This is very nitpicky and I apologize for it, but any non-American here a bit miffed by the fact that this is from a book named "Letters of great Americans to their children"?
Einstein was only American for the last 15 years of his life, and it was forced by the politics of the time more than anything else. Unnecessary patriotism (wherever it comes from) is irritating.
He was not particularly a good father figure. He spent very little time with his sons (who his ex-wife Mileva Marić, took care of). If I remember correctly, he also had a daughter with Maric, Lieserl... he actually never really knew... giving her in adoption...
Not to thread hijack, but my dad is interested in genealogy. He turned up a letter written in 1883 from a relative to his sons who had just left home for school. I found his language really interesting, so I transcribed it.
One part I liked: "The world is open to you, and you can be anything that an honorable ambition may aspire to, if you are but true to yourselves. To be true to yourselves you have but to meet in a manly way and conscientiously discharge the duties of life in any and every sphere, that you may be cast."
Einstein was only American for the last 15 years of his life, and it was forced by the politics of the time more than anything else. Unnecessary patriotism (wherever it comes from) is irritating.
Sorry, this is petty :(