Joy of understanding, not facts: What Einstein Told His Barber

What Einstein Told His Barber
Author: Robert Wolke

Although What Einstein Told His Barber is full of fun facts and interesting science, one of the most interesting passages is found in the beginning of the book. The passage helps explain the format of the book and perhaps warns the reader that the content isn't merely a list of facts, rather it is full of detailed explanations.

This is not a book of facts. You will not find answers here to questions such as “Who discovered …?” “What is the biggest …?” “How many …are there?” or “What is a …?” Those aren't the kinds of things that real people wonder about. Collections of answers to such contrived questions may help you win a trivia contest, but they are not satisfying; they don't contribute to the joy of understanding. The joy and the fun come not from mere statements of fact but from explanations— explanations in plain, everyday language that make you say, “Wow! Is that all there is to it?”