The Open Road Blog

Today’s featured excerpt comes from Out of My Later Years by Albert Einstein. Out of My Later Years is a deeply personal work from one of the most brilliant minds in history. In this inspiring essay collection, Einstein addresses the topics that fascinated him as a Nobel Prize–winning theoretical physicist, philosopher, and humanitarian. In the excerpt below, Einstein describes the emotional conflict he feels as a physicist—involved in a scientific discipline that made weapons of mass destruction possible—and as a German Jewish émigré in America witnessing the effects of World War II on his people.

Read a sample of Einstein’s ...

Although people have been wrapping gifts since the invention of paper around 105 A.D., most historians would agree that America’s gift-wrap industry officially began in the early twentieth century in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, in a shop run by Hallmark founder Joyce C. Hall. During the holiday season of 1917, the store sold out of its holiday line of tissue paper and needed something to offer its customers for wrapping presents. Store employees brought out some French envelope liner paper and priced it at 10 cents a sheet. The decorative paper quickly sold out. The following year, they offered the ...

Today, we're announcing an exciting giveaway to spread the word about the Albert Einstein Archives Authorized Editions ebooks. Embed the Einstein video below or share this link on your site for a chance to win a review copy of Out of My Later Years, The Scientist, Philosopher, and Man Portrayed Through His Own Words, an inspiring collection of essays in which Einstein addresses the topics that fascinated him as a scientist, philosopher and humanitarian.

To enter, simply share this video in one of two ways: 

• Embed the video: Click on the "Share This" button in the video player, ...