He was the greatest artistic genius of all time. What were his secrets?

The author of the bestselling biographies of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein, based on thousands of pages from Da Vinci's own notebooks and new discoveries about his work, unravels the thread of this unique life. And he proves that his genius was not something inexplicable but was based on his inexhaustible curiosity, observance, and vivid imagination.

Leonardo painted two of the most famous works in history, The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. But he considered himself equally a man of science and technology. With a passion that bordered on obsession, he studied the human body, birds, the functioning of the heart, plants, geology, and designed flying and war machines.

Illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, and heretical in thought, Leonardo was often one step—or even none—away from being considered a pariah. His life confirms that creativity and success always start from the ability—and the courage—to be different.

"A powerful story of a fascinating intellect and life... a study in creativity: how it is defined, how it is achieved."