The Science of Fate: Why Your Future is More Predictable Than You Think

by Hannah Critchlow

**THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**

'A truly fascinating - if unnerving - read'
DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Acute, mind-opening, highly accessible - this book doesn't just explain how our lives might pan out, it helps us live better'
BETTANY HUGHES

'A humane and highly readable account of the neuroscience that underpins our ideas of free will and fate'
PROFESSOR DAVID RUNCIMAN


***

So many of us believe that we are free to shape our own destiny. But what if free will doesn't exist? What if our lives are largely predetermined, hardwired in our brains - and our choices over what we eat, who we fall in love with, even what we believe are not real choices at all?

Neuroscience is challenging everything we think we know about ourselves, revealing how we make decisions and form our own reality, unaware of the role of our unconscious minds. Did you know, for example,

* You can carry anxieties and phobias across generations of your family?
* Your genes and pleasure and reward receptors in your brain will determine how much you eat ?
* We can sniff out ideal partners with genes that give our offspring the best chance of survival?

Leading neuroscientist Hannah Critchlow draws vividly from everyday life and other experts in their field to show the extraordinary potential, as well as dangers, which come with being able to predict our likely futures - and looking at how we can alter what's in store for us.

Lucid, illuminating, awe-inspiring The Science of Fate revolutionises our understanding of who we are - and empowers us to help shape a better future for ourselves and the wider world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Psychology, Philosophy, Audiobook, Biology, Sociology

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 2, 2019

Reviews

[Igor Razumny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quotes:

Talk to your toddler as much as possible - this affects their ability to learn language.

Look your toddler in the eyes when you talk to them - this makes language learning much more effective.

Physical exercise induces creation of new cells in the brain. (Research made in Uni of California in 199x).

Exercise is essentially an antidepressant due to its ability to balance levels of cortisol and impact on production of endorphins.

To protect your brain keep exercising, keep learning and keep socially engaged, pay strong attention to your food (sugar is super bad), sleep to the point of saturation.

Mice pops were freezing in fear when smelling smell of sweets when their parents were repeatedly shocked by electricity at the same time as exposed to smell of sweets and thus parents were freezing in fear every time they were exposed to smell of sweets. Pops were never exposed to electroshock. (https://www.newscientist.com/article/...)

Man tip twice the usual amounts for lap dances on average during 5 days of every month when the lady doing the lap dance is most fertile.

Research: Man wore t shirts for two days and ladies rating smell - ladies prefer smells of man whose genetics are very different from their own. Child from such a couple would have stronger immune system and would have higher chances of survival. But woman on a anti pregnancy pill are hormonally always in a state of pregnancy and in that state ladies prefer smell of man with similar genetics. Reasoning goes that when pregnant woman prefer to have relatives around.

Oxytocin plays leading role on bonding between people.

Each additional older brother increases chance of homosexuality of a man by 33%.

Homosexual men are usually low in testosterone.

Switch of just one gene made female mice and fruit flies homosexual in behaviour.

Best predictor of whether or not a person would recover from heart attack is strength of his/her social relationships.

Moving is effectively our sole purpose in life.

It takes a village to raise a child.

By the age of 5 the child’s brain has been literally shaped by their socioeconomic status. The poorer the child the more reactive is their stress responses, weaker memory, lower emotion regulation, etc.

Crows in number of cities learnt to drop nuts on the road to have them crashed by passing cars. Then the crows would press a traffic light button with their beak to stop the cars and retrieve the nuts.

Person's emotional state can be manipulated by changing their facebook feed.

The act of recognizing the emotion and communicating it to others physically changes how you perceive the emotion. Simply saying I’m angry dumpens the primitive anger response in the brain.

[Armaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

اگه بخوام خیلی خلاصه بگم، کتاب علم سرنوشت نوشته‌ی هانا کریچلو، یکی از اون کتاباییه که هر کسی باید حداقل یه بار بخونه. کتاب در مورد این حرف می‌زنه که چقدر چیزایی که تو زندگی‌مون اتفاق می‌افته، به ژن‌ها، مغز و محیط ما بستگی داره. اما چیزی که جذابش می‌کنه اینه که خیلی قشنگ و ساده توضیح می‌ده که آیا واقعاً سرنوشت ما از قبل نوشته شده یا می‌تونیم تغییرش بدیم.

کریچلو با زبونی خیلی روان و قابل فهم، میاد یه سری مسائل علمی پیچیده رو باز می‌کنه و می‌گه چجوری انتخاب‌ها و تصمیم‌هامون حتی وقتی فکر می‌کنیم کاملاً آزادیم، تحت تأثیر چیزایی مثل ژنتیک و تجربه‌های زندگیه. از طرف دیگه، یه جورایی بهمون امید می‌ده که با آگاهی بیشتر، می‌تونیم تو بعضی بخش‌های زندگی تغییر ایجاد کنیم.

یکی از چیزایی که خیلی برام جذاب بود، مثال‌ها و داستان‌هاییه که تو کتاب آورده. اصلاً حس نمی‌کنی داری یه متن علمی خشک و خسته‌کننده می‌خونی. انگار داری با یکی از دوستات گپ می‌زنی و اون داره برات یه عالمه اطلاعات جالب و به‌دردبخور تعریف می‌کنه.

خلاصه اینکه این کتاب هم سرگرم‌کننده‌ست، هم پر از چیزایی که دید آدمو به خودش و دنیا تغییر می‌ده. به نظرم برای هر کسی که می‌خواد درک بهتری از خودش و زندگی داشته باشه، این کتاب یه انتخاب فوق‌العاده‌ست.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fate was defined by the Greeks was three goddesses who presided over the birth and life of humans. Each person's destiny was thought of as a thread spun, measured, and cut by the three Fates, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. So basically fate has always been pretty difficult to define and grasp.
Fate's fate was taken over by the great monotheistic religions and now science is trying to claim at least some part of it. Hannah's book is an attempt to wrestle some of the authority away from religion although she is careful not to challenge it directly.
This book does explain the science of fate on one level, our predispositions to natural death, love, hate, personality types, but avoids the greater definition of fate like when will we die? Think she had established the basic template for her no fate but evolution argument and should have gone a few chapters more to kill the remaining Greek gods by declaring our deaths to chance rather than written by Atropos on our births.

[Mariana Ferreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Destino e neurociência. Inato e adquirido. Determinismo ou predisposições. Genética e ambiente. Velhas questões sempre atuais. Livre arbítrio condicionado, enquadrado permanentemente por uma biologia assaz rígida em certas diretrizes. Critchlow fala nos da ciência do desenvolvimento, com especial foco na fase da adolescência, os afetos, a sexualidade, a sociabilidade, as crenças, o altruísmo, doenças mentais, condicionamentos e o futuro da neurociência na previsão e manipulação de comportamentos assim como o tratamento de diversas patologias psicológicas, psiquiátricas e neurológicas.
A ética nunca é deixada de lado. É um campo que deve ser comensal de toda a ciência.
Um livro que não resvala num determinismo biológico cego e é sim ponderado, flexível, holístico, tomando em linha de conta a extrema complexidade da integração entre genética e ambiente na formação das múltiplas individualidades, procurando, no entanto, padrões no todo, no coletivo. A verdade (ou o que parece ser razoável admitir ) é que nós, humanos, somos um pouco de tudo certamente. Com determinados viés geneticamente programados mas certamente navegamos por dentre aquilo que chamamos de nossas fraquezas ou limitações e exploramos as nossas riquezas Mais introvertidos ou extrovertidos. Mais ansiosos ou mais calmos. Mais cautelosos ou apaixonados pelo risco. Mais altruístas ou egoístas. Mais conservadores ou liberais. O nosso cérebro apresenta padrões, certamente, circuitos reiforçados. Testar a plasticidade, a exequibilidade de mudanças profundas é deveras apaixonante.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would recommend- it’s definitely interesting.

Basically to sum it up, literally everything comes back to genetics from income to personality to education and free choice is a societal construct.

E.g- IQ is only 50% genetic and 50% based of environmental factors including education.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The neuroscience of fate is a curious and paradoxical field of study, then, which is perhaps only to be expected, given the mysterious and awe-inspiring complexity of the organ at its centre."

In The Science of Fate, Critchlow examines the human brain and behaviours via different scientific lenses but with a particular emphasis on neuroscience (not a great surprise as Dr Hannah Critchlow is a neuropsychiatrist). Critchlow really thought about her readers and crafted the book in such a way that it's ridiculously easy to pick up as a layperson. The science is well explained and easy to understand, and Critchlow has further made the book user friendly by breaking it up into segments, specifically: The Developing Brain, The Hungry Brain, The Caring Brain, The Perceiving Brain, The Believing Brain, The Predictable Brain, and The Cooperative Brain.

I feel it is worth noting that Critchlow attempts to be even handed in how much credence we should give scientific findings or how applicable lab results can be to everyday life, which whilst admirable is slightly frustrating for a layperson drawn in by the bold title. Speaking of the title it takes a little while to get close to an answer. 150 pages into the book Critchlow acknowledges that she hasn't actually definitively answered anything, stating "The elephant in the room that we have been circling is the central question of the book. Are we subjects of biological fate or agents of free will?" Despite not ever quite accurately saying how predictable our actions are the book is filled with interesting references to other studies, other scientists, and other books as well as being peppered with anecdotes from Critchlow herself.

Ultimately it was still an enjoyable non-fiction read for someone who usually struggles to finish NF but it did leave me wanting more. It wasn't quite the book that the blurb sold itself as, which is tough as it was a great book but the difference between expectation and reality makes it hard not to be a bit disappointed. I'd still heartily recommend this if the book sounds of interest to you.

"...Yet it is precisely this architecture of the brain, its flexibility, its intricacy, its dynamism, that means that every person on this planet is a true individual, with the scope to exhibit such wide complexity of behaviours arising from the 100 trillion connections in their mind. This ever-changing landscape of complex neural circuitry, which is driven to seek patterns, ironically means that attempting to categorise people by simplifying their behaviours to binary brackets is nonsensical, since the scope for variation in perceiving reality and complexity of thought and behaviour is so vast."

[Agne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio.
This is a well-written account of recent developments in neuroscience - it goes pretty deep, but is really accessible. The author does a good job putting all these stories together. And narrating them herself - I really loved her voice. The topics include how we eat, career choice, liberal/conservative views, personalised medicine, transgenerational memory etc.

[Nadia Kanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don’t judge a book by its cover !
While I don’t remember why and when I got this book on my kindle, I started reading it thinking I will be rolling my eyes after a chapter or so, but it proved the complete opposite!! Its so scientific, yet so simple for people who dont have the neuroscience background knowledge to understand how “fate” is not what we always thought and hoped it was. Its one of those books that you need to read 2-3 times to grasp the whole ideas and magnitude of those ideas!
I would love to see another book by the author say in 5-10 years after more advancement in science and specifically neuroscience to see how will they support the ideas in this book !!

[Shreekant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising start however ends like a typical dissertation. Nevertheless, a fun read for the curious mind

[Amin Mo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only reason I give this 5 🌟 is because it -barely- realized the minimum of what I want of a book,knowledge.
The book is supposed to take on the argument of “Do humans really have free-will? Or is it fate that controls us?” I can’t deny that the book did indeed take the subject of fate in the eight chapters of the book, but it surprisingly wasn’t the focus of the book in most of the chapters (except of chapter 7), you literally forget the book is talking about fate while reading. This reminds me of an Arabic proverb “In the middle of the plate of rice”, (The rice resembling the book), will it was really more close to the edges than the middle to be honest.
The reason why I love reading about neuroscience is because I find it amazing how the brain functions and how it alters our behavior according to various circumstances and leads to completely different and amazing outcomes, or to put it simple, the things like “Placebo Effect” and how 70% of how the food tastes is because of how it looks rather than how it’s cooked, “Fight-Flight” etc...
Unfortunately, the book lacked of this, there have been talk about some experiments, like the mice experiments, but I would have been delighted if it had more of this stuff.
The book was in many times boring, I would attribute this to two things:
1) The issue I addressed above for the lack of “fun-side” of neuroscience.
2) The way of writing wasn’t attractive.
The book was overall good, it does what it’s meant to do, to supply knowledge. I learnt a few fun-facts, for example: How each and everyone of us conceives the world differently because of the different experiments we had in life, that the reason we tend to eat high-calorie food goes back to thousands years ago when food was scarce and not abundant. Also general knowledge of neuroscience like that: infants have as much neurons as adults but only use 25%,that the brain weights 2% of the total body but consumes 20% of the energy and many other things...
It was a good book but I advise the author, if he decides to do another one, to absolutely go for it, but to focus on the fun-part of neuroscience, because it’s the only reason anyone loves neuroscience.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Our individual belief in free will may well be an illusion but it's probably a necessary one for a smooth-running society (though also, potentially, for a smooth-running life)."

It is obvious that Critchlow is a brilliant scientist as she trolls though the latest neuroscientific research to determine the questions of free will versus biological determinism.
She is balanced and fair in her inquiry.
But although the research evidence is abundant as to our deterministic nature, she keeps the door open, almost as if she is afraid to send us all into a depressive state at considering ourselves less than agents in our own lives. The possibilities she advances don't quite add up. For example:
"But to break down individual habits requires persistence, as well as self-reflection, and the ability to communicate with, and hold compassion for, others." Oh, is that all? Especially as she shows us that the heritability of callous and unemotional behavior is between 40-70%.
So, on one hand, Critchlow gives us the evidence of genetic and mental circuitry that runs our decision making and yet it seems she needs to keep offering, on the other hand, the possibility of something else to soothe us in our understanding of ourselves as survival mechanisms, period.

For me, there was nothing particularly new or illuminating to be found in these pages. Yes, it is an adequate compilation of the research, but it lacked a powerful focus and just ended up as a "nice" exploration into the age-old questions.

For me, disappointing.

[James Marland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars. But maybe in our genes?

Dr Critchlow does not come down firmly on one side of the other of the age-old question of pre-destination, in its modern form: how much of our future is written not in our stars but in our genes. Relentlessly optimism at times borders on naivete, as she hopes that humanity will globally come together to address issues around designer babies and genetic screening, when apparently that is already happening in China and India. Also she falls back on "more research is needed", and hopes that the next insight is just around the corner. If there's one thing we've learnt since the first mapping of the genome, it's that everything is way more interrelated and complex. The single-gene example of Huntington's (which is discussed at length) is the exception, most physical, mental and social illnesses are still staggeringly complex to even understand at the genetic level, let alone treat.

But the sections on the biochemistry of the brain were well written, and I very much like the way that she introduces the other scientists, in context, with a human-like introduction. So much better than a bald citation and a footnote in the Appendix. I wish more science writers would do this, it gives the reader an insight into how the book was constructed. Most writers, or perhaps their editors, seem to want to "remove the scaffolding".

[Mike Shield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly I have to celebrate the dust jacket design which first attracted me to pick up the book in Waterstones. The title promises allot and does deliver in simplifying the science for the layperson, to the point of being insightful. I really connected with Critchlow' statements about human existence and purpose. Although the closing chapter left me wanting more, I suppose I was unrealistic to expect to find all the answers in one publication. I particularity liked the synopsis of leading research and the scientists own personal perspectives. Critchlow helped me to cement some long standing theories and reaffirmed my instinct, thank you.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an extremely well written, argued and evidenced based on clear structural thought and solid research.

It was very helpful and easily relatable, the author is clearly someone who knows her subject matter very well but writes in a very accessible style. Adie from the intellectual stimulation, it was a very enjoyable read too.

[Sambasivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with a crystal clear thought process this book is a compendium of the cutting edge developments in the field of neuroscience. Supreme research and summary of discussions with specialists make the hypothesis of the book credible. Must read.

[Isaac Thiele-Swift · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't completely sure whether to give "Science of Fate" three or four stars. It is a well-written examination of the growing evidence that people have less control than they might think over their personalities and life trajectory. Critchlow argues that both are largely under the control of genetic factors and, to a lesser extent, one's childhood environment.

"Science of Fate" covers much of the same ground as Steven Pinker's "The Blank Slate" or Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow", but is not the tour de force of either. There are a few points where Critchlow doesn't support her argument, and one gets the sense that her position might largely be the result of wishful thinking.

Nevertheless, "The Science of Fate" is still worth reading for anyone interested in human psychology and human nature. It just might not be the best introduction to the topic.

[Alasdair Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turner that helped me understand my behaviour and choices in life, empowering me to take charge of certain aspects of my life and hold more compassion for others, highly recommend!

[Anas Alrowaili · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's such an intriguing book, love the way it lays that fate, and our free choice is actually connected to our ancestors and to our DNA

I really recommend it

[Donald Puttock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read for the non technical. Thought provoking, and changed how I think.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are those that believe that star signs determine our fate, that very moment that you were born your destiny was set by the heavenly bodies. Others think that we are completely free to determine and set our path in the world. It looks like both of these are wrong, as according to the science free will doesn’t exist.

Our neuroscience probes deeper into our grey matter, it is revealing the processes that we use to make our decisions, how we form the reality that we see around us and just how much effect that the subconscious mind has over our day to day life. The DNA that we have inherited from our parents plays a key role too, certain character traits, such as phobias, addiction and depression are hardwired into us before we emerge from the womb. The unconscious mind has all sorts of tricks up its sleeve. Certain processes become automatic after a while, it plays as much of a part in selecting our partner as much as visual cues and personality do.

Critchlow has lots of example of human behaviour and why some things are easy for us to keep doing and why other changes need much more effort to have an effect. She has some good ideas in here and I thought that it was written well, but it didn’t quite have that extra something that would lift it to great. 2.5 stars

[ClareT · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to give this 2 1/2 stars, but rounded it down. There is nothing particularly wrong with the book, it is just that there is one theme - that many of our actions are determined to some extent by genetics, and therefore we don't have as much free will as we think. Or do we?
There are interesting interviews with other scientists and even with Rowan Williams, and some insight into their work e.g. those working on why we eat unhealthy foods. But most of what is covered in the book is covered elsewhere - I have recently read a couple of very short introductions - Consciousness and also the Brain which cover much of the same ideas, but in more detail.
In addition, I was also expecting a bit more on, for example, probability, to be encompassed within a general discussion of the science - as well covered by Thinking Fast and Slow, also a very interesting book.
Finally, the reason for the 2 stars is that the coverage of ideas seems quite shallow, limited and repetitive, and even when there is something new in there, it is too new to have any real conclusions.
A very disappointing book unfortunately - the author obviously knows her stuff, but I am not sure there is enough in this to justify a full 200 + pages.

[Michaela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is inherently interesting - who would not like to know more about how our brain functions. So do not be put off by the title (or maybe the other way around?) - in any case - the "sexy" title has basically nothing to do with the content :). The book has as much in common with the idea of "fate" as Harry Potter does with contract law...

The chapter on beliefs is fascinating. Although, it does carry a danger of making a total nihilist out of you...at least for a while, as you are being told that your brain basically predetermines a lot of things about you, your interactions, and you just dance as it plays...well, not entirely, but...can be a mildly depressing idea. But it surely does make you think about what role the concept of autonomy plays in your life.

[Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic ~

Neuroscience told so clearly, concisely and thoroughly. Another infinitely neccersary book!

[Katrina High · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book of knowledge will fascinate your brain cells and deepen your understanding of what is largely responsible for the way you think about certain things - your likes/dislikes, beliefs, political views and lifestyle. It seems that life will roll the way it was supposed to thanks to our little friends, DNA. So take the pressure off peeps. I am now aware that my dislike for Torys and love for crumpets is infact inherent and simply part of my DNA. Thanks Hannah for confirming this 🥰

[Hannahveronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

NGL this book is really mind-blowing. Real page-turner. Recommended

[Liz Offen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Clinical Psychologist I cannot praise this book enough. It should be essential reading for all those in training! Written in an accessible, easy to follow manner it outlines some of the latest developments in neuroscience, normally one of the most difficult disciplines to read and digest. Locating myself on the environmental side of the nature nurture debate I found my beliefs seriously challenged by the cited research in the book which led me to question and sometimes reposition myself on the continuum. Some of the material excited me so much I still find myself pondering the implications of the new knowledge it delivers.

The eight chapters are clearly delineated and filled with examples illustrating the key points using everyday language. The clarity of expression swings open a door into the world of neuroscience and all it has to offer our understanding of our own destinies - free will or fate? Each chapter poses different questions, but one can’t help but conclude that we are more constrained by neurobiology than many of us would like to acknowledge. Nor can one escape the profound implications inherent in the science. For clinicians working in the area of mental health some of those implications make for uncomfortable reading provoking serious moral and ethical questions.

In the final chapter Critchlow ends on a positive note looking at the possibility of humanity’s potential for compassion and altruism to lead us towards collective action to combat the global issues now facing us. The Science of Fate was written prior to the pandemic but the message could not be more relevant to the present time.
Dr Liz Offen

[Artsalnov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Очередная книжка про мозги…
1. забавные факты про резко пропадающие 17% серого вещества в юношестве, во время прохождения пубертатного периода.
2. Страшная правда о тесте с зефирками. Зефирки не то, чем кажутся))
3. Движение (спорт) помогает в старости не поддаться деменции.
4. Эпигенетика - новое слово, крутяцкие открытия. Занятно.
5. В четвёртой главе прям открыто утверждаются мальтузианские идеи, от этого жутковато.
6. «Спасибо, кэп»! благодаря британским ученым мы точно знаем, что на интеллект влияет образование.
7. Какой-то ложный вывод выдан в четвёртой главе про сексуальность и ориентацию. Меняя в предложении слово сексуальность на: психические заболевания, девиантное поведение, трахнуть ребёнка, домашнее насилие, пойти грохнуть соседа - получается, что все это тоже норма, если следовать логике автора в экстраполяции нейробиологии на окружающий социум.
8. Опять про сканирование мозга консерваторов и либералов (практически вторая книжка подряд). Забавно, что никто не проверял либералов со списком вопросов, готовы ли они отказаться от своих либеральных убеждений (про то, как именно ИХ проверяли ни слова)….Если консерватор не готов отказаться от своих политических убеждений, то он стопудово консерватор…. Вывод просто шикарен, конечно. Никто не спрашивает либералов об их готовности отказаться от своих ценностей (уверен, они поведут себя, как консерваторы)?
Ох блин, в общем следите за руками, с этими их вводами и интерпретациями.

[Gerard Mullan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good book, and not what I expected. I learned a lot, even as a frequent reader of neuroscience and neuroscience-adjacent non-fiction. I particularly enjoyed the framing of the book's intention as 'neuroscepticism' addressing 'neurohype', approaching scientists with questions and getting a good idea of what is really going on with the brain.

The vibe of the book is that the hard deterministic future of Brave New World is a baseline, not an intervention, to the natural order. That mixes of environment and genetics are always present and at work in shaping our personalities, thoughts, and behaviours. And it explores how society is moving from a point of random or unstructured expression of these to one where personalities, thoughts, and behaviours are selected through the more baseline selection of genes, environments, and bureaucracies.

There were admittedly times when the writing was a bit plodding and redundant, but it got back on track with things quickly. The one part, right at the end, I found a bit bemusing. It criticises the Selfish Gene model, without delving into the nuances Dawkins outlines concerning Proximate and Ultimate goals, which I would think are very rich areas in which to examine biological determinism. Dawkins himself points out that his book is widely taken out of context - and while the author points this out, she then proceeds to take Dawkins widely out of context.

[Raveen Kulenthran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a happy reader of Dr Critchlow’s book: The Science of Fate. It was an enlightening read and I resonated with everything that I could bodily comprehend. What I could not reason through felt experience, I pondered intently. I felt supported in my pondering for Dr Critchlow’s narrative was not only clear, but also infused with humour and described from various angles.

Although Dr Critchlow’s narrative does indeed insinuate that our future is more predictable then we may think, it does offer hope to anyone wishing to re-chart their life trajectory. The following paragraph – extracted from Dr Critchlow’s Epilogue – suggests that we do have some sway over our destiny:

“On the flip side, the exceptional plasticity, dynamism and flexibility that also characterise our brain provide scope to alter our behaviour and, potentially, our course. But to break down individual habits requires persistence as well as self-reflection and the ability to communicate with, and hold compassion for, others”

Thus, in my eyes, The Science of Fate is a book that equips it’s reader with the means to understand themselves in relation to their distant and recent past, serving as somewhat of a compass in the re-charting of their trajectory. I would, without a blink of an eye, recommend The Science of Fate to anyone wishing to understand themselves in relation to the muddle of life.

[Astor Teller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your brain reads this review, it should continue by reading the book reviewed.

Rereading this book, I find just as enlightening as the last time (which means my brain should practice more memorising).

The writing is easy to grasp and interspersed with experiments and talks with other brain specialists, but many answers are vague as we are far away to conclude the intricacies of the brain; the science in this field is young, but some findings are definite.
One such example is the experiments by Kerry Ressler on mice inheriting fear for the smell of cherries (which would make the typical mouse excited). It shows how traits are inherited from previous generations’ experiences, so yes, you can inherit fear from bad experiences your parents (or grandparents) long before you were born (through epigenetic).

So, dear brain, if you read this, it can do magic to the holster you are in (like decreasing your obesity).