First Steps in Metaphysics

Thanks to the National Gallery 

Title: First Steps in Metaphysics 

Author: not known 

Publisher: not known 

Source book: The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse by Tom Holt (JW Wells #8)

Mr Teasdale is dealing with a complicated problem that involves Tiamat the Destroyer an ancient Mesopotamian goddess, Thomas Gainsborough and a wedding photographer. And it turns out to be even more complicated than that, with an asteroid hurtling towards the planet and certain doom imminent. 

Of course it’s all caused by a trinity and everyone knows they don’t exist. Mr Teasdale thinks back to his copy of First Steps in Metaphysics. 

There is a real book called First Steps in Metaphysics and there are other very similar sounding titles available too. But I can’t help feeling that this is a slightly different style of book, possibly written by Professor Van Spee, and recommended by the sort of educational institution that trains you to get a job as an assistant mage at JW Wells & Co. 

Apparently there’s an O-So-E-Z-Chop’N’Blend chair of quantum metaphysics at Berkeley.

But obviously I could be quite wrong. This might just be a real book masquerading as a fictional book.

Thanks to Wikipedia Commons via a historian about town
Both paintings by Thomas Gainsborough