First impressions

This week's First Impressions, the competition in which you have to identify a book from its opening sentence, comes from an eminently rational friend of Einstein: "Everybody knows that Einstein did something astonishing, but very few people know exactly what it was."

Entries should be submitted to First Impressions, The THES,Admiral House, 66-68 East Smithfield, London E1 9XY, faxed to 0171 782 3300 or emailed to theschat@thes.co.uk

The winner receives a Pounds 20 book token and the closing date is October 7.The winner of last week's competition, who identified Aneurin Bevan's In Place of Fear, is Sarah J. Hardcastle of the University of Essex.