Best Selling Books by Michael Robertson

When Vicky saw the corruption in Hugh’s leadership of Home, she stood up to it and overthrew him. She now finds herself helping run the place, taking on responsibilities she’d rather not have. But if she keeps the community safe, she’ll also keep Flynn safe. All Vicky wants is to make sure Flynn’s okay. All she’s done for the past ten years is make sure Flynn’s okay. Now faced with a war with a barbaric neighbouring community, Home has to respond to the threat. As the most experienced fighter, Vicky has to lead the battle. If they don’t win, they’ll all die. The Alpha Plague 6 is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic survival thriller.

When Marcie left the Blind Spot, she had just two things to accomplish: One, she needed to get lungs for Sal’s transplant. Secondly, she needed to set the Eye up for a new life in Prime City. Simple, right? So when she gets offered the lungs but no guarantee for the Eye’s safety, Marcie chooses to delay her return home. To make good on her promise to the Eye, she has to remain in Prime City for several months so she can run five more bounties for Mads. It’s a small price to pay to set her friend up for life. But each bounty reveals more about Mads and Prime City than she’d bargained for. Each bounty drags her in deeper to his web of crime and conspiracy, putting her at war with her own moral compass. And now she’s agreed to work for Mads, if she backs out, not only will she put her own life at risk, but her actions could also see the Eye killed. Will Marcie manage to follow Mads’ orders without question? Can she witness corruption and exploitation without acting? It might only be a few months, but is a few months still too long to be one of Mads’ bounty hunters? Bounty Hunter: Neon Horizon book three is a fast-paced cyberpunk thriller. If you like dazzling neon dystopian landscapes, where entertainment, credits, and the latest street drugs are all worth more than human life, then you’ll love this hard-hitting grimy glimpse into the hyper-cities of the future.

Seb Zodo didn’t sign up to be the chosen one. Burdened by a prophecy claiming he’ll defeat the darkness spreading though the galaxy, he goes on every mission hoping it will be his last. But every time he returned to the Shadow Order’s base, he knew he had more to come. Until now ... The fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance and with chaos ruling supreme, Seb and his Shadow Order friends need to act fast. Their final mission ahead of them, they need to find Enigma and crush them before the damage they’ve done becomes irreversible. The only problem is, they haven’t got the first clue where to start ... The Shadow Order is a fast-paced space opera adventure.

Dance music at the courts of seventeenth-century Germany is a genre that is still largely unknown. Dr Michael Robertson sets out to redress the balance and study the ensemble dance suites that were played at the German courts between the end of the Thirty Years War and the early years of the eighteenth century. At many German courts during this time, it was fashionable to emulate everything that was French. As part of this process, German musicians visited Paris throughout the second half of the seventeenth century, and brought French courtly music back with them on their return. For the last two decades of the century, this meant the works of Jean-Baptiste Lully, and his music and its influence spread rapidly through the courts of Europe. Extracts from Lully''s dramatic stage works were circulated in both published editions and manuscript. These extracts are considered in some detail, especially in terms of their relationship to the suite. The nobility also played their part in this process: French musicians and German players with specialist knowledge were often hired to coach their German colleagues in the art of playing in the French manner, the franz?sischer Art. The book examines the dissemination of dance music, instrumentation and performance practice, and the differences between the French and Italian styles. It also studies the courtly suites before the advent of Lullism and the differences between the suites of court composers and town musicians. With the possible exception of Georg Muffat''s two Florilegium collections of suites, much of the dance music of the German Lullists is largely unknown; court composers such as Cousser, Erlebach, Johann Fischer and Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer all wrote fine collections of ensemble suites, and these are examined in detail. Examples from these suites, some published for the first time, are given throughout the book in order to demonstrate the music''s quality and show that its neglect is completely unjustifi

Marcie Hugo and Drake Soldado are unusual travel companions united by similar goals. A teenage girl and a man in his thirties. One is returning home to honour a promise, the other needs to find his daughters, which he hasn’t seen for over four years since they were taken from him and sold as slaves. Marcie has promised her best friend and childhood sweetheart that she’ll return from Prime City with the lung transplant he so desperately needs. She plans to make good on that promise. She didn’t plan on falling in love with someone else while she was away. Their reunion might fix his breathing, but will it also break his heart? Drake has to find his two daughters. Daughters he’d forgotten he had until recently. Daughters who have spent the last four years as slaves. To find them, he must penetrate Scala City’s hostile criminal underworld of human traffickers. If he survives and reunites with his little girls, how damaged will they be from the years they''ve spent apart? What have they endured? Will they even remember him? Neither reunion will be easy, but first they have to reach Scala City and the Blind Spot. Miles of wastelands stand before them. Scores of murderous militia patrol the barren lands. And to top it all off, neither Marcie nor Drake know the way. Reunion: Neon Horizon Book five is a fast-paced cyberpunk thriller. If you like dazzling neon dystopian landscapes, where entertainment, credits, and the latest streets drugs are all worth more than human life, then you’ll love this hard-hitting grimy glimpse into the hyper-cities of the future.

Presents the world of dragons, including the many types of dragons and the lore associated with them, as well as the real dragons that either exist today or did in the past.

Marie, eight months pregnant and grieving the loss of her parter, has fallen from grace in Nirvana. Recently a hardworking, privileged member of society, a chain of events has reduced her to nothing more than an estate rat and a drain on the system. Under the oppressive boot heel of poverty—like all people on the estate—Marie battles the challenges of surviving the expansive gap between the two social classes. But Marie has one advantage ... she has indisputable evidence that could bring down the company controlling the public, and grant a better life to her and her new peers. A daily witness to the corruption and greed that victimise and exploit the poor, she has to decide if she should use her evidence to try to shape a better world for those around her and that of her unborn child. But with just weeks until she’s due to give birth, she will have to deal with unwanted attention from those she proposes to take down ... attention that could end hers and her child’s life. New Reality 3: Fear is a tale of dystopian horror.

Flynn is a survivor. From the age of six to twenty-six he’s lived a life of chaos and never been defeated. In one of his most recent moments of darkness, he found hope in the form of another survivor named Rose. Having escaped the Queen and her wicked ways, Flynn and Rose decide to return to put a stop to her. The vicious self-appointed monarch has her sights on Home, and as much as Flynn hates a small portion of the residents of his old community, he''ll do anything to save the rest. To take the Queen down they need an army. The best place to find one is by liberating the prisoners held by her. To do that is to get close to her and risk capture. If that happens, they won’t walk away again. But they have to be the change they want to see in the world. A lunatic ruling with violence and control, the Queen has to be stopped. The only question is; are they up to the task? Download The Alpha Plague 8 to join Flynn and Rose on their quest to change the world for the better.

Marcie thought preventing a war was tough ... That’s because she’s never been to Prime City. To many, Marcie Hugo is a hero for the part she played in preventing a war between The Blind Spot and Scala City, but to The Eye and her best friend Sal, she’s a liar and a traitor. She manipulated The Eye to get what she needed from him, which lead to the murder of a connected man. Being Wrench’s daughter, she’s untouchable, but because of her The Eye now has a price on his head. He might be safely hidden, but time’s running out. If he remains in The Blind Spot, it won’t be long before someone finds him and cuts his throat. While preventing the war, Marcie wrongly accused Sal’s dad of colluding with factions in Scala City in an attempt raise tensions between the two sides. She’s known the family since birth, yet she still pointed the finger at them. If nothing else, Marcie must do the right thing for those she’s wronged. For The Eye to survive, she’ll need to liberate him from his temporary prison and get him away from The Blind Spot. Although Sal might never forgive her, she can help him by getting the lung transplant he so desperately needs. There’s only one place that’ll serve both functions, but the path to Prime City involves crossing a wasteland filled with marauding militia. Can Marcie Hugo get The Eye from prison before an assassin claims the price on his head? Can she get away from The Blind Spot without her dad’s knowledge? Can they survive a journey across the wastelands that for so many has meant death? And if they do get there, what will they find in Prime City? What will it take to get Sal’s lung transplant? If Marcie’s learned anything up until this point, it’s that plans rarely run smoothly and people get hurt along the way. Prime City: Neon Horizon book two is a fast-paced cyberpunk thriller. If you like dazzling neon dystopian landscapes, where entertainment, credits, and the latest street drugs are all worth more than human life, then you’ll love this hard-hitting grimy glimpse into the hyper-cities of the future.

21st century society has been rendered obsolete and London has fallen into the hands of violent gangs. George had begun to question his membership in a gang of murderers and rapists. Now that blood coats his hands, he can feel his humanity slipping away. All he wants to do is leave, but the leader of the gang is his psychotic brother-in-law and the only one who knows where George''s pregnant sister is being kept. With just a few weeks left until she gives birth, George knows that leaving the gang now would mean condemning her and the child to the life he wants to escape. Not sure if his sister even is still alive, George sits by while innocent people meet their gruesome end at the hands of the gang. With time running out, George needs to make a decision between his family and his conscience. Does he save the lives of people now, or does he hold on in the hope he''ll be reunited with his sister. Whichever decision he makes, someone will suffer. Crash II: Highrise Hell - A post-apocalyptic / dystopian thriller. WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS SCENES OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. What the reviewers say: A scary look into what could happen to this World Once I started I couldn''t put it down This is one of the best post apocalyptic books I have read and I look forward to the next volume. I read this book in one sitting -couldn''t put it down. This guy really has a way with words, I will be looking up some more of his writing next! Highly recommend!

Even the creator of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, would rave about the Baker Street mystery series! A Baker Street Wedding is another winner, and not to be missed. "Any [Sherlock] Holmes fan would enjoy Michael Robertson''s fresh new take on the Holmes stories...fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining." —CNN, Must Read Books on The Baker Street Translation "Agatha Christie fans will revel in Robertson’s fifth novel...a classic fair play whodunit leavened with humor." —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Baker Street Jurors The wedding of Reggie Heath and the celebrated actress Laura Rankin was reported in all the tabloids—which is to say, it was a disaster. Now, in a remote village on the British coast, locked in by sea cliffs on one side and moors on the other, the newlywed’s plane—piloted by Laura—has landed. Reggie doesn’t understand why Laura has picked this god-forsaken hamlet for their honeymoon. What is she keeping from him? The answers are in Laura’s past, but she’s not saying, and Reggie is out of his depth. He must have help—or his worst fears and more will be realized.

Flynn Golding has lost all of the people close to him. His mum, his dad, and now Vicky. However, he doesn’t yet know Vicky’s dead, so he doesn’t know who killed her. Convinced that Vicky chose to leave, he’ll find out the truth sooner or later. When he does, he’ll have to accept his community is run by her murderers. The community that offers him safety, security, and three square meals a day. Either that, or he’ll have to make them pay, therefore giving up his safe existence and re-entering a hostile world. The Alpha Plague is a post-apocalyptic action adventure thriller.

This volume argues that Titus’s invocation of Crete affected the ways early readers developed their identities. Using archaeological data, classical writings, and early Christian documents, he describes multiple traditions that circulated on Crete and throughout the Roman Empire concerning Cretan Zeus, Cretan social structure, and Cretan Judaism. He then uses these traditions to interpret Titus and explain how the letter would intersect with and affect readers’ identities. Because readers had differing conceptions of Crete based on their location and access to and evaluation of Cretan traditions, readers would have developed their identities in multiple, conflictual, even contradictory ways.

COULD YOU BETRAY EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT TO PREVENT A WAR? The Blind Spot exists in defiance of Scala City’s dystopian big brother regime. It occupies a small sector in the city, and those who live there believe in their right to privacy. Scala City believe if you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide. But the Blind Spot have hackers that could bring the larger city to its knees. This is why it’s never spilled over into all-out war. Until now ... A terrorist attack on Scala City’s main plaza has tipped the delicate balance. There is only one person who can halt the conflict before it begins ... Marcie Hugo, daughter of the Blind Spot’s leader, and the district’s best kept secret. Cybernetically enhanced, she’s faster, stronger, and smarter than most. But more importantly, she’s invisible. Protected and hidden away by her father for the majority of her life, she’s in the unique position to move between the Blind Spot and Scala City unnoticed. With the best hacker in the city on her side, and while the rest of the Blind Spot prepares for a bloody war, Marcie gets to work ... To avoid total annihilation, she will have to betray everyone she loves, starting with her father ... And even then, her chances of success are slim ... Join Marcie in a race against time as she turns over every neon-lit inch of Scala City and The Blind Spot in a quest to discover who’s trying to destroy her home and why. And even if she is successful, with the number of ties she’s severed, how much of a life will she have left to return to? The Blind Spot: Neon Horizon book one is a fast-paced cyberpunk thriller. If you like dazzling neon dystopian landscapes, where entertainment, credits, and the latest street drugs are all worth more than human life, then you’ll love this hard-hitting grimy glimpse into the hyper-cities of the future.

Do you have a plan for the apocalypse? Rhys doesn''t. But as he watches chaos spill from the Alpha Tower, he knows one thing for sure ... He must get to his son before the virus does. If you like high stakes and edge of your seat action in a post-apocalyptic world, then The Alpha Plague is for you. Get it now to join Rhys at ground zero as he tries to save his loved ones and survive a disaster that will leave the world changed forever. This box set includes: The Alpha Plague: A Post-Apocalyptic Action Thriller The Alpha Plague 2 The Alpha Plague 3

If there''s a problem in the galaxy no one else can fix, the Shadow Order get a call. A team pulled together because of their individual talents, the Shadow Order have little time for rest as they embark on one dangerous mission after the next, fighting volatile creatures on hostile planets. Although when their goals begin to clash with their morals, they start asking questions. Who are they really working for? What’s the link between the seemingly unrelated missions? Are they the bad guys? Do they even want to know? Read The Shadow Order - Books 1 - 3 - today to join Seb Zodo and his team in a fast-paced planet-hopping space opera saga. Travel with them to distant worlds inhabited by a wide range of volatile species as they move from one war to the next, pulling societies back from the brink. And maybe find out how it’s all connected and if it was all worth it? This box set includes: The Shadow Order The First Mission - Book Two of The Shadow Order The Crimson War - Book Three of The Shadow Order

Not only has Vicky made it to Home—an underground self-sufficient complex—in one piece, but Flynn has turned up too, following behind after her when she’d feared he’d died. Now they’re secure, Vicky can keep Flynn safer than she’s been able to since the outbreak over a decade ago ... At least that’s the plan. However, in this new world, where the diseased roam free, there’s always a threat hiding in the shadows. Having convinced herself Home would be safe, Vicky has to come to terms with the fact that nowhere’s safe in this world anymore. And maybe the biggest threat comes from within the complex rather than outside of it. With her senses more finely tuned than ever before, Vicky must remain as vigilant as she always has. If she’s going to survive amongst the diseased and the healthy, maybe she should give Flynn the responsibility he both deserves and is more than capable handling. The Alpha Plague 5 is a fast-paced post-apocalyptic survival thriller.

After witnessing his father''s murder and his home burned to the ground, Michael is left wandering the violent streets of London alone. Having been captured and managing to escape the clutches of the most heinous of men, he''s terrified of recapture. All Michael wants to do is find somewhere safe. Somewhere he can call home. To do that he must survive in a city where he’s the weak and the hunted---with no family or friends to help him. When he meets someone who offers him hope, someone who''s different from all of the other people in this broken and violent world, he realizes he needs to trust someone... But if he lowers his guard to accept that help, he could end up at the warehouse again. He’d rather die than go back there. Crash 3: There''s No Place Like Home is a dark post-apocalyptic tale.

Now the Crimson War has ended, Seb Zodo has returned to the Shadow Order’s base with Sparks, SA, and Bruke. The sadness of losing Gurt still weighs heavy on Seb’s heart. So when he finds himself faced with another mission for the Shadow Order, a mission that involves the eradication of a deadly parasite on a hostile planet; a parasite responsible for wiping out an entire mining colony, he has a tough choice to make. Go against Moses and refuse the mission, or jump on a shuttle and face the deadly threat that could see him and his friends killed ... Either way, it isn’t going to be pretty. The Shadow Order series is a fast-paced space opera adventure. If you like bold characters, planet-hopping, and edge-of-your-seat action, then you’ll love Michael Robertson’s thrilling series. This box set includes: Eradication - Book Four of The Shadow Order Fugitive - Book Five of The Shadow Order Enigma - Book Six of The Shadow Order

First in a spectacular new series about two brother lawyers who lease offices on London''s Baker Street--and begin receiving mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes In Los Angeles, a geological surveyor maps out a proposed subway route--and then goes missing. His eight-year-old daughter, in her desperation, turns to the one person she thinks might help--she writes a letter to Sherlock Holmes. That letter creates an uproar at 221b Baker Street, which now houses the law offices of attorney and man about town Reggie Heath and his hapless brother, Nigel. Instead of filing the letter like he''s supposed to, Nigel decides to investigate. Soon he''s flying off to Los Angeles, inconsiderately leaving a very dead body on the floor in his office. Big brother Reggie follows Nigel to California, as does Reggie''s sometime lover, Laura---a quick-witted stage actress who''s captured the hearts of both brothers. When Nigel is arrested, Reggie must use all his wits to solve a case that Sherlock Holmes would have savored and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans will adore.

COULD YOU BETRAY EVERYONE YOU CARE ABOUT TO PREVENT A WAR? The Blind Spot exists in defiance of Scala City’s dystopian big brother regime. It occupies a small sector in the city, and those who live there believe in the right to privacy. Scala City believe if you’ve done nothing wrong, you have nothing to hide. But the Blind Spot have hackers that could bring the larger city to its knees. This is why it’s never spilled over into all-out war. Until now ... A terrorist attack on Scala City’s main plaza has tipped the delicate balance. There is only one person who can halt the conflict before it begins ... Marcie Hugo, daughter of the Blind Spot’s leader, and the district’s best kept secret. Cybernetically enhanced, she’s faster, stronger, and smarter than most. But more importantly, she’s invisible. Protected and hidden away by her father for the majority of her life, she’s in the unique position to move between the Blind Spot and Scala City unnoticed. With the best hacker in the city on her side, and while the rest of the Blind Spot prepares for a bloody war, Marcie gets to work ... To avoid total annihilation, she will have to betray everyone she loves, starting with her father ... And even then, her chances of success are slim ... Join Marcie in a race against time as she turns over every neon-lit inch of Scala City and The Blind Spot in a quest to discover who’s trying to destroy her home and why. And even if she is successful, with the number of ties she’s severed, how much of a life will she have left to return to? Neon Horizon Books 1 - 3 are the first books in a series of fast-paced cyberpunk thrillers. If you like dazzling neon dystopian landscapes, where entertainment, credits, and the latest street drugs are all worth more than human life, then you’ll love this hard-hitting grimy glimpse into the hyper-cities of the future. This box set includes: The Blind Spot - Neon Horizon Book One. Prime City - Neon Horizon Book Two. Bounty Hunter - Neon Horizon Book Three.

Seb Zodo didn’t sign up to be the chosen one. Burdened by a prophecy claiming he’ll defeat the darkness spreading though the galaxy, he goes on every mission hoping it will be his last. But every time he returned to the Shadow Order’s base, he knew he had more to come. Until now ... The fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance and with chaos ruling supreme, Seb and his Shadow Order friends need to act fast. Their final mission ahead of them, they need to find Enigma and crush them before the damage they’ve done becomes irreversible. The only problem is, they haven’t got the first clue where to start ... The Shadow Order is a fast-paced space opera adventure.

In a world where walls provide safety, Heidi finds herself wanting nothing more than to run free. Trapped in a community with people she despises, she volunteers to be the runner for them. The supply runs offer her relief in an otherwise claustrophobic environment ... They also leave her vulnerable to attack in a broken city.

Nirvana. A city of opportunity and excess; where a person’s rights and freedoms are staunchly protected... unless you’re from the Estate. Those from the estate live in abject poverty and are victimised by all of those around them for entertainment. In Nirvana, having a child out of wedlock is a one way ticket to the Estate. Marie has hidden her pregnancy from those around her where she works for the corporation contracted by justice department to watch criminals logged into New Reality. But something isn’t right about the way the Rixon Corporation is being run. If Marie can uncover the corruption before the justice department does, keeping her mouth shut could be worth the cost of a marriage certificate. But if she gets it wrong, not only will she end up having to raise a child on the Estate, but she’ll face the wrath of one of the most powerful corporations in all of Nirvana... New Reality is a science fiction dystopian novel where the female protagonist does all she can to survive.

Vicky, Rhys, Larissa, and Flynn have avoided the horde of diseased that chased them from Summit City, but they’re far from free. Although the diseased can’t get to them while they remain on top of the shipping container, at some point they’ll have to come down. With a sea of enraged monsters as far as they can see, coming down means certain death. Exhausted from their escape, they may be able to rest for now, but sooner rather than later, they’re going to have to take action to get themselves out of their current predicament ... This box set includes: The Alpha Plague 4 The Alpha Plague 5 The Alpha Plague 6

Flynn Golding has lost all of the people close to him. His mum, his dad, and now Vicky. However, he doesn’t yet know Vicky’s dead, so he doesn’t know who killed her. Convinced that Vicky chose to leave, he’ll find out the truth sooner or later. When he does, he’ll have to accept his community is run by her murderers. The community that offers him safety, security, and three square meals a day. Either that, or he’ll have to make them pay, therefore giving up his safe existence and re-entering a hostile world. The Alpha Plague is a post-apocalyptic action adventure thriller. This box set includes: The Alpha Plague 7 The Alpha Plague 8

The first Sherlock Holmes letter barrister Reggie Heath answered cost him most of his personal fortune, and quite possibly Laura Rankin, the love of his life. But Reggie intends to earn all of it - the money, the career, and the love-back again. His latest client is the driver of one of London''s famous Black Cabs, accused of murdering two American tourists. But while Reggie is working on that case, the letters to Sherlock Holmes are piling up-including one from someone who claims to be the descendant of Professor James Moriarty.

Dean Brown is a survivor. Dean Brown is a father. Dean Brown is a husband. Dean Brown is a brother-in-law. Dean Brown is a psychopath. Before all of this, Dean Brown was just a normal boy. Crash V is the final book in the Crash series. WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS SCENES OF BRUTAL VIOLENCE. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Would you stop if you saw a little girl wandering through the woods at night? Andy did. He''s now dead. This is Andy''s story. The Girl in the Woods - A Ghost’s Story is the first in a collection of Off-Kilter Tales. It’s a short story about a man in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place at the right time. You decide. What the reviewers are saying: 5 stars - “I read it straight through and couldn’t put it down.” - Amazon customer. 5 stars - “It keeps you reading until you go ... wow!” - Amazon customer. 5 stars - “A brilliant story that takes all of your senses through a horrific experience.” - Amazon customer.

Welcome to Eden—the underground, self-sufficient complex that has withstood the zombie apocalypse for over thirty years and is home to the remnants of humanity. Standing in the control room and about to take over his father’s position of running it, Mark quickly realises there is more happening than a simple handover; he''s about to find out that Eden has secrets...dark secrets. Secrets that change the way he looks at his father forever. Secrets that change the way he looks at everything forever. Secrets that will reveal the truth about the apocalypse... Eden is a post apocalyptic tale about surviving the zombie apocalypse. What the reviewers say about Eden: “Eden is deep, dark, and thought provoking.” “The plot and pacing are wonderfully constructed, and the characters’ emotions come through incredibly clearly.” “...stop wasting time reading the awesome reviews, grab this book, and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed!” “It ran the gamut of emotions; anger, surprise, shock and heartbreak. I was in tears at the end of the story.” “Two thumbs up!” “You need to read this, like, now.” “I could not have asked for a better glimpse into this under-utilised facet of the zombie apocalypse.”

This unique book looks at the biology of aging from a fundamentally new perspective, one based on evolutionary theory rather than traditional concepts which emphasize molecular and cellular processes. The basis for this approach lies in the fact that natural selection, as a powerful determining force, tends to decline in importance with age. Many of the characteristics we associate with aging, the author argues, are more the result of this decline than any mechanical imperative contained within organic structures. This theory in turn yields the most fruitful avenues for seeking answers to the problem of aging, and should be recognized as the intellectual core of gerontology and the foundation for future research. The author ably surveys the vast literature on aging, presenting mathematical, experimental, and comparative findings to illustrate and support the central thesis. The result is the first complete synthesis of this vital field. Evolutionary biologists, gerontologists, and all those concerned with the science of aging will find it a stimulating, strongly argued account.