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Book Review: Voltaire the Universal Man

Voltaire the Universal Man by Derek Parker delves into the very chaotic but interesting life of one of the world’s greatest playwrights and thinkers. Voltaire was born in 1694 whose real name was François-Marie Arouet. He wrote thousands of books, letters, and theatricals in his attempt to help people to think beyond the obvious. He railed against short logic, intolerance, dogmatic blindness, war, and at times established royalty.   In many ways he adopted American values and encouraged others in his country to follow the same beliefs. Taught by Jesuits his family pushed him to become an attorney. However, he rebelled and instead became a writer and poet. Because of the way he thought about the world, and his criticism of some Paris practices, he spent numerous times imprisoned. An eleven month stay in the Bastille caused estrangement from his family but also freed him to pursue his own goals.  His personality and fame can be seen in one of his conflicts. When a Paris n