Thinking through his fingers, prolific writer Isaac Asimov (1920–1992) was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to New York with his family in 1923. By age five, he taught himself to read with Brooklyn street signs, then also learned Yiddish on his own.

"Difficulties often vanish when faced boldly," said Asimov, who at age seven taught his younger sister to read. He skipped several grades and graduated from high school at 15.

Writing was always his true passion. He once explained, "I make no effort to write poetically or in a high literary style. I try only to write clearly and I have the very good fortune to think clearly so that the writing comes out as I think, in satisfactory shape."

Asimov sold his first science fiction story, Marooned Off Vesta, when he was 18, launching a remarkable career. His first book, the novel Pebble in the Sky, was published in 1950.

He once said, "There isn’t an idea I’ve had that I haven’t put down on paper." He wrote over 500 books on subjects ranging from science fiction to Shakespeare. His acclaimed short story Nightfall introduced the influential Three Laws of Robotics.

"I write for the same reason I breathe — because if I didn’t, I would die," he explained. Writing daily from 7:30 AM until 10 PM, Asimov worked solo—typing, researching, and answering all correspondence himself.

He maintained, "This way there are no arguments, no instructions, no misunderstandings. I work every day. Sunday is my best day: no mail, no telephones. Writing is my only interest. Even speaking is an interruption."

"Writing is more fun than ever," he said. "The longer I write, the easier it gets."