A Piece of the Mountain:The Story of Blaise Pascal [Paperback]

Joyce Mcpherson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1882514173 | ISBN-13: 978-1882514175 | Publication Date: December 1, 1997

A biography of one of the most important scientists and mathematicians of the 1600's. Not only was he a brilliant scientist, but he was converted to Christianity as an adult and became a devoted apologist for the Christian faith. Of special interest to home schooling families, this book recounts the recognition by Pascal's father of his remarkable talents and the provisions he made for his son's education - one of the earliest and most successful examples of home schooling! For Christians, the account of Pascal's conversion is particularly moving as well as Pascal's immediate response to share the Gospel with his father, his sister and even with the nobleman who was his financial patron. This book is written on a 5th-6th grade reading level, but younger children will enjoy having it read out loud to them.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Joyce McPhearson is a home schooling mother of six children. She has a BS from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where she studied French and Biochemistry. She first heard of Pascal's Wager during her college years. She became facinated with Pascal's story: an intellectual who believed in God. Later, on a short term mission trip to Japan, she used Pascal's concept that each person has a "God-shaped vacuum" to explain the need that people have to know their Creator. This book was inspired by her husband, another intellectual, in whom God used "reason" as a pathway to the truth about God.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: Greenleaf Press (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1882514173
• ISBN-13: 978-1882514175
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joyce McPherson is the author of biographies for young people. She has written about the vibrant faith of famous men in a variety of fields. Her lively biographies illustrate the impact of the Christian worldview in Western Civilization. She is also the mother of nine children. In her spare time she enjoys reading history, working with young people, and directing Shakespeare plays. You can check out her blog at http://joyce-mcpherson.blogspot.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book I Will Read Again, January 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Piece of the Mountain:The Story of Blaise Pascal (Paperback)

My mother handed me this book--I thought "Oh no another school book." When I started I discovered how incredible a 17th century mathematician can be.This book is especially good if you try to work out the mathematical equations it contains.This is a very good book.Though it would not make much sense to people younger than 13.READ THIS BOOK. I am going to read it again.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring and fascinating biography of a genius, February 22, 2005

By 

C. Brugge - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Piece of the Mountain:The Story of Blaise Pascal (Paperback)

Here is the biography of a life well worth studying. Pascal was one of those rare people who, like da Vinci, was a genius in several areas--in science, mathematics, and theology. He also helped develop the world's first public transit system! As homeschoolers, we also enjoyed the depiction of his early education, as he and his siblings were taught by their brilliant, loving father. Throughout, the book reveals Pascal as a thoroughly decent and honest man. I highly recommend this book for about sixth grade up through adults.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, what a great biography!, November 28, 2004

By 

Pompey Scipio 'the lesser' (Hawaii, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Piece of the Mountain:The Story of Blaise Pascal (Paperback)

I never knew as much about Blaise Pascal until I had read this book. What I'm really interested in is getting to know all of those lovely sources that McPherson used for her research material.

Before I had read this book, I didn't know much about Pascal's scientific experiments or his contributions to French society. This book has also cleared up a lot of the background concerning Pascal's writings. It is well written and highly entertaining.