"The last one he purchased was entitled 'The Theory of Monomolecular Films in Fission-Reaction.'"
"Mind explaining that? It sounds like Greek to me."
Lionel smiled tolerantly. "If you have a flat table and a pile of kid's toy blocks, you can either build a structure or lay 'em on the table in a single layer. Since molecules are often called the building-blocks of the universe, the analogy is quite clear. The blocks in a single layer form a monomolecular layer. Fission reaction is a self-sustaining nuclear reaction."
"Sounds quite erudite."
"In the first place, no one with any sense would try to make use of it. It is the type of volume that a physicist would write in the hope that he will get letters pro and con on the subject which will be useful in forming a later theory."
"Then it is not a complete waste of time."
"Any time I lay out nine bucks for a half-inch of paper—"
"Expensive, isn't it?" asked the doctor.
"Sure. Those things are not best sellers, usually. The publisher puts it out in the name of science and must at least get his printing cost out of the very limited edition."
"I see. And you want to get rid of this physicist?"