Differentiate?

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I was amused to chance on something today - from a totally left-field source, of which I was completely unaware until now - that kind of neatly sums up the current state of our government, as parliament enters recess for the summer. I am a subscriber to a numerous and varied - nay, eclectic and eccentric - number of YouTube channels: I know, at my age...

The channel I discovered this particular random little fragment on, is Mathologer's. Whilst I still struggle with getting my head around mathematics - as opposed to basic and mental arithmetic, which I'm still pretty good at - I enjoy attempting to get to grips with Burkard Polster's excellent expositions on all manner and grades of mathematical niceties (and oddities).

Today, I was attempting - still, fifty years after failing maths miserably, twice, at school - to come to terms, yet again, with The Calculus. Why, I don't really know, but I guess it's an itch I've been trying to scratch ever since, and I simply don't like being defeated. In the preamble to his piece, Mathologer mentions a book written in 1910: "Calculus Made Easy" by Silvanus Thompson, which, apparently, is the definitive explanation of the Differential and Integral Calculi for the uninitiated, and he includes a link to download the Project Gutenberg e-book, which I duly did.

On a flyleaf before the preface, is a quotation: an '...ancient Simian proverb...', which goes, 'What one fool can do, another can.' Having heard the news today that Liz Truss is now the favourite in a field of two to succeed the Bear of Little Brain as our PM, I would offer that Mr. Thompson's choice of aphorism is also extremely apt insofar as our current government is concerned.

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