Chapter Five: Getting Ahead

One thing I really like about Shubin, is that he actually puts meaning into his titles, and it makes me feel giddy afterwards when I understand what the title means. Going into this chapter, I was just hoping to God it wasn't as boring as last chapter. And for the most part it lived up to my expectations, even though it kind of stumped me at the whole arches and embroyos part but I figured everything out. Who knew that picture books would come back into style and be so useful? I felt like a kid again putting the book sideways and trying to visualize in my own head what was being shown to me. And it really is amazing how studying the arches and brain development can show early signs of birth defects and other mental illnesses. Personally, I wish we were still a lot like sharks, because Jaws seems to be pretty cool. While everyone else was grossed out by the fact that he cut open a human cadaver to observe the brain and how it works, I found it amazing and I hope to share the experience some day. Not saying its fun or anything, it being dead people and all, but its amazing to look into the wonder that is the human body. 

-Cameron Chear