An excellent collection of thematically connected essays, including "The Unconscious," "Screen Memories," and "Family Romances." Leonardo da Vinci impressed Freud primarily because he wanted to understand why his personality was so elusive to his contemporaries. In this lucid biographical essay, he deeply analyzes both da Vinci's character and the nature of his genius. As always, many of his exploratory paths lead to the subject's sexuality - why did da Vinci depict the naked human body the way he did? What is the tendency to surround himself with beautiful young boys he had as students? Impressive, provocative, and often controversial, this volume contains some of Freud's best writings.