Blaise Pascal The Man Who Made The Modern World

<p>'A richly detailed account of Pascal's life and times, which displays an energetic sympathy for Pascal's startling combination of intellectual precocity and humble faith.'<br><b>Rory Stewart</b><br><br>'A fresh, accessible and highly engaging account of a leading philosopher whose ideas remain strikingly relevant today. Highly recommended.'<br><b>Professor Alister McGrath</b><br><br>'A compelling portrait of a fascinating figure navigating an equally fascinating period. In a world where everything is in flux, how can a man with a once in a generation mind endeavour to keep hold of his soul? Hugely enjoyable.'<br><b>Elizabeth Oldfield</b><br><br>He lived for just 39 years, yet Blaise Pascal was one of the most remarkable and creative figures of the seventeenth century.<br><br>He is known for his famous argument 'the wager', but there's so much more to him than that (and most people misunderstand the argument anyway). Pascal can lay claim not only to have built an early version of the modern computer, done ground-breaking work in mathematics and geometry and virtually invented probability theory, but also to have produced one of the most haunting and effective works of Christian apologetics ever written. He is a major intellectual figure at the beginning of the modern age who blends together in his own person and thinking issues that are critical to our age. Blaise Pascal is therefore a crucial figure: not just in the history of European thought, but in how he can shed light on many contemporary debates.</p>