About the Book

Leonardo on Innovation is a 40-day guided journey that uses Leonardo da Vinci's creative process as a lens for modern innovation. Each chapter pairs a principle from Leonardo's notebooks — curiosity, empathy, prototyping, systems thinking — with a contemporary case study drawn from business, design, science, and the arts.

Unlike traditional business books, this is not a methodology. It is an invitation to rediscover a way of seeing: fluid, cross-disciplinary, and fully alive to possibility. Readers keep a notebook. They move slowly. They reflect.

The Central Idea

Specialization has become the default measure of mastery. Leonardo da Vinci proved the opposite: true innovation thrives at intersections, where disciplines collide and recombine. Five centuries before neuroscience named it, he embodied neuroplasticity — cultivating a mind that never hardened.

"Innovation is not the product of genius;
it is the practice of expansion."

Key Themes Across 40 Chapters

Innovators Featured

Each chapter pairs a Leonardo principle with a modern or historical case study.

Who This Book Is For

• Business leaders navigating change and uncertainty
• Entrepreneurs and creative founders
• Designers and product innovators
• Educators and lifelong learners
• Anyone seeking a richer creative practice

About Michael Straub

Michael Straub is an author, artist, and technologist whose work explores the intersection of creativity, systems thinking, and real-world application. With a background spanning enterprise technology and design, he has worked with teams to translate complex ideas into practical, usable solutions.

He has studied the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci for more than two decades. Leonardo on Innovation grew from that inquiry — a synthesis of Renaissance thinking, modern neuroscience, and the real creative lives of innovators across disciplines.

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