What We Are Reading Today: ‘Leonardo da Vinci: An Untraceable Life’ by Stephen J. Campbell

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Updated 11 November 2024
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What We Are Reading Today: ‘Leonardo da Vinci: An Untraceable Life’ by Stephen J. Campbell

Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) never signed a painting, and none of his supposed self-portraits can be securely ascribed to his hand.

Addressing the ethical stakes involved in studying past lives, Stephen J. Campbell shows how this invented Leonardo has invited speculation from figures ranging from art dealers and curators to scholars, scientists, and biographers, many of whom have filled in the gaps of what can be known of Leonardo’s life with claims to decode secrets, reveal mysteries of a vanished past, or discover lost masterpieces of spectacular value.


What We Are Reading Today: Miracle Children

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Updated 23 January 2026
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What We Are Reading Today: Miracle Children

  • This book is an extraordinary look at the American higher educational system, and the lengths in which people will go to get there

Authors: Katie Benner, Erica L. Green

“Miracle Children” tells the story of a small private school in the US state of Louisiana that found itself at the center of a college admissions scandal after providing fake transcripts and fictional personal essays. 

The book expends some jaw-dropping reporting from the two authors about the school, TM Landry, that seemed to get amazing results for their pupils.  It presents a nice balance between historical perspective and investigative journalism. It is a well-researched, factual presentation of racism in education, both in the past and present day.

This book is an extraordinary look at the American higher educational system, and the lengths in which people will go to get there.
Through their journalistic investigation, Katie Benner and Erica L. Green put focus on the couple that ran the prep school along with some of the students that attended it.