I was listening to an interview on NPR with an author of a recent book which inspired me to write this post. Have you considered how much your life has benefited from what others have done? Of course, the major effort was by your parents. And your teachers, and many others you may or may not even know about. How about Indian mathematicians who invented zero? And those who invented and perfected domestic agriculture and domestication of animals? And scientists and engineers whose toil resulted in all the modernity we see around and use. The list continues. Great authors of fiction and non-fiction, movie makers, actors, directors, bus drivers, and so on and on. Without the efforts of all the humanity that preceded us, we could, at worst be still living in caves risking being eaten by a wild animal or dying at the age of 27 of natural causes, or at best tending a farm and domestic animals.Much as we always find some thing that is missing in our lives, we live a far superior and enjoyable