by Michael J. Gelb, 1998, 322 pages, $24.95, ISBN 0-385-32381-6. Published by Delacorte Press.

It is generally accepted that we use only a small part of our brain's potential. By studying the life of Leonardo Da Vinci, the author of this book believes he has uncovered seven essential elements of not only Da Vinci's genius, but seven principles anyone can apply to themselves.

Not only was Leonardo a great artist, but he was a military engineer, anatomist, botanist and all around scientist. As an inventor his plans included "A flying machine ... the extendible ladder (still in use by fire departments today), the three-speed gear shift, a machine for cutting threads in screws...". And the list of his inventions goes on and on. The author notes that Bill Gates (in 1994) paid $30 million for just eighteen sheets of Leonardo's notebooks!

The first basic principle is to develop curiosity and apply creativity to problem solving. Leonardo had intense curiosity about virtually everything. The author points out that far too much of today's schooling is dedicated to coming up with the "right answer -- that is, the answer held by the person in authority, the teacher." Far more focus should be on "Is this the right question?"

Finding "metaphors in nature was one of Leonardo's favorite techniques". The author notes that this is still a powerful method. He cites the invention of Velcro which was stimulated by the inventor studying the burrs stuck to his trousers after a hike. The ease with which banana skins may be removed is said to have stimulated the inventor of the pull-tab on aluminum cans.

Not only did Leonardo have an intense curiosity, but he utilized his senses acutely. His notebooks show that when he observed birds in flight he saw the motion of feathers and wings so precisely that not until the development of slow-motion photography were his observations confirmed. The writer devotes an entire chapter on how you too can improve your sensing abilities.

Another essential element to the creativity of Leonardo was the ability to see and live with paradox. Part of this is the ability to sleep on a problem and to allow for solutions to incubate. Too often we assume relentless hard work is the solution to all problems. The ability to "trust your gut" when dealing with ambiguity is still vital, even, as the author notes, in this age of information overload.

Yet another key to understanding Leonardo's genius and to improving your own brain capabilities is "the development of balance between science and art, logic and imagination". As the writer points out, in recent years a great insight into the functioning of our brains has been to realize that people vary in their left-brain and right-brain abilities. The left half of our brains being heavy in logical, analytical thinking, while the right half in the imagination and overall-picture thinking. A great failure of our educational system has been not to recognize and encourage right-brain thinking.

The book points out that Leonardo was both an artist and a scientist and was able to balance both love of beauty with the pursuit of truth. The book gives examples of how a method called mind mapping can help you to develop balanced thinking, just as Leonardo did. The method combines the power of outlining with the often unappreciated power of doodling or daydreaming.

If you think reading about Da Vinci is reading dead, obsolete history, consider the advice he offered about good health that reads like today's Sunday supplement. He urged proper diet and exercise. This quote from his notebooks should knock your socks off -- "Death in old men... is caused by the veins... which thicken so much they become closed up and leave no passage for the blood". Leonardo's advice was terrific 500 years ago and it is still so today.

This is one beautiful book. The photos of Leonardo's paintings and notebook pages are almost enough to make you want to keep it as an arty coffee-table book. But read it, apply its principles to yourself and to the education of your kids (it may be more important than their "formal" education), and then donate it to your local library.