Book excerpt: A meme provides an automatic belief regarding whats important, an unspoken understanding of whom to trust or whom to distrust and fear, a view of what you can expect out of your life. During most of our lives, we are imbedded in some meme and live according to the ways of that meme without being aware of it. In The Memes of My Life, author Duane R. Miller uses the concept of memes and integral thought to explain what hes discovered about his life. In this memoir, Miller shares his life story against the backdrop of memes, from growing up on a farm in Ohio; to attending college and the seminary; going to graduate school; being involved with campus ministry; working as a minister in urban, suburban, and rural churches; and living in retirement. In The Memes of My Life, he tells how the understanding of memes has helped him understand his history and why he thought, acted, or valued the way he did. It has also helped him realize why others acted the way they did and why he was successful working with some and ineffective in relating to others. He shows how understanding memes has allowed him to find joy and peace in his soul.