Leonardo da Vinci: Notebooks (Oxford World's Classics)

With just a dozen works of art, Leonardo is still the greatest artist who ever lived---and with his vast array of scientific, technological, and futuristic thoughts as evidenced through his drawings---probably the greatest mind as well. When we think of Genius---and there are many in all fields---the one who tops the list is still Leonardo. A pleasure to read about, admire, and emulate---an inspiration for all humanity.

Excellent educational novel

For those interested in Da Vinci's work, this is an excellent record and concisely portrays the amazing mental processes he used for his brilliant work for his entire life. Bought it as a gift for my father who is a brilliant designer himself.

I was skeptical at first about the quality of this book because there were no reviews. There are in fact several sketches of Leonardo's found in the book unlike the free versions of his notebooks, but if you are looking for his notebooks with out the sketches than the free versions are the way to go. Don't be dissuaded by the free versions of Da Vinci's Notebooks, but instead spring for this copy. Trust me you won't be disappointed.

Amazon needs to clarify that this book has only a few thumbnail sketches done by Leonardo. The text is of his commentaries regarding what he reckons should constitute quality imagery, technically and aesthetically.

I AM A BIG COLLECTOR OF ANY DA'VINCI BOOKS! I LOVE THAT YOU DONT HAVE TO PURCHASE BRAND NEW! IF YOU ARE JUST LOOKING TO READ IT, NOT COLLECT... I HAVE ALMOST ALL OF THE BOOKS ON HIS ART AND LIFE!

I bought this for my 11 yr old daughter who is passionate about science everything. She LOVED it :) Found out later about some supplemental works that I wish I had purchased. There's always next Christmas!

Why is there so Many TEXT?When I bought this book what I expected was a book with a lot of pictures for examples of his works, but after I bought the book it has no thing to studying with his works. What I mean here is there is rarely any picture for me to study completely about Leonardo da Vinci. It is just so bad for me to read the book because I am not the type of person that like to read a lot. I just like to look at the picture and learn how to do it, how to comprehend it. This is not a book for those who want to learn more about Leonardo da Vinci's ART works.If you are the book worm type of person, this book is for you.HTH - Hope this Help :|

Não há a reprodução das figuras dos Cadernos de Leonardo da Vinci, senão alguns esquemas esparsos. Destituído da quase totalidade da significativa representação imagética, o livro perde o vigor dos Cadernos originais, embora seja muito bem editado (Oxford), com papel e tipos de excelente qualidade. Não atendeu à necessidade ou à expectativa.

Super addition to my collection

An amazing man

Leonardo da Vinci's scientific art was shaped by observing the connection of man and the nature around him, which is why in this collection of notebooks you can find much of Leonardo's thinking about how to apply a method of scientific inquiry that a mind as brilliant and inquisitive as his turned into many famous works of art that we still admire today, along with the fact that he foreshadows methods in modern science.This Oxford collection of Notebooks is divided in seven sections; true science, the universe, flight, the arts, tales and allegories, reflections on life, and Leonardo's way through life. I found the introduction and chronology to be very useful and well displayed - they are full of details about the background of his life that may help in getting into the reading and better understand his art of observing life.

(This review was inspired by Walter Isaacson)Here is a testimony of formidable observational skills. In certain chapters, when Leonardo starts a train of thought, it requires serious effort to trace him. Try it. See if you can follow him in the description of the behavior of water. Almost impossible. You can experience in his notebooks his attempt to describe not only the basic laws of nature but also the entire multiplicity of creation. It is an impossible task but the desire is there, always present. Some of his thoughts are even beautiful, especially when an analogy comes up (beware, the book does not contain drawings by the master).The regrettable thing is that he was not given a proper education, because without incorporating tradition into your development you have to start everything from the beginning. He would have been a brilliant experimental physicist had he known how to mathematically formulate his observations. Most of his writings remain solely on the level of unrealized ideas. His whole life was unrealized: abandoned projects, unformulated laws, unpublished treatises and paintings left unfinished.Therefore his most famous drawing of the 'Vitruvian Man' becomes his own Judge: if we regard the drawing as the operation of bringing ideas to fruition ('on earth as it is in heaven'), then, even though Leo often touched the circle with his creativity, the square is almost completely missing from his life: there are hardly any palpable results. Can such career be considered unfulfilled, or is it sometimes enough to dream? Difficult question.But one thing is certain - his life was not in vain, because what he left for the posterity in his writings, drawings and paintings is....beauty....Even without execution, the beauty of conception inspires, it is a springboard for the spirit in starting its own quest (his anatomical drawings alone make him a master genius). Also, Leo was universal, and that is a lesson for all of us to be learned: not to narrow ourselves but to broaden our horizon. He loved the whole of creation, and he was right in doing so, because if we ever properly open our eyes, we'll come to realize that the creation is indeed lovable, and that it deserves our complete wonderment. Or, as Leo would put it:'The genius of man may make various inventions, but it will never discover a more beautiful than nature's, since in her inventions nothing is wanting and nothing is superfluous'