This is a field book, not a textbook. It was written to be read twice: once straight through, in order, the way a foundation is poured — and then again one entry at a time, on ordinary days, the way the weight is actually built.
Each entry carries two instruments. The thought experiment at the end of every entry is not a review question. It is an assignment, and it is meant to leave the page — written down, carried around, repeated. The field maxims are collected in the addendum at the end of this guide: nineteen maxims, one per entry, for the visor, the mirror, and the desk.
One request from the author. Do not read this book looking for techniques to impress a department. Everything in it was written to be become, not performed — and the difference between those two words is the entire subject of the book.