Book Notes:
I finished "Genome" by Matt Ridley, I think it is an excellent reading for almost anybody. In his own words: "The literature of genetics and molecular biology is gargantuan and out of date. As it is published, each book, article or scientific paper requires updating or revising, so fast is new knowledge being minted (the same applies to my book)." Nevertheless, one should read this book as it breaks multiple stereotypes that bias our daily lives. The book is comforting and well as alarming, but if anything, it is eye-opening and a good introduction to genetic science.

I, in particular, started to subscribe to chaos and deterministics theories. Oversimplifying grossly, everything in life is determined by some cause-effect fenomena, for most things in life the web of cause-effects are so complicated that are impossible to determine. There is very little of what we could call "free will"; we do what we are. We are shaped somewhere in vicinity of 50% by our heritage (genes), 10% by parent/family/home, the rest is peers. The older we get the closer we are to our original, independent, genetic selves. We can attempt to shape ourselves, and we can condition many things, but like an artist starting a scoupture, the better material we start with, the better chance for final outcome.

Not unlike as leaves floating in the stream, with the wind of external influances trying to blow us back on the shore and cataracts trying to stop us in the progress, we will either end up in the sea, our destination, or rotten on the way.