the ideas he had”. Not only was he inventing a multitude of different item, they could actually function. On page 70 it states that his inventions were “…practical and yet original”. 30-Second Leonardo Da Vinci by Marina Wallace was a fact filled book.
One of them was that Leonardo had the Mona Lisa with him at the time of his death, I think that attributed to the reason why it is so famous. Another fact is that he lived for 67 years, a remarkable length for the time period that he lived in. An additional fact was that when he died he left behind over 6,000 journal pages filled with grocery lists, musings, and bawdy jokes, I find this interesting because we usually don’t think of a renaissance man buying groceries or making inappropriate jokes. A fourth fact is that a famous genius (ironically) didn’t have any formal schooling. Which amazes me at just the fact that he was so dedicated to learning. A fifth fact is that he had dyslexia, so he wrote his notes in inverse, but that slowed down people attempting to steal his ideas. One more fact is that he used to break into graveyards and steal bodies so he could study human
anatomy. If you decide to read 30-Second Leonardo Da Vinci by Marina Wallace, there are some words you should know. Such as “cartography”, the art, technique or practice of compiling or drawing maps or graphs, in other words map making. A second word is “ratchet and pawl” which is a device that allows a wheel to turn in only one direction. Another word you should know is “aero foil” which is a structure with curved surfaces making it easier for air to flow faster over the top than under. The final definition you should know is “dissection”, which is a careful and methodical deconstruction of the human body.
Overall I give 30-Second Leonardo Da Vinci by Marina Wallace four stars, because it was well written and easily understood, but still informed the reader. On page 136-137 “Anatomy… glossary” it explains most of the words in that section so you can learn. On page 90 it says “In Leonardo’s day it was common…” and it goes on explaining why he did this or that, and that’s why I give this book a four