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Leonardo Da Vinci: The First Scientist
Celebrated as a painter and engineer during his lifetime, Leonardo da Vinci was the very embodiment of the Renaissance Man. But few guessed at the extent of his scientific investigations and experiments. In a vast collection of notebooks (over 5,000 pages), Leonardo meticulously detailed his research on optics, mechanics, astronomy, and anatomy. He kept his findings hidden for fear his ideas would be stolen. Had they been shared or published, they might well have changed the course of scientific discovery, for they prefigured the work of Newton, Galileo, and Kepler. Instead, after Leonardo's death, his papers were lost to the world for nearly 200 years; some were never recovered. Using newly available documents, Michael White illuminates Leonardo's groundbreaking achievements and weaves together the elements of his life and times-his unhappy childhood, his homosexuality, his relationship with everyone from Machiavelli to Cesare Borgia to Michelangelo. Leonardo: The First Scientist restores to this Renaissance genius the place he deserves in the pantheon of modern discovery About The Author: Michael White is the author of the international best-seller Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science (with John Gribbin), the award-winning Isaac Newton: the Last Sorcerer, Life Out There, and Weird Science . He is currently working on a book about scientific rivalry from Newton to Bill Gates. White lives with his wife and family near London.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
62 people are currently reading
866 people want to read
About the author
Michael White
46 books137 followersMichael White was a British writer who was based in Perth, Australia. He studied at King's College London (1977–1982) and was a chemistry lecturer at d'Overbroeck's College, Oxford (1984–1991).
He was a science editor of British GQ, a columnist for the Sunday Express in London and, 'in a previous incarnation', he was a member of Colour Me Pop. Colour Me Pop featured on the "Europe in the Year Zero" EP in 1982 with Yazoo and Sudeten Creche and he was then a member of the group The Thompson Twins (1982). He moved to Australia in 2002 and was made an Honorary Research Fellow at Curtin University in 2005.
He was the author of thirty-five books: these include Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science; Leonardo: The First Scientist; Tolkien: A Biography; and C. S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia. His first novel Equinox – thriller, an occult mystery reached the Top Ten in the bestseller list in the UK and has been translated into 35 languages. His non-fiction production included the biography Galileo: Antichrist. Novels following Equinox include The Medici Secret, The Borgia Ring and The Art of Murder.
White wrote under two further names, Tom West and Sam Fisher. He used the latter pseudonym to publish the E-Force trilogy, State of Emergency, Aftershock, and Nano.
A further novel by White, The Venetian Detective, features characters including Galileo and Elizabeth.
White wrote a biography of Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer. He was both short-listed and long-listed for the Aventis prize. Rivals was short-listed in 2002, and The Fruits of War long-listed in 2006. He was also nominated for the Ned Kelly Prize for First Novel (for Equinox in 2007).
He was a science editor of British GQ, a columnist for the Sunday Express in London and, 'in a previous incarnation', he was a member of Colour Me Pop. Colour Me Pop featured on the "Europe in the Year Zero" EP in 1982 with Yazoo and Sudeten Creche and he was then a member of the group The Thompson Twins (1982). He moved to Australia in 2002 and was made an Honorary Research Fellow at Curtin University in 2005.
He was the author of thirty-five books: these include Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science; Leonardo: The First Scientist; Tolkien: A Biography; and C. S. Lewis: The Boy Who Chronicled Narnia. His first novel Equinox – thriller, an occult mystery reached the Top Ten in the bestseller list in the UK and has been translated into 35 languages. His non-fiction production included the biography Galileo: Antichrist. Novels following Equinox include The Medici Secret, The Borgia Ring and The Art of Murder.
White wrote under two further names, Tom West and Sam Fisher. He used the latter pseudonym to publish the E-Force trilogy, State of Emergency, Aftershock, and Nano.
A further novel by White, The Venetian Detective, features characters including Galileo and Elizabeth.
White wrote a biography of Isaac Newton, The Last Sorcerer. He was both short-listed and long-listed for the Aventis prize. Rivals was short-listed in 2002, and The Fruits of War long-listed in 2006. He was also nominated for the Ned Kelly Prize for First Novel (for Equinox in 2007).
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July 31, 2023
O biografie care mi-a schimbat simțitor imaginea despre Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519). Mi-am dat seama că am trăit o vreme cu un portret idealizat al artistului. Voi exemplifica pe scurt opiniile care m-au frapat:
1. Leonardo da Vinci a terminat foarte puține lucrări (poate 12 picturi, nimic nu e sigur). Nu-și respecta contractele și, dacă putea, amîna la infinit execuția. În Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori, Giorgio Vasari a subliniat adesea defectul unui om pe care, totuși, îl venera: „ca de obicei nu s-a apucat de lucrare”, „nu putea să termine nici o lucrare” (p.44), „dorind prea multe, nu le putea înfăptui” (p.161), „a lucrat mai mult cu vorba decît cu fapta” (p.220). Se pare că în întreaga lui carieră de pictor, Leonardo n-a început mai mult de 20 de tablouri...
2. Pentru că nu a fost niciodată recunoscut (juridic) de tatăl lui, Leonardo nu a urmat nici o școală. Se considera ironic un „uomo senza lettere” (p.125), dar îi înțepa cu plăcere pe universitari. Pînă în 1487, nu știa boabă de latină. A încercat s-o învețe singur (deși avea un prieten care l-ar fi putut ajuta, călugărul franciscan Luca Pacioli, matematician vestit), dar n-a făcut mari progrese. Nu avea talent lingvistic (pp.223-224). Cultura lui - departe de a fi imensă - provenea din traduceri în vernaculară. Savanții vremii scriau și corespondau doar în latinește.
3. În 1495, biblioteca pictorului conținea doar 40 de cărți tipărite (p.264). N-o putem compara cu biblioteca lui Pico della Mirandola (1463 - 1494), contemporan cu Leonardo, care număra 1109 volume (în greacă, latină, ebraică etc.).
4. Leonardo a fost dintotdeauna foarte suspicios. Se temea că ucenicii îi pot fura ideile ori îi pot plagia însemnările. Biograful vede în comportamentul lui semne de paranoia (p.185). A fost „obsesiv de închis și plin de secrete toată viața” (p.38).
5. În vremea lui, Leonardo era considerat înainte de toate un inginer, a și avut această funcție la curtea lui Lodovico Sforza și Cesare Borgia.
6. La curtea lui Lodovico, se ocupa de decoruri și costume pentru serbări și nunți princiare (p.195), de „fleacuri”, cum spunea el însuși (p.207).
7. Nu stăpînea fundamentele matematicilor și nici principiile mecanicii. Talentele lui de inventator sînt, prin urmare, un rod al miracolului (p.213: „nu a fost niciodată un matematician priceput”; p.264: „nu a stăpînit niciodată bazele teoretice ale mecanicii”).
P. S. Din pricini evidente, Leonardo da vinci a avut o părere foarte proastă despre savanții care făceau paradă de erudiție. Citez două însemnări din carnetele sale:
„Dacă, firește, nu am puterea să citez din autori așa cum au ei [corpul erudiților din universități], este mult mai important și mai valoros să citești în lumina experienței, care este învățătoarea maeștrilor lor. Se împăunează țanțoși și pompoși, acoperiți și împodobiți nu cu propriile lucrări, ci cu cele ale altora, iar mie nu-mi permit să vorbeasc nici măcar despre ale mele” (p.34). A doua: „Știu foarte bine că, nefiind cultivat, anumite persoane înfumurate vor crede că au motive să rîdă de mine sub pretext că sînt un om fără cultură. Ce oameni proști! Nu știu ei oare că eu le pot răspunde așa cum a răspuns Marius patricienilor romani, spunînd că cei care se împodobesc cu munca altora nu-mi permit mie să mă împodobesc cu a mea: vor spune că, pentru că nu am studiat, vorbesc despre lucruri pe care vreau să le elucidez. Dar știu ei oare că subiectele mele sînt mai bine ilustrate prin experiență decît prin mai multe cuvinte? Experiența a fost amanta tuturor celor care au scris bine; așadar, tot ca amantă, am s-o citez și eu de fiecare dată” (p.101).
1. Leonardo da Vinci a terminat foarte puține lucrări (poate 12 picturi, nimic nu e sigur). Nu-și respecta contractele și, dacă putea, amîna la infinit execuția. În Vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori ed architettori, Giorgio Vasari a subliniat adesea defectul unui om pe care, totuși, îl venera: „ca de obicei nu s-a apucat de lucrare”, „nu putea să termine nici o lucrare” (p.44), „dorind prea multe, nu le putea înfăptui” (p.161), „a lucrat mai mult cu vorba decît cu fapta” (p.220). Se pare că în întreaga lui carieră de pictor, Leonardo n-a început mai mult de 20 de tablouri...
2. Pentru că nu a fost niciodată recunoscut (juridic) de tatăl lui, Leonardo nu a urmat nici o școală. Se considera ironic un „uomo senza lettere” (p.125), dar îi înțepa cu plăcere pe universitari. Pînă în 1487, nu știa boabă de latină. A încercat s-o învețe singur (deși avea un prieten care l-ar fi putut ajuta, călugărul franciscan Luca Pacioli, matematician vestit), dar n-a făcut mari progrese. Nu avea talent lingvistic (pp.223-224). Cultura lui - departe de a fi imensă - provenea din traduceri în vernaculară. Savanții vremii scriau și corespondau doar în latinește.
3. În 1495, biblioteca pictorului conținea doar 40 de cărți tipărite (p.264). N-o putem compara cu biblioteca lui Pico della Mirandola (1463 - 1494), contemporan cu Leonardo, care număra 1109 volume (în greacă, latină, ebraică etc.).
4. Leonardo a fost dintotdeauna foarte suspicios. Se temea că ucenicii îi pot fura ideile ori îi pot plagia însemnările. Biograful vede în comportamentul lui semne de paranoia (p.185). A fost „obsesiv de închis și plin de secrete toată viața” (p.38).
5. În vremea lui, Leonardo era considerat înainte de toate un inginer, a și avut această funcție la curtea lui Lodovico Sforza și Cesare Borgia.
6. La curtea lui Lodovico, se ocupa de decoruri și costume pentru serbări și nunți princiare (p.195), de „fleacuri”, cum spunea el însuși (p.207).
7. Nu stăpînea fundamentele matematicilor și nici principiile mecanicii. Talentele lui de inventator sînt, prin urmare, un rod al miracolului (p.213: „nu a fost niciodată un matematician priceput”; p.264: „nu a stăpînit niciodată bazele teoretice ale mecanicii”).
P. S. Din pricini evidente, Leonardo da vinci a avut o părere foarte proastă despre savanții care făceau paradă de erudiție. Citez două însemnări din carnetele sale:
„Dacă, firește, nu am puterea să citez din autori așa cum au ei [corpul erudiților din universități], este mult mai important și mai valoros să citești în lumina experienței, care este învățătoarea maeștrilor lor. Se împăunează țanțoși și pompoși, acoperiți și împodobiți nu cu propriile lucrări, ci cu cele ale altora, iar mie nu-mi permit să vorbeasc nici măcar despre ale mele” (p.34). A doua: „Știu foarte bine că, nefiind cultivat, anumite persoane înfumurate vor crede că au motive să rîdă de mine sub pretext că sînt un om fără cultură. Ce oameni proști! Nu știu ei oare că eu le pot răspunde așa cum a răspuns Marius patricienilor romani, spunînd că cei care se împodobesc cu munca altora nu-mi permit mie să mă împodobesc cu a mea: vor spune că, pentru că nu am studiat, vorbesc despre lucruri pe care vreau să le elucidez. Dar știu ei oare că subiectele mele sînt mai bine ilustrate prin experiență decît prin mai multe cuvinte? Experiența a fost amanta tuturor celor care au scris bine; așadar, tot ca amantă, am s-o citez și eu de fiecare dată” (p.101).
August 7, 2022
Nu am mai citit nici o altă biografie despre Leonardo Da Vinci până la aceasta scrisă de Michael White. Informațiile, pe care le știam despre marele artist al Renașterii, erau cele învățate la școală și cele auzite din diferite surse. Această carte mi-a schimbat radical imaginea pe care o aveam în minte despre marele artist. Bine documentă și cu suficiente informații înglobând toate etapele vieții marelui artist din toate domeniile, fără să fie plictisitoare, această carte nu este doar despre Leonardo Da Vinci, ci și despre epoca în care a trăit Leonardo Da Vinci și asupra căreia a avut o mare influență.
October 21, 2017
Maybe the title of “The First Scientist” is not the suitable one for this kind of essay. The author even had to acknowledge that fact. This is more about Leonardo the artist or even Leonardo the engineer, not Leonardo the scientist, (Well, maybe a little bit in the final chapters). That said, I found this work interesting enough, with several good illustrations and also footnotes including personal opinions. But I’m sure I have read better biographies along the way, including Giorgio Vasari’s first hand account “The lives of the Artists”, even if he writes so little about the Master. If you cannot get hold of that one, this book from Michael White is an easy one to read, and it fulfills its goal. You will finish it knowing a lot more about one of the brightest minds of humankind and his time.
June 25, 2014
-Pocos nombres están asociados a un periódico histórico con la fuerza que lo están Leonardo y el Renacimiento -.
Género. Biografía.
Lo que nos cuenta. Retrato de la vida y obra de Leonardo Da Vinci que sin ignorar otras de sus muchas facetas, incluyendo la más personal, nos quiere acercar al personaje desde el punto de vista de su trabajo más científico.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
Género. Biografía.
Lo que nos cuenta. Retrato de la vida y obra de Leonardo Da Vinci que sin ignorar otras de sus muchas facetas, incluyendo la más personal, nos quiere acercar al personaje desde el punto de vista de su trabajo más científico.
¿Quiere saber más del libro, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
January 13, 2023
An adequate popular introduction to Da Vinci, even if you can feel the lightweight approach surface too often.
November 7, 2017
I’ve found myself quite enjoying White’s biographies, and this is no exception. I think it’s difficult to argue that da Vinci wasn’t a scientist, when you look at the kinds of things he was interested in and the methodical way he went about it, including (as White points out) using the scientific method. I have to confess I picked up this biography after playing Assassin’s Creed II, and I did spend the entire time trying to work out how the chronology fit in with Ezio’s adventures…
White’s books are definitely very readable, and they seem to be sourced and well thought out. I’ll probably pick up other biographies written by White in the future; I enjoyed his one on Machiavelli, too.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
White’s books are definitely very readable, and they seem to be sourced and well thought out. I’ll probably pick up other biographies written by White in the future; I enjoyed his one on Machiavelli, too.
Reviewed for The Bibliophibian.
February 13, 2021
O biografie interesantă, prezentată intr-o manieră lăudabilă. Printre multe altele, White prezintă evoluția lui Leonardo da Vinci ca artist, arhitect, inginer, om de știință și, nu in ultimul rând, ca om. Dacă Freud a conchis cândva că setea lui Leonardo de a studia și experimenta in atât de multe domenii, are ca fundament lipsa de iubire, situația conflictuală cu familia sa și, posibil orientarea sexuală, White este de altă părere. Reușind să adune suficiente dovezi, White a ajuns la concluzia că talentele lui Leonardo reprezintă pură pasiune pentru necunoscut, modernizare și perfecționare. Da, cartea îl prezintă pe marele Da Vinci intr-o manieră actuală.
April 10, 2011
First, the author claims there are plenty of books about Leonardo as an artist and engineer, but he will write about Leonardo as a scientist. But he talks little about that, and not at all in the first half of the book.
Then there is the narrator who uses hokey, cartonish accents for every quote. Not worth the time.
Then there is the narrator who uses hokey, cartonish accents for every quote. Not worth the time.
January 28, 2025
I’ve a soft spot for this as it used to be my grandpa’s book, and I wish I could remember as much of it as I’m sure he did! The book is claiming that Leonardo was the first scientist, and while in parts it is argued that he could be a scientist, a lot of the book is talking about his interests in engineering, anatomy and his skill as an artist. But I liked the illustrations, the writing was easy enough to follow and I feel like I have learned a lot.
December 3, 2016
I did enjoy parts of this book, and learned a bit about Leonardo da Vinci I didn't know. But the deceptive title, repetition, and tendency to speculative psychological profiling got to be too much to bear. While I much of the author's writing is fluid, he more than once would write out two paragraphs of discussion, then follow it immediately with two paragraphs quoted directly from Vasari that said exactly the same thing. As I read the latter chapters I came upon several quotes he had already used in earlier chapters. Other quirks of the writing distracted me from the parts well written.
As for "The First Scientist," there is hardly any mention of science until at least halfway through the book. Most of the science discussion is contained in two chapters on the Notebooks (parts I and II), the first of which (as a scientist I'm shocked to hear myself say this) was rather boring (the second was better).
So I'm ambivalent. I like parts of the book, and disliked other parts. I like much of the writing style, but dislike some of the writing style. I had wanted to read a good biography of da Vinci but feel disappointed and unfulfilled with this one published in 2000, so will look for another more recent volume.
As for "The First Scientist," there is hardly any mention of science until at least halfway through the book. Most of the science discussion is contained in two chapters on the Notebooks (parts I and II), the first of which (as a scientist I'm shocked to hear myself say this) was rather boring (the second was better).
So I'm ambivalent. I like parts of the book, and disliked other parts. I like much of the writing style, but dislike some of the writing style. I had wanted to read a good biography of da Vinci but feel disappointed and unfulfilled with this one published in 2000, so will look for another more recent volume.
September 16, 2013
This is an interesting biography of Leonardo Da Vinci, who was an interesting person, but not really a scientist. That's ok - not all interesting people have to be scientists. The author tries, very faintly, to argue that Leonardo was "the First Scientist", but I don't think even he believes this. It's like he wanted to write a plain biography but thought it wouldn't sell if he didn't put an angle on it. As a plain biography, it's pretty good. But I don't buy the science angle.
By the way, I listened to the audiobook version of this. The narrator insisted on using a ridiculous Italian accent whenever he quoted Leonardo (and there were a lot of Leonardo quotes). This was rather annoying, though I'll admit he did a much better job than some narrators I've heard. I mean, I'm sure if Leonardo were alive today he would have a ridiculous Italian accent, but it's not necessary to use a ridiculous Italian accent when quoting him, particularly since the quotes were written in Italian in the first place, and not in English-with-a-ridiculous-Italian accent.
By the way, I listened to the audiobook version of this. The narrator insisted on using a ridiculous Italian accent whenever he quoted Leonardo (and there were a lot of Leonardo quotes). This was rather annoying, though I'll admit he did a much better job than some narrators I've heard. I mean, I'm sure if Leonardo were alive today he would have a ridiculous Italian accent, but it's not necessary to use a ridiculous Italian accent when quoting him, particularly since the quotes were written in Italian in the first place, and not in English-with-a-ridiculous-Italian accent.
May 12, 2021
Leonardo era uno de los aspiracionales de mi adolescencia porque encarna ese ideal renacentista que combina al artista y al científico, de la curiosidad por todas las cosas del mundo. Cómo no admirar a alguien que escribió el mejor CV de la historia, ofreciendo sus servicios a Ludovico Sforza como diseñador de armas -para tiempos de guerra- y como pintor y escultor -para tiempos de paz-. Me compré varios libros de él: uno sobre la Gioconda cuando tuve la fortuna de visitar el Louvre en 1999, otro de la editorial Taschen con sus pinturas y una selección de su cuaderno de notas, entre otros. De su vida leí en distintos lados (desde quienes lo alaban hasta la exageración atribuyéndole inventos hasta los que lo califican de fraude y vago). Finalmente di con esta biografía de White.
Tenía un mejor recuerdo pero veo que hice pocas marcas y pude rescatar poco en esta relectura. Habiendo sido el autor profesor de ciencias y por el título del libro esperaba un enfoque más ambicioso o más original más que simple recorrido cronológico que no aporta mucho a nivel de investigación, fuentes o conexiones interesantes. Probablemente en algún momento lea la biografía de Walter Isaacson (leí la que escribió sobre Steve Jobs y me gustó su enfoque).
Más sobre esta reseña y otras en:
https://pablomariafernandez.substack....
Tenía un mejor recuerdo pero veo que hice pocas marcas y pude rescatar poco en esta relectura. Habiendo sido el autor profesor de ciencias y por el título del libro esperaba un enfoque más ambicioso o más original más que simple recorrido cronológico que no aporta mucho a nivel de investigación, fuentes o conexiones interesantes. Probablemente en algún momento lea la biografía de Walter Isaacson (leí la que escribió sobre Steve Jobs y me gustó su enfoque).
Más sobre esta reseña y otras en:
https://pablomariafernandez.substack....
November 29, 2024
Leonardo fue un artista y científico prolífico. En esta biografía vemos como consiguió resultados concretos como, por ejemplo, sus notables conclusiones en sus estudios sobre óptica, sus hallazgos respecto de la anatomía del ojo y su incomparable brillantez como ilustrador de anatomía.
No sabia que él se adelantó siglos a su tiempo en geologia y geografia y concibió la idea de ciencia aplicada (tecnología) llevándola mucho mas lejos de los sueños de Francis Bacon, a quien suele otorgarse el título de "padre de la tecnología".
Algo que jugo a su favor y en contra fue lo mismo que lo hizo uno de los hombres más ilustres qué la historia ha dado: no se dedico a un solo campo por lo que dedicaba todo su tiempo, inteligencia y creatividad entre varios temas y sus avances dependían de sus intereses.
Finalmente reconozco que me sorprendio que a pesar de que trabajaba metódicamente y con precisión científica gran parte de su obra de perdió, nunca se publico porque estaba dispersa o se dio a conocer muy tarde como para reconocerle su contribución al mundo.
La biografía me pareció interesante aunque el principio se me hizo pesada y difícil de avanzar.
No sabia que él se adelantó siglos a su tiempo en geologia y geografia y concibió la idea de ciencia aplicada (tecnología) llevándola mucho mas lejos de los sueños de Francis Bacon, a quien suele otorgarse el título de "padre de la tecnología".
Algo que jugo a su favor y en contra fue lo mismo que lo hizo uno de los hombres más ilustres qué la historia ha dado: no se dedico a un solo campo por lo que dedicaba todo su tiempo, inteligencia y creatividad entre varios temas y sus avances dependían de sus intereses.
Finalmente reconozco que me sorprendio que a pesar de que trabajaba metódicamente y con precisión científica gran parte de su obra de perdió, nunca se publico porque estaba dispersa o se dio a conocer muy tarde como para reconocerle su contribución al mundo.
La biografía me pareció interesante aunque el principio se me hizo pesada y difícil de avanzar.
September 26, 2025
Türkçe yorum yazan olmamış. Üzülerek ifade etmeliyim ki, kitabın Türkçe çevirisi gerçekten kötü. Bu yorumu, belki buraya gelip bir gören olur düşüncesiyle yazıyorum çünkü kitapyurdu bu tür yorumları kesinlikle yayınlamıyor.
Kitap yorumu adı altında, "Kargo gerçekten hızlıydı çok teşekkürler." , "Arkadaşıma aldım, inşallah beğenir." türünden yorumlardan geçilmeyen bir kitap sitesinde (!) , bir kitabın kötü bir çeviri olduğu ve o nedenle o kitaptan uzak durulması gerektiği yönündeki yorumlara asla yer verilmiyor ne hikmetse. Her neyse, konumuz bu değil.
Ülkemizdeki çevirmenlerin çalışma koşullarını ve yayın evlerinin politikalarını az çok biliyorum ama kitap bu haliyle okunabilirlikten gerçekten çok uzak. Prensip olarak, başladığım bir kitabı beğenmesem bile bitirmeden bırakmam çoğu zaman. Yarıda bırakıp bırakmama konusunda kararsız kaldığım kitaplardan biri oldu bu. İnkılap gibi köklü bir yayınevine de pek yakıştıramadım doğrusu.
Eğer bu kitabı satın almadan gelip burayı okuyorsanız, tavsiyem şu: almayın. Eğer kitabı satın alıp şu an bu yorumu okuyorsanız tavsiyem şu: Bence hiç okumaya başlamayın.
Kitap yorumu adı altında, "Kargo gerçekten hızlıydı çok teşekkürler." , "Arkadaşıma aldım, inşallah beğenir." türünden yorumlardan geçilmeyen bir kitap sitesinde (!) , bir kitabın kötü bir çeviri olduğu ve o nedenle o kitaptan uzak durulması gerektiği yönündeki yorumlara asla yer verilmiyor ne hikmetse. Her neyse, konumuz bu değil.
Ülkemizdeki çevirmenlerin çalışma koşullarını ve yayın evlerinin politikalarını az çok biliyorum ama kitap bu haliyle okunabilirlikten gerçekten çok uzak. Prensip olarak, başladığım bir kitabı beğenmesem bile bitirmeden bırakmam çoğu zaman. Yarıda bırakıp bırakmama konusunda kararsız kaldığım kitaplardan biri oldu bu. İnkılap gibi köklü bir yayınevine de pek yakıştıramadım doğrusu.
Eğer bu kitabı satın almadan gelip burayı okuyorsanız, tavsiyem şu: almayın. Eğer kitabı satın alıp şu an bu yorumu okuyorsanız tavsiyem şu: Bence hiç okumaya başlamayın.
March 16, 2016
I wanted an introduction to the life and the scope of interests of da Vinci; probably the quintessential polymath. This did not disappoint. Luckily, the title is somewhat misleading as the book covers not just his contribution to science but also to art and how each influenced the other. It is well-accepted that much of the work that da Vinci produced, perhaps as much as a third, is lost but despite this, the book overlies biographical material with the work being produced at the time. It is only in the last Chapters, after the biography, that da Vinci's place as a scientist becomes the primary focus. Repeated consideration of what the criteria are to be considered a scientist becomes annoying but otherwise this attempt to draw together his contribution to several fields of science is worthwhile.
In summary, I would recommend this book as a first port of call to begin to learn about da Vinci the person and artist, as well as da Vinci the scientist.
In summary, I would recommend this book as a first port of call to begin to learn about da Vinci the person and artist, as well as da Vinci the scientist.
December 2, 2018
Hmmmmm. I'm a bit conflicted about this one because I really enjoyed it but at the same time it's clearly not an objective biography. I believe the subtitle is misleading because there's not a very strong case presented here for Leonardo actually being "the first scientist". It reads more like a biography by an admirer (at the beginning the author claims Da Vinci was his childhood hero), not by an academic who has researched and dedicated a professional life to the subject. All in all, I really did enjoy reading this book. I think anyone who has a casual interest in learning about Da Vinci would do well starting here. I think it has some wonderful anecdotes and it's always nice to hear a new voice reflect on Da Vinci and his life and work. Just so you know, my absolute favorite Da Vinci biography is called Discovering the Life of Leonardo Da Vinci by Serge Bramly.
December 8, 2020
This straightforward biography is accessible and easy to read. I agree with the premise of calling Leonardo a scientist. I think White argued his case well, (maybe even over-argued it at times). I don’t think the book earned the subtitle ‘The First Scientist’ though, as really only a small portion of the text is devoted to the premise.
I had some issues with the writing too. There was unneeded repetition, often using a quote then paraphrasing it. I also think there was an overuse of both quotes and footnotes.
Overall, it really felt like we were just skimming the surface of da Vinci as the author tried to fit him into the mould he had made for him. It might work as an alright introduction to da Vinci but I wouldn’t make this the only biography you read on the subject.
I had some issues with the writing too. There was unneeded repetition, often using a quote then paraphrasing it. I also think there was an overuse of both quotes and footnotes.
Overall, it really felt like we were just skimming the surface of da Vinci as the author tried to fit him into the mould he had made for him. It might work as an alright introduction to da Vinci but I wouldn’t make this the only biography you read on the subject.
September 6, 2009
I read this book the summer of 2007 when I had the great chance to spend a lot of time on a Tuscan beach at Bibbona, Italy. I read both The Agony and the Ecstasy and Leonardo, The First Scientist. It was a great comparison of the lives of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. While they did not live at exactly the same time, they were more competitors in many ways. Leonardo: The First Scientist is not a historical novel - it is a well researched chronology of Leonardo's life and contributions. It was an easy read that moved well. I enjoyed both books.
July 30, 2013
This book did, as hoped, help me learn about the life of Leonardo da Vinci. Unfortunately, only about half the book was information about his life life while the other half was conclusions about the man drawn by the author. Far too much time was spent analyzing Da Vinci's psyche and motivations for my taste. Mr. White also seemed so excited about his ideas that he tended to repeat them over and over. I hope to get a break from the words "autodidactic" and "polymath" for a while. I would recommend seeking out a different biography of Leonardo da Vinci.
November 25, 2011
Michael White has a world on information to offer, but the book is organized so that there is no timeline or other thread to follow, only facts and cross-references. I couldn't even figure out cause and effect in the progress of Leonardo's life and career, as the history lessons got in the way, along with the repetitious statements about his personality. A good book for somebody with a lot of time to spend and a willingness to suspend narrative for the sake of background.
January 21, 2022
White is undoubtedly a good storyteller and as far as I can tell, his story was well researched. However, there where times when I felt his claims to be far fetched as he made conclusions too bold for the limited information he had. There were also a few times when I wished the photos he used were more relevant to the text they were placed next to. I went to Google many times to find the paintings and journal entries he referred to.
September 2, 2010
I enjoyed this book and there was some nice little bits of trivia. One major issue I had with it was that White seems to focus mainly on what Leonardo didn't finish rather than explaining what was so miraculous about the finished works and ideas. This makes the Leonardo: The First Scientist a peculiarly disheartening read.
November 20, 2015
Leonardo a fost fără îndoială un fenomen aparte, un om descris drept un "geniu capricios", iar de către unul dintre biografii sai "anormal". El a fost însa foarte uman și și-a trăit viata dorind sa rămână în legătură cu natura, sa trăiască după convingerile lui intelectuale potrivit cărora, în calitate de ființa umană, nu era decât un simplu element într-un ansamblu mai larg al lucrurilor.
January 27, 2018
Apologies, but this felt like a re-hashing of the work of others, and without any fresh insight.
It also felt like there was too much 'let's not forget to emphasize his failings, lest we look at his genius humbly,' for my taste.
It also felt like there was too much 'let's not forget to emphasize his failings, lest we look at his genius humbly,' for my taste.
December 22, 2018
It's interesting to talk about Leonardo as a scientist or an engineer. But by no means can we say he was the 'first' scientist. I feel myself being kind of 'clickbait'. After all, I've finished it. Also, I don't think those materials have been very well organized, there are no references either.
Currently reading
February 22, 2009well illustrated. White addresses the gray areas of Da Vinci’s past. White’s interpretation of Da Vinci's notes are reasonable and almost free of controversy.
June 26, 2019
Light and simple.
The book is good and easy to read. Some kind of light biography. Leonardo for begginners.
The book is good and easy to read. Some kind of light biography. Leonardo for begginners.
March 1, 2025
Ultimately grateful that I read this partly for the insight into the parodic lives of lords and rulers in 15th century Italy. Painful last few chapters repeating everything he’s already told you. Too much time spent defending Leonardo as if the reader was coming from a place of not being willing to accept him as a scientist, I did not care about his argument or opinions or extended departures from the facts into the world of speculation that seems to be mostly projections of very boring bias. Hate the title. Lets homophobic and misogynistic theories from decades ago hang in the air uncriticised; I don’t know why he gave so much space for the discussions around how his absent mother may have impacted his very strained relationship to sex and not a single question arises about the fact he lived as a child with a powerful man known to love the company of beautiful young boys and kept dozens of them living in his house alone with him at any given time, even stating it is such a great mystery as to why Leonardo never mentions his master and got as far away from him as soon as he was able. Very oddly at another point also asks us not to “judge” paedophilic activities of this time with 21st century values.
March 6, 2022
We remember Leonardo mostly for his paintings and sketches, but Michael White makes a convincing argument that Leonardo should perhaps be remembered more as the first scientist. The conception of what it means to be a scientist is very recent and Leonardo may not have practiced science as it conforms to our 21st century notions. However, White makes a convincing argument that Leonardo was the first to seriously break away from Aristotelian worldview where experimentation was not valued and to begin using both detailed observation and experimentation as a means of developing theories.
White makes use of abundant direct quotes from Leonardo himself and from contemporaries, which both bolster his argument and give the reader a feeling for Leonardo the man and the context and which he lived. Occasionally, White attempts to bring Leonardo to life by attributing emotional states and attitudes to him that we have absolutely no way of verifying. This ever so slightly detracts from an otherwise very enjoyable and informative read that will give you insights into aspects of Leonardo da Vinci that are often barely covered in other biographies.
White makes use of abundant direct quotes from Leonardo himself and from contemporaries, which both bolster his argument and give the reader a feeling for Leonardo the man and the context and which he lived. Occasionally, White attempts to bring Leonardo to life by attributing emotional states and attitudes to him that we have absolutely no way of verifying. This ever so slightly detracts from an otherwise very enjoyable and informative read that will give you insights into aspects of Leonardo da Vinci that are often barely covered in other biographies.
April 24, 2024
Hettie Trahms: A historical biography of Leonardo da Vinci, using his own notebooks and explanation of the political and social circumstances of the 1400's.
My favorite part of the book was Da Vinci's reasoning about how the eye and the travel of light works.
This is a very interesting book to read. A historical study and view of Da Vinci's life and the political and social situation of the time in which he lived, from 1452-1519.
The writer has a deep appreciation of Da Vinci's scientific ideas, which was quite good for a pre-scientific time. He dissected bodies, and made 3D drawings of the muscles, tendons, and bones, which was far ahead of studies of that time, nearly modern by today's standards.
He was very interested in weapons of war, and in his notebooks and sketch books, he had drawings of weapons alongside arty sketches. He lived in a time of sometimes violent clashes between city states, and hoped that he could interest the rulers in giving him a job.
He was born as a illegitimate child, separated from his mother and did not get the same education as his siblings.
In spite of his big talent as an artist a lot of his work was never completed.
My favorite part of the book was Da Vinci's reasoning about how the eye and the travel of light works.
This is a very interesting book to read. A historical study and view of Da Vinci's life and the political and social situation of the time in which he lived, from 1452-1519.
The writer has a deep appreciation of Da Vinci's scientific ideas, which was quite good for a pre-scientific time. He dissected bodies, and made 3D drawings of the muscles, tendons, and bones, which was far ahead of studies of that time, nearly modern by today's standards.
He was very interested in weapons of war, and in his notebooks and sketch books, he had drawings of weapons alongside arty sketches. He lived in a time of sometimes violent clashes between city states, and hoped that he could interest the rulers in giving him a job.
He was born as a illegitimate child, separated from his mother and did not get the same education as his siblings.
In spite of his big talent as an artist a lot of his work was never completed.
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