Our beautifully equipped gift edition invites readers to discover the universal genius Leonardo da Vinci from a lesser-known perspective: as the author of witty philosophical reflections on the course of the world and what drives humanity. For 500 years, these insights have remained astonishingly unchanged, as demonstrated here. Leonardo da Vinci was one of those individuals who constantly took notes: he jotted down his observations, snippets of thought, and flashes of inspiration wherever there was space: on the margins of a page, in a corner, or on the back of a drawing that might have depicted something entirely different. The notes collected here and organized by themes are aphorisms in the classical sense of the word: concise and brilliantly formulated reflections on the world, nature, and humanity. The second part contains riddles and prophecies, conceived for the amusement of the Milanese.