Color Theory textbook

[Julie Uhler]

I have a very basic color theory question for the highly talented
artist's amongst us:

I have recently read in several oil painting 'how-to' books that "a
cool surface takes a warm highlight and a warm surface takes a cool
highlight". If this is true (and I imagine that it is), why is this?
Is there a color theory that explains this? Perhaps someone can
recommend a book resource that would be useful for such basic
information.

Thanks. NRAS is such a wonderful resource.