Scientists devour textbooks and data in an attempt to understand the world, to gain confidence or clarity, to be prepared. 

 The problems with all the how-to, step-by-step books is they don't take into account the exceptions to the rules. They never leave room for the outliers, the geniuses, the miracles.

 Because books are black and white and everything in real life is a messy shade of grey. So nothing can truly prepare us for the beautiful, painful things we never imagined possible.

 Or the moments no one ever saw coming.