I received the fundamentals of my education in school, but that was not enough. My real education, the superstructure, the details, the true architecture, I got out of the public library. For an impoverished child whose family could not afford to buy books, the library was the open door to wonder and achievement, and I can never be sufficiently grateful that I had the wit to charge through that door and make the most of it. Now, when I read constantly about the way in which library funds are being cut and cut, I can only think that the door is closing and that American society has found one more way to destroy itself.

In between he spent three years during World War II working as a civilian at the Philadelphia Navy Yard's Naval Air Experimental Station. During his oral examination shortly thereafter Asimov grew concerned at the scrutiny he received. He especially worries that Israel has been created among hostile neighbours and that Jews have merely created for themselves another "Jewish ghetto".

His only works in the 100s—which covers philosophy and psychology—were forewords for The Humanist Way (1988) and In Pursuit of Truth (1982) a festschrift in honor of philosopher Sir Karl Popper's 80th birthday. He often provides nationalities birth dates and death dates for the scientists he mentions as well as etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.