Erica’s Book of Quotes
Throughout The Compass, the character Erica develops a particular fascination with the words spoken and written by the luminaries the group encounters during their journeys into the past. To her, these quotes are more than memorable lines; they are moments where ideas, personality, and history intersect, often revealing as much about the speaker as about the era in which they lived.
This section is inspired by Erica’s imagined “book of quotes,” a playful yet meaningful way to gather the words that appear at key moments in the novel. Collected here are the notable quotations encountered by the four students as they witness pivotal periods in the lives of the three principal historical figures featured in the story. (In some cases, the wording in the novel reflects light adaptation rather than a verbatim rendering of the original source, shaped to fit the narrative context.)
Note that this is not meant to be an exhaustive anthology of famous quotations. Instead, it reflects a deliberate selection, limited to the words that were chosen for inclusion in the narrative itself, capturing the voices that resonate most strongly within the fictional world of The Compass.
Please click below to jump directly to one of the three subsections:
Einstein section
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts. – Albert Einstein
Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein
A wonder of such nature I experienced as a child of about five years, when my father showed me a compass... I can still remember that this experience made a deep and lasting impression on me. – Albert Einstein
The ordinary adult never bothers his head about the problems of space and time because his mind has been conditioned to take these things for granted since he was a child. But I developed so slowly that I began to wonder about space and time only when I was much older. Thus, I probed more deeply into the problem than an ordinary child would have. – Albert Einstein
It is a merry science. When the animal we are hunting cannot be caught, we call it X temporarily and continue to hunt until it is bagged. – Einstein’s Uncle Jakob, introducing him to the joys of algebra
At the age of twelve, I experienced a second wonder of a totally different nature: in a little book dealing with Euclidean plane geometry... I remember that an uncle told me the Pythagorean theorem before the sacred geometry booklet had come into my hands. – Albert Einstein, on his “sacred little geometry book”
Out yonder there was this huge world, which exists independently of us human beings and which stands before us like a great, eternal riddle, at least partially accessible to our inspection and thinking.– Albert Einstein, on reading Emmanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason at the age of 13
A foolish faith in authority is the greatest enemy of truth. – Albert Einstein
When you pick up a patent application, you must assume that everything the inventor says is false. – Friedrich Haller, Einstein’s supervisor at the Swiss patent office during his training
The consideration is amusing and seductive, but for all I know, God Almighty might be laughing at the whole matter and might have been leading me around by the nose. – Albert Einstein, on contemplating the staggering implications of his E = mc^2 paper
Then there occurred to me the happiest thought of my life… that the gravitational field has only a relative existence... For if one considers an observer in free fall, there exists for him during his fall no gravitational field. – Albert Einstein, on his sudden insight about the essence of the general relativity theory
Such a blind faith in authority never led to anything good in the world. – Albert Einstein, in an essay he wrote during World War I
What a pity that I have to die in this age of relativity’s development! – Hermann Minkowski, Einstein’s former math professor, on his deathbed
The theory is of incomparable beauty... For some days, I was beside myself with joyous excitement... My boldest dreams have now come true. – Albert Einstein, describing his feeling of rapture upon finally completing his equations for general relativity
Forgive me, Newton; you found the only way which, in your age, was just barely possible for a man of the highest thought and creative power. – Albert Einstein, on his relativity theory superseding Newton’s theory of gravitation
I do not carry such information in my mind since it is readily available in books. – Albert Einstein, upon being asked by an American reporter if he knew the speed of sound
Subtle is the Lord, but malicious He is not. – Albert Einstein, upon being told about a rumored experiment that supposedly disproved the theory of relativity
Nature hides her secrets because of essential loftiness, not by means of deception. – Albert Einstein, elaborating on the previous quote
They cheer me because they all understand me, and they cheer you because no one understands you. – Charlie Chaplin to Einstein when they jointly appeared at the City Lights premiere
Our ability to probe the secrets of nature is limited, and behind all discernible laws remains something subtle, intangible and inexplicable. I consider veneration for this force to be my true religion. – Albert Einstein
God does not play dice. – Albert Einstein, on the Uncertainty Principle in quantum mechanics
Albert, stop telling God what to do! – Niels Bohr, in response to Einstein’s assertion above
Without freedom there would have been no Shakespeare, no Goethe, no Newton, no Faraday, no Pasteur, and no Lister.– Albert Einstein
I think I can safely say that nobody understands quantum mechanics. – Richard Feynman, famed Caltech physicist
The search for truth is more precious than its possession. – Albert Einstein
Brief is this existence, as a fleeting visit in a strange house. The path to be pursued is poorly lit by a flickering consciousness. – Albert Einstein
I am like an ostrich that forever buries its head in the sand so as not to face the evil quanta. – Albert Einstein
For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion. – Albert Einstein
I made one great mistake in my life—when I signed the letter to President Roosevelt recommending that atomic bombs be made. Had I known that the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done nothing. – Albert Einstein, in his final years
Noyce section
It hit me like an atom bomb. It was just so clearly the way that things were going to go in the future. It was one of those rare moments where you see a whole new technology opening up. – Robert Noyce, upon being shown a transistor for the first time by his professor Grant Gale
It was like picking up the phone and talking to God. – Robert Noyce, on receiving a call from Willian Shickley asking him to join his company
Competition breeds excellence. It is the only way to keep from becoming complacent and falling into the 'we’ve always done it this way' trap.– Robert Noyce
What else can you do with this wonderful idea? – Patent attorney John Ralls to Noyce on Jean Hoerni's planar transistor breakthrough (which triggered Noyce’s IC invention)
We scooped the industry!– Robert Noyce, after Fairchild Semi unveiled the first working planar transistors at a trade show
In the early days at Fairchild, we didn't have the experts around, so we all had to become experts. If you needed a furnace, you built a furnace. If you needed a glassblower, you learned how to blow glass. – Robert Noyce
We need to ‘show the flag’ at Wescon in August. We’ve got to show them that the integrated circuit isn't just a laboratory curiosity, but a production reality. – Robert Noyce to Jay Last, directing him to build a prototype IC to counter TI's announcement
I thought: 'Let's see, if we could do this, we could do that. If we could do that, we could do this.’ If I hit a wall, I'd back up and then find a path, conceptually, all the way to the end. Once you get to the point where you can see the top of the mountain, then you know you can get there. – Robert Noyce on his thought process for inventing the IC
The money doesn't seem real; it's just a way of keeping score in the game of innovation. – Robert Noyce in a letter to his father after becoming wealthy from his Fairchild Semi stock
I came here for my friend. The Nobel Prize for the integrated circuit would undoubtedly have been shared by Bob Noyce if he were alive. I thought I should be here so that Bob would have a presence when his invention was honored. – Gordon Moore on Noyce missing the 2000 Nobel Prize (because it is not awarded posthumously)
With your reputation, money won’t be a problem. Especially if you can bring Gordon along. The two of you are a formidable team. – Arthur Rock to Noyce, when the latter was thinking of leaving Fairchild and starting a new company
Aggressive goals force us to think differently, move faster, and find ways to do things that we otherwise would have thought impossible. – Robert Noyce
Bob's decision to cut chip prices in anticipation of future cost reductions was a game-changer. I think it was just as important as his invention of the integrated circuit. It moved the IC from being a high-priced specialty item for the military to a commodity that could be used in everything. – Gordon Moore, about Noyce’s gutsy move which foreshadowed “Moore’s Law”
Use money to buy time because money is cheaper than time. – Robert Noyce
We were betting on the jockey, not the horse.– Warren Buffet on his firm’s early investment in Intel
Sometimes, you’ve got to bet on yourself, especially when the odds are long. The greater the risk, the greater the potential reward. We aren't just building another company; we’re building the future of electronics. – Robert Noyce to Ted Hoff while recruiting him into Intel
We don’t really care who has what title. They’re just for outsiders to understand our roles. Inside, what matters is what you contribute. – Robert Noyce, explaining to his son about executive titles at Intel
If everything you try works, you aren't trying hard enough. With engineering, I view this year's failure as next year's opportunity to try it again.– Gordon Moore
Moore's Law is a violation of Murphy's Law. Everything gets better and better. – Gordon Moore
In those early years at Intel, we were always walking a thin line next to the cliff of disaster. One major manufacturing mistake, one bad batch of silicon, or one missed deadline could have wiped us out completely. – Robert Noyce
Only the paranoid survive. – Andy Grove (also the title of his bestselling book)
If you have all the information you need to make a decision, you're probably making it too late. – Robert Noyce, articulating his “principle of minimum information”
Why don’t you go ahead and pursue those ideas? It’s always good to have a backup position.– Robert Noyce directing Ted Hoff to pursue his ideas on the Busicom project, sparking the invention of the microprocessor at Intel
No exponential is forever... but we can delay 'forever' for a long time. – Gordon Moore, on the exponential nature of Moore’s Law
There are really only three things you can do with money: You can spend it, you can use it to make more money, or you can use it to build a future… by investing in the people and the ideas that will be here long after you are gone. – Robert Noyce, teaching his children the different ways to use money
Don’t be encumbered by history. Go off and do something wonderful. – Robert Noyce’s advice to entrepreneurs
Optimism is the essential ingredient for innovation. How else can the individual welcome change over security, or adventure over staying in safe places? – Robert Noyce
Technology is the looking glass through which we can pass to advance the collective knowledge of mankind and create a better world to live in. – Robert Noyce
Jobs section
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.– Leonardo da Vinci quote, repurposed by Regis McKenna for Apple II brochure
You can either surf the front edge of the wave or you can dog-paddle behind it. Come down here and make a dent in the universe. – Steve Jobs to Bill Atkinson while trying to recruit him
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. – Alan Kay, PARC researcher who later joined Apple
People who are serious about software should make their own hardware. – Alan Kay
We want to make a computer that is the first ‘telephone’ of the industry. But the neatest thing about it to me is, the same as the telephone to the telegraph, Macintosh lets you sing. – Steve Jobs
Real artists ship. – Steve Jobs
On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’– Apple’s Super Bowl commercial announcing the Macintosh
Well, Steve, I think there’s more than one way of looking at it. It’s like we both had this rich neighbor named Xerox, and I broke into his house to steal the TV and found out you’d already stolen it. – Bill Gates, when confronted by Jobs about Windows copying the Mac
People do judge a book by its cover. Even the best products, presented poorly, will be seen as poor. Present them in a creative, professional manner, and you impute quality. – Mike Markkula in his one-page document “The Apple Marketing Philosophy”
It’s better to be a pirate than join the navy. – Steve Jobs
An ‘A-player’ isn’t just 10% or 20% better than an average worker, but 25 to 50 times better. I’d rather have a tiny team of 'A-players' than a giant army of 'B' and 'C' players.– Steve Jobs
The journey is the reward. – Steve Jobs
Do you want to sell sugared water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?– Steve Jobs to John Sculley while trying to recruit him from PepsiCo
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.– Text of Apple’s “Think Different” commercial, partly crafted by Steve Jobs
Today, we’re introducing a quantum leap in listening to music. You can carry your entire music library with you. But the most mind-blowing thing about iPod is that it holds a thousand songs, and it fits right in your pocket. –Steve Jobs, introducing the iPod
We’re doing this because we love music. We’ve always loved music. It’s part of Apple's DNA. It’s the most popular art form in the world, and it’s a huge part of our lives.– Steve Jobs, introducing the iTunes Music Store
And finally, it’s stealing. It’s not cool to steal. And it’s best not to mess with karma. – Steve Jobs’s closing argument for buying music from the iTunes Music Store and not downloading it illegally
You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. – Steve Jobs, during his 2005 Stanford commencement address
I look in the mirror every morning and ask myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer is 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.– Steve Jobs, during his 2005 Stanford commencement address
Stay hungry. Stay foolish. – Steve Jobs closing message in his 2005 Stanford commencement address
Today, Apple is introducing three revolutionary products. A widescreen iPod with touch controls. A revolutionary mobile phone. And a breakthrough internet device... These are not three separate devices. This is one device. And we are calling it... iPhone.– Steve Jobs, introducing the iPhone
When you get it fundamentally right the first time, the design endures. That’s what makes a classic device. – Tony Fadell (one of the iPhone team members) on the original iPhone
Technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with the humanities that makes our hearts sing. – Steve Jobs
There’s lots of ways to be, as a person. And some people express their deep appreciation in different ways. But one of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there.– Steve Jobs
You never meet the people. You never shake their hands. You never hear their story or tell yours. But somehow, in the act of making something with a great deal of care and love, something’s transmitted there… So we need to be true to who we are and remember what’s really important to us.– Steve Jobs
I’d like to believe something survives after you die... that your consciousness endures. It would be strange if you accumulate all this wisdom and then it just goes away, like an on-off switch. Click! And you’re gone. – Steve Jobs
I think most creative people want to express appreciation for being able to take advantage of the work that’s been done by others before us. I didn’t invent the language or mathematics I use. I make little of my own food, none of my own clothes. Everything I do depends on other members of my species and the shoulders that we stand on. And a lot of us want to contribute something back to our species and to add something to the flow. – Steve Jobs reflecting on his legacy to his biographer Walter Isaacson, echoing the words he wrote in an email to himself a year before his death