Book Description

This well-known advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level text uses a few basic concepts — Hamilton’s principle, the theory of the first variation and Bernoulli’s separation method — to solve and develop complete answers to linear homogeneous partial differential equations such as the problems of the vibrating string, the vibrating membrane and heat conduction. With problems and solutions. 31 illustrations.
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Reviews (4)

You could do a whole lot worse.
This is a beautifully written book! This is a great place to start and perhaps end one's study of boundary and eigenvalue problems. The first chapter even provides one of the best treatments of first variation I have seen in print. The vibrating string, heat conduction, PDEs, Fourier series,special functions, self-adjoint operators, it is all there and written in an easy to understand format. Some may find the notation a little dated but that is little price to pay for such a treasure of knowledge. Read and enjoy.

A treatise for starting a career
I bought Sagan's book while a senior, and used it for a text while a second year professional and a third year graduate student in mathematics. The course led to a series of courses in theoretical mechanics, and untimately, a doctorate in control theory. The course taught from this book, and the following course in mechanics provided a strong foundation for a career. I continue to have my students read Sagan's book.

Physical problems treated with mathematical rigor.
This text includes material usually covered in mathematical physics courses, but its approach is somewhat different, and better, than most of the classics. The point is that the author felt not content with just explaining how to employ the most common mathematical methods to solve physical problems. He, on one hand, presents full motivation from the physical point of view, while on the other hand keeping high-level mathematical rigor. Believe me: this is not usual in mathematical physics books. By doing so, the author has produced a text valuable for both physicists and mathematicians.

Its contents are: Hamilton's principle and the theory of the first variation, representation of some physical phenomena by partial differential equations, theorems related to partial differential equations and their solutions, fourier series, self-adjoint boundary value problems, Legendre polynomials and Bessel functions, characterization of eigenvalues by a variational principle, spherical harmonics, the nonhomogeneous boundary value problem.

Includes excercises for most sections and references for each chapter. Suitable for third year undergraduates and on.

A high-class, beautifully written text
The problem with books on mathematical methods for physics is that they look more like a collection of recipes than like a coherent text. This was not true of the older classics, like Sommerfeld's "Partial Differential Equations of Physics". Fortunately, there is this beautiful book by Hans Sagan, now on Dover catalogue, to follow that tradition. A highlight is his treatment of the Sturm-Liouville problem. Having previously introduced variational methods, he shows that there is a "Lagrangian" whose "Euler-Lagrange equations" are just the Sturm-Liouville equations. In so doing, he has all the arsenal of approximation methods of variational calculus at his disposal to apply in the so-called special functions. As a beautiful example he estimates the position of the zeros of Bessel functions. The reader will find many other mathematical gems in this fine text. ... Read more

Book Description

A modern self-contained introduction to key topics in advanced general relativity. The opening chapter reviews the subject, with strong emphasis on the geometric structures underlying the theory. The next chapter discusses 2-component spinor theory, its usefulness for describing zero-mass fields, its practical application via Newman-Penrose formalism, together with examples and applications. The subsequent chapter is an account of the asymptotic theory far from a strong gravitational source, describing the mathematical theory by which measurements of the far-field and gravitational radiation emanating from a source can be used to describe the source itself. The final chapter describes the natural characteristic initial value problem, first in general terms, and then with particular emphasis for relativity, concluding with its relation to Arnold's singularity theory. Exercises are included. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent
This is an excellent book (mostly) about the use of spinorial methods in GR. However it is quite difficult, and the author recommends that you try Chandrasekhar or Hawking & Israel first. There is an introductory chapter on the basics of differential geometry which is good but no great shakes, and a lovely short chapter on spinors, Goldman-Sachs, Robinson's theorem, and the NP formalism etc. After that it only gets better. The third chapter is an extraordinarily careful treatment of asymptotics and the fourth is on the *characteristic* initial value problem (ie. on null hypersurfaces---*not* the general cauchy problem!). If you think either of these topics comprises what you've read in MTW, prepare for a surprise!A word of warning, Stewart is a mathematician and it shows. The rigour is splendid---this is real scholarship. The author also edits Clas. & Q. Grav.

treasure trove of knowledge
It seems to me that there are far too many in number, and far too few in quality, books on on general relativity.

John Stewart, rather than waste time on the hordes of cute little cartoon models apt for a tourist rather than physicist, gets straight to the heart of the matter and presents amazingly powerful results (on differential geometry/ Spinors/ Asymptopia/Initial Value Problem). He doesn't skip any steps in his proofs and doesn't try to appeal to science fiction intuition.

As someone who hasn't encountered spinors before reading this book, I'm grateful for the helpful appendi on the matter. Unfortuneately however I've found in different books the notation for spinors can vary wildly. The result is that I must refigure out all the basic properties to understand the notation. My complaint is that Stewart doesn't seem* (perhaps it's my ignorance) to use the most common notation, but on the other hand, he also provides the most easily used and referenced appendix.

In summary, if reading most of that relativity tripe make you a tourist, Stewart makes you a citizen.

A short and sweet treatment of many subjects
John Stewart has written a beautiful book that does indeed face many of the advanced subjects of General Relativity. Following an introduction that will prove useful to readers with no knowledge of GR, the author includes detailed but affordable discussions of advanced subjects including: 1. the Newman Penrose formalism and classification of exact vacuum solutions, 2. physical and mathematical concerns of asymptotic behaviors which are particularly appropriate for workers interested in gravitation wave observations, 3. spinors in general, and 4. the quasi linear PDE of Einstein's equation. In short, every relativist or researcher interested in relativistic results should find the time to review this text. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents the first comprehensive exposition of the interpretation of quantum mechanics pioneered by Louis de Broglie and David Bohm. The purpose is to explain how quantum processes may be visualized without ambiguity or confusion in terms of a simple physical model. Dr. Holland develops the idea that a material system such as an electron is a particle guided by a surrounding quantum wave. He examines the classic phenomena of quantum theory in order to show how the spacetime orbits of an ensemble of particles can reproduce the statistical quantum predictions. The book will therefore appeal to all physicists with an interest in the foundations of their discipline. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A good starting point
This book can serve as a good primer on the theory. It has many strong points and a few weaknesses. It's very good at explaining the postulates and assumptions that are the basis of the theory and comparing them with the traditional approach, without to much fuss with philosophy. It has several chapters with examples worked out in detail that I found really illuminating: even if the theory is ultimately found to be wrong, these examples will give the feeling to really visualise many quantum phenomena and to be able to deeply understand them, something which was much more difficult in the traditional approach. This is real fun for a physicist who has been using traditional quantum mechanics for years and remembers his early frustrations with the formalism. It convinced me that any course on quantum mechanics should include a short description of Bohm-de Broglie with a couple of examples.
Among the weaknesses, it seems to me that the maths used to derive the quantum statistics in chapter 3 contains several errors. Also, the relativistic version of the theory is a bit sketchy, although in my opinion this theory demands a much deeper investigation in the relativistic context. This weakness may be inherent to de Broglie-Bohm theory and is already present in Bohm's and de Broglie's works. I think there is a tendency in the research in this field since de Broglie, which this book inherits partially: spend too much energy to convince of the validity of the theory, instead of using it to derive useful results. But forget the weaknesses and enjoy the chapters with QM examples.

best on pilot wave to date
I prefer this one to Bohm's _Undivided Universe_. The exposition is clearer, and it does well without any super-speculative, cloudy ending. The virtue of the de Broglie-Bohm pilot wave is unmistakable here: real stat-mech type probabilities (which many-worlds can't get) emerging without any special postulate for the universe going on strike when a "measurement" occurs (which Copenhagen can't get rid of). Other good stuff here too; e.g., take your pick: Bohmize the Pauli equation, the Dirac equation, or an alternative treatment of spin coming from a quantum potential for the rigid rotator.

excellent
An excellent book that covers the hidden variables (which are actually the measured variables)interpertation as advanced by deBroglie and Bohm. This book carries this furthur and completes the theory in an understandable manner. It helps the reader to accept the possiblity of a field in 3N dimensional space. Once this is done things fall into place. It covers the main topics such as EPR, the measurement problem, and shows how the shifting boundary between the quantum world and the macro world vanishes.

It is written for physicists, but I was able to muddle through the math with a fairly limited background. The verbage is excellent and so can be read by philosophers without missing the main points.

A "lay" edition would be most welcome. ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces the lattice approach to quantum field theory. The spectacular successes of this technique include compelling evidence that exchange of gauge gluons can confine the quarks within subnuclear matter. The lattice framework enables novel schemes for quantitative calculation and has caused considerable cross-disciplinary activity between elementary particle and solid state physicists. The treatment begins with the lattice definition of a path integral and ends on Monte Carlo simulation methods. Other topics include invariant group integration, duality, mean field theory and renormalization group techniques. The reader is assumed to have a basic background in relativistic quantum mechanics and some exposure to gauge theories. ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to fundamentals of potential functions covers: the force of gravity, fields of force, potentials, harmonic functions, electric images and Green’s function, sequences of harmonic functions, fundamental existence theorems, the logarithmic potential and much more. Detailed proofs rigorously worked out. 1929 ed.
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Reviews (2)

Beautiful mathematics
A beautiful presentation which I much enjoyed in grad school. Now I need to return to the subject, but I can't find it in my lib. So I'm ordering another copy and looking forward to reading it again!

THE book on classical potential theory
There are few books left in print on this captivating subject from theoretical mechanics. Kellogg's presentation is clear and mathematically formal. This is an excellent reprint from Dover.

Now, if Dover would only bring back into print MacMillan's "The Theory of the Potential" and maybe try to reprint Sternberg & Smith's U. of Toronto Press published (and out of print) "The Theory of the Potential and Spherical Harmonics", they would have themselves a trilogy to corner the science book market for the classical treatment of potential theory.

Kellogg stands fairly well on its own, but the other two books just mentioned fill-in Kellogg's gaps. ... Read more

Book Description

The discrepancy method has produced the most fruitful line of attack on a pivotal computer science question: What is the computational power of random bits? It has also played a major role in recent developments in complexity theory. This book tells the story of the discrepancy method in a few succinct independent vignettes.The chapters explore such topics as communication complexity, pseudo-randomness, rapidly mixing Markov chains, points on a sphere, derandomization, convex hulls and Voronoi diagrams, linear programming, geometric sampling and VC-dimension theory, minimum spanning trees, circuit complexity, and multidimensional searching. The mathematical treatment is thorough and self-contained, with minimal prerequisites. More information can be found on the book's home page at http://www.cs.princeton.edu/~chazelle/book.html. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of a kind
Deep math meets computer science over
a hugely diverse range of topics:
an amazing book!

An unusual mix of topics, fresh perspective
The title seems to be a play on the "Probabilistic Method,"
a better-known cousin of the Discrepancy Method. The book
covers an unusual mix of topics, and is very well-written. ... Read more

Book Description

The aim of this book is to elucidate a number of basic topics in physics of dense plasmas interfacing with condensed matter physics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. The different plasmas examined here include astrophysical dense plasmas, like those found in the interiors, surfaces, and outer envelopes of such astronomical objects as neutron stars, white dwarfs, the Sun, brown dwarfs, and giant planets. Condensed plasmas in laboratory settings cover metals and alloys (solid, amorphous, liquid, and compressed), semiconductors (electrons, holes, and their droplets), and various realizations of dense plasmas (shock-compressed, diamond-anvil cell, metal vaporization, pinch discharges, and so on.)

Statistical Plasma Physics, Volume II: Condensed Plasmas is intended as a graduate-level textbook on the subjects of condensed plasma physics, material sciences, and condensed-matter astrophysics. It will also be useful to researchers in the fields of plasma physics, condensed-matter physics, atomic physics, nuclear physics, and astrophysics. ... Read more

Book Description

The physics of open quantum systems plays a major role in modern experiments and theoretical developments of quantum mechanics.Written for graduate students and readers with research interests in open systems, this book provides an introduction into the main ideas and concepts, in addition to developing analytical methods and computer simulation techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

Mathematica for Theoretical Physics:

Classical Mechanics and Nonlinear Dynamics

This second edition of Baumann's Mathematica(r) in Theoretical Physics shows readers how to solve physical problems and deal with their underlying theoretical concepts while using Mathematica(r) to derive numeric and symbolic solutions. Each example and calculation can be evaluated by the reader, and the reader can change the example calculations and adopt the given code to related or similar problems.

The second edition has been completely revised and expanded into two volumes:

The first volume covers classical mechanics and nonlinear dynamics. Both topics are the basis of a regular mechanics course. The second volume covers electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, and fractals and fractional calculus.

New examples have been added and the representation has been reworked to provide a more interactive problem-solving presentation. This book can be used as a textbook or as a reference work, by students and researchers alike. A brief glossary of terms and functions is contained in the appendices.

The CD-ROM accompanying each of the two volumes contains Mathematica(r)

notebooks as well as Mathematica(r) programs. The notebooks contain the entire text of the corresponding volume and can interface with Mathematica(r). The examples given in the text can also be interactively used and changed for the reader's purposes.

The Author, Gerd Baumann, is affiliated with the Mathematical Physics Division of the University of Ulm, Germany, where he is professor. He is the author of Symmetry Analysis of Differential Equations with Mathematica(r). Dr. Baumann has given numerous invited talks at universities and industry alike. He regularly hosts seminars and lectures on symbolic computing at the University of Ulm and at TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT MÜNCHEN (TUM), Munich.

Book Description

Semiclassical approximation addresses the important relationship between quantum and classical mechanics. In recent years mathematical theory has undergone significant growth, mainly due to microlocal analysis techniques. This volume develops the basic methods of the theory, including the WKB-method, stationary phase and h-pseudodifferential operators. The authors employ the systematic use of a Cauchy formula that simplifies the functional calculus of pseudodifferential operators. The applications described include recent results on the tunnel effect, the asymptotics of eigenvalues in relation to classical trajectories and normal forms, plus slow perturbations of periodic Schrödinger operators appearing in solid state physics. The text assumes no previous specialized knowledge in quantum mechanics or microlocal analysis, and only general knowledge of spectral theory in Hilbert space, distributions, Fourier transforms and some differential geometry. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides an accessible introduction to stochastic processes in physics and describes the basic mathematical tools of the trade: probability, random walks, and Wiener and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. It includes end-of-chapter problems and emphasizes applications.

An Introduction to Stochastic Processes in Physics builds directly upon early-twentieth-century explanations of the "peculiar character in the motions of the particles of pollen in water" as described, in the early nineteenth century, by the biologist Robert Brown. Lemons has adopted Paul Langevin's 1908 approach of applying Newton's second law to a "Brownian particle on which the total force included a random component" to explain Brownian motion. This method builds on Newtonian dynamics and provides an accessible explanation to anyone approaching the subject for the first time. Students will find this book a useful aid to learning the unfamiliar mathematical aspects of stochastic processes while applying them to physical processes that he or she has already encountered.

Reviews (2)

this is an excellent book
I was looking for an introduction on stochastic systems when
I found by chance this book. It was exactly what I was looking for. This is an excellent introduction to that subject. I enjoyed reading
the text and doing the exercises (I did them all, just for the
fun of it). I also bought most of the books the author gives as references, and I must say, those books are also excellent. If you buy this book, you are not going to have regrets. Congratulations to the author!

It is the perfect introduction for a Physicist
This book is a perfect introduction to Stochastic Process for Physicists.However it is only an introduction.Our friends Economists are much ahead of us Physicists in the use of stochastic process . So for example the book do not explain ITO calculus and therefore the reader never knows that the stochastic differential equation is just symbolic. That the integrals involving paths do not exist and have to be interpreted like ITO or Stratonovich. I recomend another book like the one by Thomas Mikoshchor the one by Fima Klebaner for further studies ... Read more

Book Description

Ergodic theory is hard to study because it is based on measure theory, which is a technically difficult subject to master for ordinary students, especially for physics majors. Many of the examples are introduced from a different perspective than in other books and theoretical ideas can be gradually absorbed while doing computer experiments. Theoretically less prepared students can appreciate the deep theorems by doing various simulations. The computer experiments are simple but they have close ties with theoretical implications. Even the researchers in the field can benefit by checking their conjectures, which might have been regarded as unrealistic to be programmed easily, against numerical output using some of the ideas in the book. One last remark: The last chapter explains the relation between entropy and data compression, which belongs to information theory and not to ergodic theory. It will help students to gain an understanding of the digital technology that has shaped the modern information society.

Book Description

This monograph aims to fill the gap between the mathematical literature which significantly contributed during the last decade to the understanding of the collapse phenomenon, and applications to domains like plasma physics and nonlinear optics where this process provides a fundamental mechanism for small scale formation and wave dissipation. This results in a localized heating of the medium and in the case of propagation in a dielectric to possible degradation of the material. For this purpose, the authors have chosen to address the problem of wave collapse by several methods ranging from rigorous mathematical analysis to formal asymptotic expansions and numerical simulations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

resoluton de l'equation de schrodinger
resolution de l"equation de schrodinger avec la methode des ondes planes et la methode de pseudo potentiel ... Read more

Book Description

This collection of solved problems corresponds to the standard topics covered in established undergraduate and graduate courses in Quantum Mechanics. Completely up-to-date, problems are also included on topics of current interest which are absent in the existing literature. Solutions are presented in considerable detail, to enable students to follow each step. The emphasis is on stressing the principles and methods used, allowing students to master new ways of thinking and problem-solving techniques. The problems themselves are longer than those usually encountered in textbooks and consist of a number of questions based around a central theme, highlighting properties and concepts of interest. For undergraduate and graduate students, as well as those involved in teaching Quantum Mechanics, the book can be used as a supplementary text or as an independent self-study tool. ... Read more

Book Description

Drawing from an exhaustive variety of mathematical subjects, including real and complex analysis, fluid mechanics and asymptotics, this book demonstrates how mathematics can be intelligently applied within the specific context to a wide range of industrial uses. The volume is directed to undergraduate and graduate students. ... Read more

Book Description

Constructible and perverse sheaves are the algebraic counterpart of the decomposition of a singular space into smooth manifolds, a great geometrical idea due to R. Thom and H. Whitney. These sheaves, generalizing the local systems that are so ubiquitous in mathematics, have powerful applications to the topology of such singular spaces (mainly algebraic and analytic complex varieties). This introduction to the subject can be regarded as a textbook on modern algebraic topology, treating the cohomology of spaces with sheaf (as opposed to constant)coefficients. The first 5 chapters introduce derived categories, direct and inverse images of sheaf complexes, Verdier duality, constructible and perverse sheaves, vanishing and characteristic cycles. They also discuss relations to D-modules and intersection cohomology. Later chapters apply this powerful tool to the study of the topology of singularities, polynomial functions and hyperplane arrangements. Some fundamental results, for which excellent sources exist, are not proved but just stated and illustrated by examples and corollaries. In this way, the reader is guided rather quickly from the basic theory to current research questions, supported in this by examples and exercises. ... Read more

Book Description

An appropriate supplement for any undergraduate and graduate course in physics, Mathematica® for Physics uses the power of Mathematica®to visualize and display physics concepts and generate numerical and graphical solutions to physics problems. Throughout the book, the complexity of both physics and Mathematica® is systematically extended to broaden the range of problems that can be solved. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume elucidates the consistent quantum theory approach to quantum mechanics at a level accessible to university students in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science, making this an ideal supplement to standard textbooks.Griffiths provides a clear explanation of points not yet adequately treated in traditional texts and which students find confusing, as do their teachers. The book will also be of interest to physicists and philosophers working on the foundations of quantum mechanics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

non-measurement QM
Ab initio development of the "consistent-histories" formulation of QM, which avoids the classical, measurement-related paradoxes. Could be used at upper undergrad level, but I think one should be at least at grad level to appreciate this book. Great examples ("toy models") for building intuition, comprehensive review of mathematical machinery. Best textbook, IMO, for someone who wants to advance their *understanding* of QM (forget the Copenhagen interpretation!). ... Read more

Book Description

We are living at a turning point in human spirituality -- akin to when Jesus or Buddha or Mohammed was alive -- and Einstein is its prophet. That is the audacious, provocative, and fascinating argument Corey Powell makes with dazzling eloquence in this extraordinary book. Powell dubs the new faith "sci/religion" and unmasks today's famous battle between science and religion as no more than a myth.

Religion has always been where humanity looked to resolve the big issues -- be they everyday ones about morality or the overarching questions of the universe. Just a few decades ago, Pope Pius XII described the period explained by the scientific theory of the big bang as "the epoch when the cosmos came forth from the Hands of the Creator." Astronomers essentially agreed. This signified a very new relationship between scientists and priests. Indeed, Powell shows how science has completely taken over from theology in answering the overarching questions of the universe. Morality is a secular matter now determined by conversation rather than religious edict. Therefore, Powell contends, sci/religion is the only fully functioning religion now in operation.

For the first time, Powell identifies Einstein as the prophet of this religious revolution. When the most popular genius of the century said "God does not play dice," he wasn't merely being cute, he was creating a new kind of religion. Einstein called God The Old One, and, as Powell shows, he put The Old One into his equations describing his theory of relativity and so bound together two spheres of human thought, the spiritual and the scientific, in a way that had never previously been accomplished. The symbol in the relativity equations that stands for God is Lambda. It is also called the cosmological constant. It was also called Einstein's biggest blunder for a little while. Powell tells the story of how this controversial factor got into the equations, how it was accepted by the scientific community, then rejected, and then accepted again. Recent reports about how the universe is accelerating in its expansion are all based on this same factor, God in the equation.

Einstein and his followers' use of the God factor in science has never before been recognized for what it is. In a tour de force Powell has forever identified it as clear evidence of an entirely new gnostic era, a new step in the history of human spirituality. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Wow! A real mind-opener.
I can't recall ever reading another book quite
like this one. Most of the books about science and
religion I've seen fall into one of two categories.
They either try to make the case that scientists are
secretly religious people, or else they try to argue
that science leaves no room for faith. Powell takes
the discussion in a very different, more subtle
direction, one that reminds me of some of Daniel
Dennett's ideas. In essence, Powell argues that
spirituality is an integral component of the way
humans process information about the world--even if
the people doing the processing are cosmologists who
openly describe themselves as atheists. That
perspective puts a whole new spin on Albert Einstein's often-puzzling use of the word "God" as something interchangeable with the laws of physics. It also explains why, in his later years, Einstein was so committed to the idea of a cosmic religion.

Alas, Einstein was an idealist and I'm afraid Powell
may be too. His dream that science can reform religion
of its more destructive impulses looks just like
that--a dream. Religion seems to be doing just fine in
the Middle East, not to mention in Mel Gibson's bank
account. But Powell's analysis of how the scientific
process works is both original and eye-opening. I also
really enjoyed his sweeping history of cosmology, full
of clear explanations and surprising details. The
section on the early history of the big bang, in
particular, covers territory that I've never head
about before. (The father of the big bang was an
obscure Russian meteorologist--who knew?) This book
does an amazing job explaining what we know about the
universe and how we know it. If it also helps advance Einstein's pacifist agenda, so much the better. Truly inspirational.

A Distorted View of History
With his invention of sci/religion, Powell appears to have abandoned historical reality for a mystical journey of misinterpretation of relativity and the reason Einstein originally thought it necessary to invent the cosmological constant. In my judgement, this book is neither good physics, accurate reporting nor good writing.

a provocative mix of science and philosophy
It's hard to get much bigger than the themes in this
book: how did the universe begin, how will it end, and
is there any way to find spiritual satisfaction
through science? Amazingly, this writer pulls it off.
The first part of the book covers historical ideas
about the universe, bringing people like Galileo and
Newton to life as complex, passionate thinkers. The
later chapters get into modern cosmology, covering the
big bang and some of the current far-out ideas about
"dark energy" and other universes.

Reads like a colege student's homework
I hold a degree in physics and am currently in the process to become a priest so I read this book with great interest. I was not impressed with Powell's writing. I was put off by the numerous instances of exaggeration and projecting unknown personal motivations on historical characters. Powell's argument flowed like papers I wrote in high school and college with gross shading of facts and very little honest apprasial of opposing viewpoints. I also had a hard time accepting the cumbersome sci/religion as a real word. I hope it never catches on. There are much better texts on the thrilling topic of science and religion than God in the Equation.

Quite offensive misuse of Einstein's name
That would be the cosmological constant that Einstein referred to as "the biggest mistake of my life"? Not that he in any way intended it to be considered as an intelligent agent, as the author here would seem to wish us to believe.

Personally I'd recommend reading something that isn't completely duplicitous instead, but maybe that's just my preference not to be misled, deceived or manipulated when I read a book. ... Read more