Thank you for joining us online this afternoon, Michael Gelb. It has been a very interesting hour. Do you have any closing comments for the online audience?

Michael J Gelb: Yes. The art critic Bernard Berenson said of Leonardo that everything he touched turned to eternal beauty. My wish for all my readers is that the miracle of Leonardo's genius will reach out over the centuries and touch their lives with the spirit of eternal beauty. Grazie!

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Read an Excerpt

Introduction: Your Brain Is Much Better Than You Think


Although it is hard to overstate Leonardo da Vinci's brilliance, recent scientific research reveals that you probably underestimate your own capabilities. You are gifted with virtually unlimited potential for learning and creativity. Ninety-five percent of what we know about the capabilities of the human brain has been learned in the last twenty years. Our schools, universities, and corporations are only beginning to apply this emerging understanding of human potential. Let's set the stage for learning how to think like Leonardo by considering the contemporary view of intelligence and some results of the investigation into the nature and extent of your brain's potential.

Most of us grew up with a concept of intelligence based on the traditional IQ test. The IQ test was originated by Alfred Binet (1857-1911) to measure, objectively, comprehension, reasoning, and judgment. Binet was motivated by a powerful enthusiasm for the emerging discipline of psychology and a desire to overcome the cultural and class prejudices of late nineteenth-century France in the assessment of children's academic potential. Although the traditional concept of IQ was a breakthrough at the time of its formulation, contemporary research shows that it suffers from two significant flaws.

The first flaw is the idea that intelligence is fixed at birth and immutable. Although individuals are endowed genetically with more or less talent in a given area, researchers such as Buzan, Machado, Wenger, and many others have shown that IQ scores can be raised significantly through appropriate training. In a recent statistical review ofmore than two hundred studies of IQ published in the journal Nature, Bernard Devlin concluded that genes account for no more than 48 percent of IQ. Fifty-two percent is a function of prenatal care, environment, and education.

The second weakness in the commonly held concept of intelligence is the idea that the verbal and mathematical reasoning skills measured by IQ tests (and SATs) are the sine qua nons of intelligence. This narrow view of intelligence has been thoroughly debunked by contemporary psychological research. In his modern classic, Frames of Mind (1983), psychologist Howard Gardner introduced the theory of multiple intelligences, which posits that each of us possesses at least seven measurable intelligences (in later work Gardner and his colleagues catalogued twenty-five different subintelligences). The seven intelligences, and some genius exemplars (other than Leonardo da Vinci, who was a genius in all of these areas) of each one, are:

Logical-Mathematical—Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie
Verbal-Linguistic—William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Jorge Luis Borges
Spatial-Mechanical—Michelangelo, Georgia O'Keeffe, Buckminster Fuller
Musical—Mozart, George Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald
Bodily-Kinesthetic—Morihei Ueshiba, Muhammad Ali, F. M. Alexander
Interpersonal-Social—Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth I
Intrapersonal (Self-knowledge)—Viktor Frankl, Thich Nhat Hanh, Mother Teresa

The theory of multiple intelligences is now accepted widely and when combined with the realization that intelligence can be developed throughout life, offers a powerful inspiration for aspiring Renaissance men and women.

In addition to expanding the understanding of the nature and scope of intelligence, contemporary psychological research has revealed startling truths about the extent of your potential. We can summarize the results with the phrase: Your brain is much better than you think. Appreciating your phenomenal cortical endowment is a marvelous point of departure for a practical study of Da Vincian thinking. Contemplate the following: your brain

is more flexible and multidimensional than any supercomputer.
can learn seven facts per second, every second, for the rest of your life and still have plenty of room left to learn more.
will improve with age if you use it properly.
is not just in your head. According to renowned neuroscientist Dr. Candace Pert, ". . . intelligence is located not only in the brain but in cells that are distributed throughout the body.... The traditional separation of mental processes, including emotions, from the body is no longer valid."
is unique. Of the six billion people currently living and the more than ninety billion people who have ever lived, there has never, unless you are an identical twin, been anyone quite like you. Your creative gifts, your fingerprints, your expressions, your DNA, your dreams, are unprecedented and unique.
is capable of making a virtually unlimited number of synaptic connections or potential patterns of thought.

This last point was established first by Pyotr Anokhin of Moscow University, a student of the legendary psychological pioneer Ivan Pavlov. Anokhin staggered the entire scientific community when he published his research in 1968 demonstrating that the minimum number of potential thought patterns the average brain can make is the number 1 followed by 10.5 million kilometers of typewritten zeros.

Anokhin compared the human brain to "a multidimensional musical instrument that could play an infinite number of musical pieces simultaneously." He emphasized that each of us is gifted with a birthright of virtually unlimited potential. And he proclaimed that no man or woman, past or present, has fully explored the capacities of the brain. Anokhin would probably agree, however, that Leonardo da Vinci could serve as a most inspiring example for those of us wishing to explore our full capacities.

LEARNING FROM LEONARDO

Baby ducks learn to survive by imitating their mothers. Learning through imitation is fundamental to many species, including humans. As we become adults, we have a unique advantage: we can choose whom and what to imitate. We can also consciously choose new models to replace the ones we outgrow. It makes sense, therefore, to choose the best "role models" to guide and inspire us toward the realization of our potential.

So, if you want to become a better golfer, study Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. If you want to become a leader, study Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, and Queen Elizabeth I. And if you want to be a Renaissance man or woman, study Leon Battista Alberti, Thomas Jefferson, Hildegard von Bingen, and best of all, Leonardo da Vinci.

In The Book of Genius Tony Buzan and Raymond Keene make the world's first objective attempt to rank the greatest geniuses of history. Rating their subjects in categories including "Originality," "Versatility," "Dominance-in-Field," "Universality-of-Vision, " and "Strength and Energy," they offer the following as their "top ten."
10. Albert Einstein
9. Phidias (architect of Athens)
8. Alexander the Great
7. Thomas Jefferson
6. Sir Isaac Newton
5. Michelangelo
4. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
3. The Great Pyramid Builders
2. William Shakespeare
And the greatest genius of all time, according to Buzan and Keene's exhaustive research? Leonardo da Vinci.

As Giorgio Vasari wrote of Leonardo in the original version of his The Lives of the Artists, "Heaven sometimes sends us beings who represent not humanity alone but divinity itself, so that taking them as our models and imitating them, our minds and the best of our intelligence may approach the highest celestial spheres. Experience shows that those who are led to study and follow the traces of these marvelous geniuses, even if nature gives them little or no help, may at least approach the supernatural works that participate in his divinity."

Our evolving understanding of the multiplicity of intelligence and the capacities of the brain suggests that nature gives us more help than we might have imagined. In How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci we will "study and follow the traces" of this most marvelous of all geniuses, bringing his wisdom and inspiration to your life, every day.

A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO GENIUS

In the pages that follow you will learn a practical approach, tested in experience, for applying the essential elements of Leonardo's genius to enrich your life. You will discover an exhilarating, original way of seeing and enjoying your world as you develop powerful strategies for creative thinking and new approaches to self-expression. You'll learn proven techniques for sharpening your senses, liberating your unique intelligence, and harmonizing body and mind. With Leonardo as your inspiration, you will make your life a work of art.

Although you may already be familiar with Da Vinci's life and work, you'll finish this book with a fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation for this most enigmatic figure. Looking at the world from his point of view, you may also get a taste of the loneliness genius brings. But I guarantee that you'll be uplifted by his spirit, inspired by his quest, and exalted by your association with him.

The book begins with a capsule review of the Renaissance and its parallels with our time, followed by a biographical sketch of Leonardo and a summary of his major accomplishments. The heart of the book is the discussion of the Seven Da Vincian Principles. These principles are drawn from an intensive study of the man and his methods. I've named them in Leonardo's native Italian. The good news is that Leonardo's principles will probably be intuitively obvious to you. You do not have to try to invent them in your life. Rather, like much of common sense, they need to be remembered, developed, and applied.
The Seven Da Vincian Principles are:

Curiosità—An insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.

Dimostrazione—A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.

Sensazione—The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience.

Sfumato (literally "Going up in Smoke")—A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.

Arte/Scienza—The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination. "Whole-brain" thinking.

Corporalita—The cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.

Connessione—A recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. Systems thinking.
Having read this far, you are already applying the first Da Vincian principle. Curiosità—the quest for continuous learning—comes first because the desire to know, to learn, and to grow is the powerhouse of knowledge, wisdom, and discovery.

If you are interested in thinking for yourself and freeing your mind from limiting habits and preconceptions, then you are on track for the second principle: Dimostrazione. In his search for truth, Da Vinci insisted on questioning conventional wisdom. He used the word dimostrazione to express the importance of learning for oneself, through practical experience.

Pause for a few moments, and recall the times in the past year when you felt most vividly alive. Chances are, your senses were heightened. Our third principle—Sensazione—focuses on sharpening the senses, consciously. Leonardo believed that refining sensory awareness was the key to enriching experience.

As you sharpen your senses, probe the depths of experience, and awaken your childlike powers of questioning, you will encounter increasing uncertainty and ambiguity. "Confusion endurance" is the most distinctive trait of highly creative people, and Leonardo probably possessed more of that trait than anyone who has ever lived. Principle number four—Sfumato—guides you to be more at home with the unknown, to make friends with paradox.

For balance and creativity to emerge from uncertainty requires principle number five—Arte/Scienza—or what we now call whole-brain thinking. But Da Vinci believed that balance was more than just mental. He exemplified and affirmed the importance of principle number six—Corporalita—the balance of body and mind. And if you appreciate patterns, relationships, connections, and systems—if you seek to understand how your dreams, goals, values, and highest aspirations can be integrated into your daily life—then you are already applying principle number seven: Connessione. Connessione ties everything together.

Each principle is highlighted by excerpts from the maestro's notebooks and illustrated with his sketches or paintings. This illumination is followed by some questions for reflection and self-assessment. These questions are designed to stimulate your thinking and inspire your application of the principles. The questions are followed by a program of practical exercises for cultivating a personal and professional Renaissance. To get the most benefit from How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, read the whole book first, without doing the exercises. Just contemplate the questions for reflection and self-assessment. After this preview, review the explanation of each principle and then do the exercises. Some of the exercises are easy and fun, while others require challenging inner work. All are designed to bring the spirit of the maestro to your daily life. In addition to the exercises, you will find an annotated reading and resource list to guide you in exploring and applying each principle. The reading list includes recommendations on the Renaissance, the history of ideas, the nature of genius, and, of course, the life and work of Leonardo.

In the final section of the book you will discover "The Beginner's Da Vinci Drawing Course," and you'll also learn how you can participate in a history-making project that embodies the essence of the Da Vincian spirit.

Read a Sample Chapter

Preface: "Born Of The Sun"

Think of your greatest heroes and heroines, your most inspirational role models. Maybe, if you are very lucky, the list includes your mom or dad. Perhaps you are most inspired by great figures from history. Immersing yourself in the life and work of great artists, leaders, scholars, and spiritual teachers provides rich nourishment for the mind and heart. Chances are, you picked up this book because you recognize Leonardo as an archetype of human potential and you are intrigued by the possibility of a more intimate relationship with him.

When I was a child, Superman and Leonardo Da Vinci were my heroes. While the "Man of Steel" fell by the wayside, my fascination with Da Vinci continued to grow. Then, in the spring of 1994, I received an invitation to visit Florence to speak to a prestigious and notoriously demanding association of company presidents. The group chairman asked, "Could you prepare something for our members on how to be more creative and balanced, personally and professionally? Something that will point them in the direction of becoming Renaissance men and women?" In a heartbeat I responded with my dream: "How about something on thinking like Leonardo Da Vinci?"

It was not an assignment I could take lightly. My students would already have paid substantial fees to attend the six-day "university," one of several opportunities the society offers its members each year to meet in the world's great cities to explore history, culture, and business while pursuing personal and professional development. Given the chance to choose among several concurrent classes--mine was running at the same time as five others, including one taught by former Fiat president Giovanni Agnelli-- members were invited to rate each speaker on a scale of one to ten and were encouraged to walk out of any presentation they didn't like. In other words, if they don't like you, they chew you up and spit you out!

Despite my lifelong fascination with my new topic, I knew I had work to do. In addition to intensive reading, my preparation included a Da Vinci pilgrimage, beginning with a visit to Leonardo's "Portrait of Ginevra De' Benci at the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. In New York, I caught up with the traveling "Codex Leicester" exhibit sponsored by Bill Gates and Microsoft. Then to London to see the manuscripts in the British Museum and to the Louvre in Paris to spend a few days with Mona Lisa, St. John the Baptist, and The Virgin and Child with St. Anne. The highlight of this pilgrimage, however, was visiting the chateau of Cloux near Amboise, where Da Vinci spent the last few years of his life. The chateau is now a Da Vinci museum, with amazing replicas of some of Leonardo's inventions crafted by engineers from IBM. Walking the grounds that he walked, sitting in his study and standing in his bedroom, looking out his window, seeing the view that he gazed at every day, I felt my heart overflow with awe, reverence, wonder, sadness, and gratitude.

Of course, I went on to visit Florence, where, eventually, I gave my talk to the presidents. The fun began when the person introducing me confused her notes on my biography with the paper I had submitted on Da Vinci. She said--and I am not, to quote Dave Barry, making this up-- "Ladies and gentlemen, I am extremely privileged today to introduce to you an individual whose background surpasses anything I have ever encountered: anatomist, architect, botanist, city planner, costume and stage designer, chef, humorist, engineer, equestrian, inventor, geographer, geologist, mathematician, military scientist, musician, painter, philosopher, physicist and raconteur.... Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present... Mr. Michael Gelb!"

Ah, if only . . .

Well, the talk was a success (no one walked out), and it gave birth to the book you hold in your hands.

Before that unforgettable introduction, one of the members approached me and said, "I don't believe that anyone can learn to be like Leonardo da Vinci, but I'm going to your lecture anyway." You may be thinking something similar: Is the premise of this book that every child is born with the capacities and gifts of Leonardo da Vinci? Does the author really believe that we can all be geniuses of Da Vinci's stature? Well, actually, no. Despite decades devoted to discovering the full scope of human potential and how to awaken it, I side with Da Vinci's disciple Francesco Melzi, who wrote on the occasion of the maestro's death: "The loss of such a man is mourned by all, for it is not in the power of Nature to create another." As I learn more about Da Vinci, my sense of awe and mystery multiplies. All great geniuses are unique, and Leonardo was, perhaps, the greatest of all geniuses.

But the key question remains, Can the fundamentals of Leonardo's approach to learning and the cultivation of intelligence be abstracted and applied to inspire and guide us toward the realization of our own full potential ?

Of course, my answer to this question is: Yes! The essential elements of Leonardo da Vinci's approach to learning and the cultivation of intelligence are quite clear and can be studied, emulated, and applied.

Is it hubris to imagine that we can learn to be like the greatest of all geniuses? Perhaps. It's better to think of his example guiding us to be more of what we truly are.

The beautiful words of the poet Sir Stephen Spender provide the perfect preface to launch our flight through history's loftiest mind:

I Think Continually Of Those Who Were Truly Great

I think continually of those who were truly great.
Who from the womb, remembered the soul's history
Through corridors of light where the hours are suns,
Endless and singing. Whose lovely ambition
Was that their lips, still touched with fire,

Should tell of the spirit clothed from head to foot in song.
And who hoarded from the spring branches
The desires falling across their bodies like blossoms.
What is precious is never to forget
The delight of the blood drawn from ageless springs
Breaking through rocks in worlds before our earth;
Never to deny its pleasure in the simple morning light,
Nor its grave evening demand for love;
Never to allaw gradually the traffic to smother
With noise and fog the flowering of the spirit.

Near the snow, near the sun, in the highest field
See how those names are feted by the wavering grass,
And by the streamers of white cloud,
And whispers of wind in the listening sky;
The names of those who in their lives fozzght for life,
Who wore at their hearts the fire's centre.
Born of the sun they traveled a short while towards the sun.
And left the vivid air signed with their honor.

We live in a world of unprecedented noise, fog, and traffic. But you too are born of the sun, and traveling towards it. This is a guidebook, inspired by one of history's great souls, for that journey. An invitation to breathe the vivid air, to feel the fire in your heart's centre, and the full flowering or your spirit.

Michael J. Gelb
January 1998