The term Renaissance man
is used to describe a number of talented individuals today, but it got its real start with Leonardo da Vinci. As an artist, inventor, and scholar, he produced everything from the Mona Lisa to drawings of the world's first airplanes. Through informative main text and sidebars, annotated quotes from scholars, and detailed examples of da Vinci's work, readers are introduced to a genius who never went to formal school but invented machines that would not be made for centuries. Leonardo da Vinci is a fascinating historical figure, and his story is sure to inspire young artists.