The passage discusses the importance of a book that presents and defends significant and influential political ideas, despite potential discomfort for some readers. It also reviews two major works: "Higher Transcendental Functions" and "The 'Chemistry' of Atomic Nuclei." 1. **Higher Transcendental Functions**: - Based on notes by Prof. Harry Bateman, compiled by the Bateman Project staff. - Covers a wide range of mathematical functions, including gamma and beta functions, hypergeometric functions, Legendre functions, and more. - Provides thousands of formulae with origins and proof suggestions. - Criticizes the use of confusing notations and suggests improvements. - Recognizes the authors' achievement despite notational issues. 2. **The 'Chemistry' of Atomic Nuclei**: - By Prof. H. E. Huntley. - Provides an elementary account of nuclear chemistry, focusing on stable nuclei. - Emphasizes the importance of knowing nuclear properties as inorganic chemists know elements. - Skips references to radioactive nuclei and excited states, focusing on stable nuclei in their ground states. - Handles the subject comprehensively and clearly. Overall, the passage highlights the value of these works despite some minor criticisms and emphasizes their significance in their respective fields.The passage discusses the importance of a book that presents and defends significant and influential political ideas, despite potential discomfort for some readers. It also reviews two major works: "Higher Transcendental Functions" and "The 'Chemistry' of Atomic Nuclei." 1. **Higher Transcendental Functions**: - Based on notes by Prof. Harry Bateman, compiled by the Bateman Project staff. - Covers a wide range of mathematical functions, including gamma and beta functions, hypergeometric functions, Legendre functions, and more. - Provides thousands of formulae with origins and proof suggestions. - Criticizes the use of confusing notations and suggests improvements. - Recognizes the authors' achievement despite notational issues. 2. **The 'Chemistry' of Atomic Nuclei**: - By Prof. H. E. Huntley. - Provides an elementary account of nuclear chemistry, focusing on stable nuclei. - Emphasizes the importance of knowing nuclear properties as inorganic chemists know elements. - Skips references to radioactive nuclei and excited states, focusing on stable nuclei in their ground states. - Handles the subject comprehensively and clearly. Overall, the passage highlights the value of these works despite some minor criticisms and emphasizes their significance in their respective fields.