Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Life in Pursuit of Freedom


I'm halfway through Roger Pearson's Voltaire Almighty: A Life in Pursuit of Freedom (2005). Voltaire, of course, rocks: ". . . history is a witness, not a flatterer . . . the only way to make others say good things of us, is to do good things . . ." Voltaire's worldview was remarkably enlightened, progressive, and anathema to arbitrary power -- an astonishing fact given his years on earth (1694-1778). He was quite a character, to boot. Aptly, from the front flap: A rebel from start to finish . . . The consummate outsider, a dissenter who craved acceptance while flamboyantly disdaining it, author of countless stories, poems, books, plays, treatises, and tracts as well as some twenty thousand letters to his friends: Voltaire had a long and active life, all for the cause of freedom -- his own and others'.

Today's Rune: Partnership.

5 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Sounds like I'd enjoy this.

Lana Gramlich said...

Interesting. I'll have to check him out more than I have. Here I thought I was a Nietzche girl...*LOL*

Sidney said...

Good quote. A rule to live by. Happy '008 to you.

Shauna Roberts said...

Sounds fascinating. I'm putting your post in my books-to-buy box.

t said...

Like your other commenters, I'm thinking "gotta check out Voltaire."
Thank you for the comment. Have an awesome 2008! Happy New Year to you.

Packing to go to Lagos. I love flying. Pretty excited about Cairo (if the visa thing doesn't get screwed further ;)