3. What brought Einstein more joy than anything else?

Einstein impressed everybody as being a very happy man. He said he was happy because he didn't want anything from anybody. He didn't want money or titles or fame. He made his own happiness out of such simple things as his work and his violin. Einstein's violin brought him more joy than anything else in life. One day he went to a town in Central Germany to play in a concert given to help poor students. The next day the local newspaper called him by mistake “the grate musician, who played with skill and feeling”. The article declared him “the greatest master”. Einstein carried this article with him until it was old and worn.

“You think I’m a scientist? Hah! I’m a famous musician, that’s what I am!” he said with laugh to his friends and pulled the article from his pocket.

But when a rich man sent him a violin worth (стоимостью) 300 000 dollars, Einstein returned it with a modest note: “This valuable instrument should belong (должен принадлежать) to a true artist. Please forgive me – I’m so used (так привык) to my old violin”

4. Einstein for a Day

Albert Einstein, one of the world's most brilliant scientists, had a fine sense of humor. There is an amusing story about Einstein's visiting universities in a car with a driver, giving lectures on relativity. One day the driver said: «Mr. Einstein, I've heard your lecture more than 30 times. I know it by heart (наизусть), and I can give it my­self». «Well, I'll give you a chance», said Einstein. «They will not recognize me. When we come to the university, I'll put on your cap and you’ll introduce yourself as me and give the lecture».

The driver gave Einstein's lecture without a single mistake. When he finished, one of the professors stopped him and asked a very difficult question. But the driver thought quickly. «That problem is so trivial», he said, «In fact, to show you how simple it is, I'm going to ask my driver to come and answer your question».

5. Albert Einstein and Charles Chaplin

Albert Einstein liked the films with Charles Chaplin and treated (относился) his hero with great sympathy. Once he wrote a letter to Chaplin: “Everybody in the world understands your film “Golden Fever” («Золотая Лихорадка»). You will become a great man by all means (непременно).”

Chaplin’s answer was: “I admire you still more. Nobody in the world understands your “Theory of Relativity” and you have become a great man nevertheless (тем не менее).”

6. What two rules of conduct did Einstein have?

Mrs. Einstein said that even she didn't understand the Theory of Relativity; but she understood something that is more important for a wife, she understood her husband.

Mrs. Einstein said that her husband liked order in his thinking, but he didn't like it in his living. He did whatever he wanted to, whenever he wanted to; he had only two rules of conduct (поведение). The first was: don't have any rules whatever. And the second was: be independent of the opinions (мнение) of others.