Bite-Size Einstein: Quotations on Just about Everything from the Greatest Mind of the Twentieth Century

by Albert Einstein

The kindly, white-heaired old fellow with the bushy mustache once called "the world's grandfather," Albert Einstein was easily the twentieth century's most remarkable and revered man of science. His... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312145519
• ISBN13: 9780312145514
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 4.7" x 7.1"

Customer Reviews

Humanity is more important than national citizenship

In this year of intense political contention, based in part on a spiteful opposition to immigrants, it is worth reading these concise but poignant quotes by America's most illustrious immigrant. "I am a democrat," said Albert Einstein. Today, such use of "democrat" means "small 'd' democrat" to avoid confusion with "big 'D' Democrat" which some accuse of being traitors to America. Such is our new intolerance. However, consider: -- "The foundation of all human values is morality. -- "The destiny of civilized humanity depends more than ever on the moral forces it is capable of generating. -- "Comfort and happiness have never appeared to me as a goal. I call these ethical bases the ideal of the swineherd." Comfort and happiness? In an era of global warming, perhaps drivers of SUVs really are modern swineherds with scrubbed faces and clean fingernails. It's not that Einstein is so perfectly correct; but, his comments should cause every intelligent person to re-think. After fleeing a Europe where a master race destined to rule the world was being created by government edict, it's hardly surprising Einstein should write, "The state is made for man, not man for the state." Despite offering a wide range of provocative and stimulating ideas, he has enough common sense to understand, "As a human being, one has been endowed with just enough intelligence to be able to see clearly how utterly inadequate that intelligence is when confronted with what exists." Has anyone come up with a better description of politics? let alone human events? let alone physics? Einstein's fame is based on questioning the status quo; he did not want change we can believe in, he wanted questions to discover a new reality instead of preserving old bad habits. In contrast to Bible Thumpers (or Physics book thumpers and every other thumper), "The foundation of morality should not be made dependent on myth nor tied to any authority lest doubt about the myth or about the legitimacy of the authority imperil the foundation of sound judgment and action." Such quotes make this book a gem. It encourages one to think (which infuriates politicians to no end). As he once said, which applies to today's "huddled masses yearning to breathe free" just inside the golden door, "Humanity is more important than national citizenship."

Wisdom and Wit

When one thinks of Einstein, wisdom and logic seem to prevail.. This book proves that he has a number of one-liners which will blow your socks off and make you laugh out loud. It will also confirm your suspisions that smart people and funny people have a lot in common.