Yes, I called this first section Appetizer because Preface or Foreword is just too boring. Many a preface consists of a laundry list of topics, which the author felt obliged to include, followed by acknowledgments in often cumbersome prose. And even if a preface actually contains true morsels of wisdom, readers don't expect as much and don't do what readers are supposed to do: read it. An appetizer, by contrast, is an artfully created tidbit to whet your appetite. Here it goes loosely with the theme of vignettes, that is, wine, vine leaves and stories that are short enough to fit on them. It is also more in line with the somewhat provocative chapter titles such as I'd rather be fishin’, but I will not launch into a laundry list. Mind you, esteemed reader, you are still with me, and I hope you will keep on reading until, as your mother might have said, you have earned the privilege to enjoy the Dessert. In the process, I hope to ease you into the fascinating field of systems biology as it attempts to decipher and understand the inner workings of life. As you will see, systems biology uses a lot of sophisticated techniques, all with their own jargon, so this is not exactly an easy topic to discuss. But there are so many exciting things going on in this young field, and in biology in general, that I am convinced you would be at a loss if you remained in the dark. You did not have the opportunity to experience the industrial revolution firsthand, and you may have missed the electronics revolution, so don't miss out on the biological revolution!

Allow me to back up a little and provide some context for the rise of systems biology. To some degree, we all have been systems biologists since our early days. We have marveled at ecological systems in our backyards and across the world, in deserts, on mountains, and in oceans, either with our own eyes and ears, or maybe through magazines and documentaries. We have watched with amazement how tiny ants carry heavy loads into their nests, apparently knowing that this is their assigned task in life and that other ants have their own roles and responsibilities for the greater good of the colony.