Da Vinci Decoded: Discovering the Spiritual Secrets of Leonardo's Seven Principles [Hardcover]

Michael J. Gelb (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2004

Author Michael Gelb ignited the current fascination with all things Da Vinci with his runaway bestseller, How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day. Just as that book showed readers how to use the seven Da Vincian principles to develop their creative potential, his new book, Da Vinci Decoded, will help you use the same principles to cultivate your spiritual potential.

Wonder. Appreciation. Awareness. Wholeness…In the Western world of the fifteenth century, these personal qualities were all boldly embodied in one extraordinary man. From art to botany, anatomy to mechanics, Da Vinci was a profoundly original thinker fully in tune with the world of man and nature, and with the divine spirit that bridges the two. In this bold new guide to awakening the soul, Michael Gelb draws on Leonardo’s writings, inventions, and works of art to show how you, too, can practice the seven essential principles by which Leonardo lived and worked:
Filled with practical exercises that will help you put each of the seven principles into use, a series of reflective questions designed for self-assessment, and inspirational sayings drawn from the world’s great wisdom traditions, Da Vinci Decoded offers a wide range of tools to use in your spiritual quest. Now you can let Leonardo and this book be your personal guides to creating your own personal spiritual renaissance today.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Seven is a powerful, special number," writes Gelb, author of the similar book "How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day." Here he focuses more on the spiritual than the intellectual creativity of Da Vinci’s legacy, encouraging readers to embrace the artist-cum-inventor as their "personal spiritual adviser." In the first section, Gelb reviews Da Vinci’s life and teachings, answering some of the historical questions raised by Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. But this is not just another knee-jerk rebuttal to the fictional mega-seller, which he regards kindly. Rather, it’s a spiritual self-help book that draws from sources ranging from the Dalai Lama and Hasidic rabbis to "Star Trek" and the writings and paintings of Leonardo himself. Gelb wants readers to employ seven Da Vinci principles on their quest: they should seek the truth, take responsibility for their search, sharpen awareness, embrace ambiguity and paradox, cultivate balance, nurture integration of the mind and body, and "practice love." For Gelb, Da Vinci emerges in these chapters as a hero who exemplifies the 21st-century trends toward religious eclecticism and an individual spirituality that is unbound by creed or dogma. The book is generally strong but sometimes uneven. Sidebars (many of which interrupt and detract from the book’s narrative flow) offer tidbits on Da Vinci’s resurgent popularity and much-touted sex life, quotations from a sampling of the world’s sacred texts and great religious thinkers, and even magazine-style self-assessment checklists and quizzes.
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From the Inside Flap

Author Michael Gelb ignited the current fascination with all things Da Vinci with his runaway bestseller, How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day. Just as that book showed readers how to use the seven Da Vincian principles to develop their creative potential, his new book, Da Vinci Decoded, will help you use the same principles to cultivate your spiritual potential.

Wonder. Appreciation. Awareness. Wholeness...In the Western world of the fifteenth century, these personal qualities were all boldly embodied in one extraordinary man. From art to botany, anatomy to mechanics, Da Vinci was a profoundly original thinker fully in tune with the world of man and nature, and with the divine spirit that bridges the two. In this bold new guide to awakening the soul, Michael Gelb draws on Leonardo's writings, inventions, and works of art to show how you, too, can practice the seven essential principles by which Leonardo lived and worked:
Filled with practical exercises that will help you put each of the seven principles into use, a series of reflective questions designed for self-assessment, and inspirational sayings drawn from the world's great wisdom traditions, Da Vinci Decoded offers a wide range of tools to use in your spiritual quest. Now you can let Leonardo and this book be your personal guides to creating your own personal spiritual renaissance today.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385338619
• ISBN-13: 978-0385338615
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,891,069 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

http://michaelgelb.com/

Michael J. Gelb, is the world's leading authority on the application of genius thinking to personal and organizational development. He is a pioneer in the fields of creative thinking, accelerated learning, and innovative leadership. Gelb leads seminars for organizations such as DuPont, Merck, Microsoft, Nike, Raytheon and YPO. He brings more than 30 years of experience as a professional speaker, seminar leader and organizational consultant to his diverse, international clientele.

Michael Gelb is the author of 12 books on creativity and innovation including the international best seller How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day. (1998) How to Think Like Leonardo has been translated into 25 languages and has appeared on the Washington Post, Amazon.com, and the New York Times best seller lists.

In 2007 Gelb released Innovate Like Edison: The Five Step System for Breakthrough Business Success, co-authored with Sarah Miller Caldicott, the great grand niece of Thomas Edison. As Professor Vijay Govindarajan, author of Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators noted, "This book is a must have for anyone who wants to turn creative ideas into profitable reality."

In 1999, Michael Gelb won the Brain Trust Charity's "Brain of the Year" award; others honorees include Prof. Stephen Hawking, Bill Gates, Garry Kasparov and Gene Rodenberry. In 2003, Michael was awarded a Batten Fellowship by the University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business. Michael co-directs the acclaimed Leading Innovation Seminar at Darden with Professor James Clawson. Michael Gelb also serves as the Director of Creativity and Innovation Leadership for the Conscious Capitalism Institute.

A former professional juggler who once performed with the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, Gelb introduced the idea of teaching juggling as a means to promote accelerated learning and team-building. He is the author of The 5 Keys to High Performance: Juggling Your Way to Success. A fourth degree black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido, Gelb is co-author with International Grandmaster Raymond Keene, of Samurai Chess: Mastering Strategic Thinking Through the Martial Art of the Mind. Michael Gelb is also a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique, (the method taught at The Julliard School for cultivating commanding stage presence), and the author of the classic work: Body Learning: An Introduction to the Alexander Technique. Michael's 1988 release Present Yourself! Captivate Your Audience with Great Presentation Skills guides readers to develop the communication strategies they need to generate support for their innovative ideas.

Michael has also created many best selling audio programs, include: Mind Mapping: How to Liberate Your Natural Genius, Work Like Da Vinci: Gaining the Creative Advantage in Your Business and Career and The Spirit of Leonardo.

Michael Gelb's passion for applying genius thinking to personal and organizational development is also expressed in his Harper Collins release (2002) Discover Your Genius: How To Think Like History's Ten Most Revolutionary Minds.

His most recent book, Wine Drinking For Inspired Thinking: Uncork Your Creative Juices, offers a unique, original and very enjoyable approach to team building.

His next book, to be published in January 2012 by New World Library, is Brain Power: Improve Your Mind As You Age.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest guide to living a better life, October 16, 2004

By 

C. Middleton (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Da Vinci Decoded: Discovering the Spiritual Secrets of Leonardo's Seven Principles (Hardcover)

This sequel to Michael Gleb's runaway bestseller focuses on the spiritual aspects of the seven steps to genius, expounded in his last text, including the need to seek the truth, taking responsibility for our thoughts, condition and actions, refining our self and outer awareness, analysing the dark components of our natures, striving for balance in all things and lastly, the cultivation of virtue, particularly love and compassion. Along with these spiritual steps are practical exercises to help us develop in these areas. These seven principles are designed and intended by the author to awaken our souls, prompt us to live in the moment, and ultimately realize the deep connection between all things in the universe.

One gets the impression that Michael Gleb has written this book directly from his heart. One senses a sincerity and clean desire to share everything he has discovered that has aided him in living a more meaningful existence. Intuitively I perceived a gut-level honesty in this book and a clear desire from the author to help his readers gain practical knowledge in order to live happier lives. Considering the vast amount of self-help manuals out there, all grappling for a piece of the self-improvement market, it was refreshing to read such an honest and well-written work. There is no question in my mind that Michael Gleb is sincere in his intention to share his seven principles, gently putting us on the road to living more meaningful lives.

We all have our areas of strengths and weaknesses, aspects of our lives that need honing or at least an honest assessment. For me it is living in the moment, not letting life pass by without experiencing all its wonders. For many years each day would more or less be taken for granted, thoughts preoccupied with memories of the past or worries about the future. The chapter on sharpening awareness has pointed me in the right direction to enjoy the moment, live in the moment, and experience the wonders of being aware in present time. Gleb also advises us on one of the age-old tenets of philosophy, first announced by the Greek philosopher, Socrates, and that was to "know thy self". The unexamined life is not worth living is a datum to live by that Gleb emphasises more that any of the other principles. It is an important one.

One does not have to read Michael Gleb's first book, "How to Think Like Leonardo Da Vince" in order to fully appreciate this one. He communicates Leonardo's seven principles in clean, easy to understand prose. The book is designed to read through once to then return and practice the exercises at the end of each chapter, which from personal experience, have great practical value.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A practical exploration of spirituality, April 15, 2006

By 

Jj Pieterse "Passion, Romance and Philosophy" (Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Da Vinci Decoded: Discovering the Spiritual Secrets of Leonardo's Seven Principles (Hardcover)

The book focus on the what the autor believes to be the seven principles underlying Leonardo da Vinci's life philosophy. These are not seven spiritual laws as defined by Leonardo himself but it is deduced from stydying the writings, drawings and art of Leonardo. I do not know what Leonardo would have thought about the seven principles that are attributed to him. The author succeed well in providing information that support his case that the principles fits into the life of Leonardo.

The principles powerful, easy to understand and with no doubt will enrich the serious seeker's life. The book is nicely divided in first explaining each principle and how it relates to Leonardo's work and then another section that tables practical suggestions for applying each principle. There is an appeal in the book that drew me towards a desire towards a greater level of simplicity, balance and integration.

The author clearly draws from a much larger base of spiritual knowledge than just the words of Leonardo. The author quotes from Lao Tzu, the Bible, the Hinduism, Buddhism and various others to substanstiate why the principles are truly universal. The principles I believe will resonate well with a majority of readers of various spiritual and religious backgrounds.

The reader who want to know more about Leonardo da Vinci himself might be dissapointed. There are plenty of snippets of information on Leonardo's life, thinking and art but the book was not meant to reflect a detailed historical timeline of Leonardo.

The aim of the book is to provide compelling information to position the principle as authentic principles that can uplift and edify the spirituality of man. I think the book admirably succeed in its aim as the author applies the principles in the book to bring accross the message of the book. I will still reference this book as a time to come and put it in my book case under the section of valuable books to reread often.

5.0 out of 5 stars Eternal Beauty, February 26, 2011

By 

Deb - See all my reviews

This review is from: Da Vinci Decoded: Discovering the Spiritual Secrets of Leonardo's Seven Principles (Paperback)

Gelb quotes the art critic Bernard Berenson who said of Leonardo that "everything he touched turned to eternal beauty." Da Vinci Decoded brings to life the eternal spiritual beauty beneath the surface of Leonardo's works. The comments from interviews with Leonardo scholar Martin Kemp, Renaissance art expert Sir Brian Tovey, and anthropologist/psychologist Dr. Jean Houston shed clarifying light on the mythology surrounding Leonardo's alleged participation in cultish behavior.
What emerges is a much more convincing and compelling account of the spiritual insights of one of humanity's greatest geniuses.