Books like Leonardo

An intimate, awe-inspiring glimpse into the restless, brilliant mind of history's greatest polymath. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Leonardo.

contemplative
intellectual
intimate
awe-inspiring

01
Literary works of Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Step inside the endlessly curious, brilliantly chaotic mind of history's greatest polymath.
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- contemplative
- intellectual
- reverent
- analytical
02
Leonardo da Vinci
Walter Isaacson
An immersive journey into the notebooks and mind of history's most relentlessly curious polymath.
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- analytical
- curious
03
Leonardo Da Vinci and the Splendor of Poland
Sarah McPhee · 2002
A quiet, gallery-like stroll through centuries of European masterpieces and the resilient history of Polish art collecting.
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- contemplative
- scholarly
- reverent
04
How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci
Michael J. Gelb · 2000
An interactive masterclass in waking up your senses and reclaiming your innate, boundless curiosity.
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- reverent
05
Kindheitserinnerung des Leonardo da Vinci
Sigmund Freud
A probing, psychoanalytic journey into the mind and mysteries of a Renaissance genius.
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- contemplative
- intellectual
- analytical
06
The Road Ahead
Bill Gates
A fascinating time capsule of 1990s tech optimism that maps out the dawn of the digital age.
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- intellectual
- analytical
07
How to be rich
J. Paul Getty · 1965
A surprisingly philosophical masterclass on money, stripping away the flash of billionaire life to reveal the grounded principles of true wealth.
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- contemplative
08
The art of doing science and engineering
Richard Hamming and Bret Victor
Sit down with a legendary thinker for a masterclass in intellectual courage and the pursuit of greatness.
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- intellectual
09
The Golden Ratio
Mario Livio
An awe-inspiring journey through the hidden mathematical pattern that connects sunflower florets, Renaissance masterpieces, and the shape of the galaxy.
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- contemplative
- intellectual
- awe-inspiring
- reverent
10
Hackers & painters
Graham, Paul · 2004
A crisp, contrarian manifesto that frames writing code as an act of creative rebellion and artistic design.
Shares:
- analytical
11
Isaac Newton
James Gleick · 2003
An elegant, atmospheric plunge into the obsessive and brilliant mind that dragged humanity out of the dark ages and into the light of modern physics.
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- contemplative
- intellectual
- awe-inspiring
- analytical
12
Connections
Burke, James · 1978
A dizzying, delightful connect-the-dots journey through history that reveals the hidden threads linking ancient accidents to modern marvels.
Shares:
- curious

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