Book excerpt: Life is a continuing series of decisions and consequences. The consequences of this series of decisions constitute the lives we live and have brought us to this exact moment. This process is called destiny, and it controls all aspects of our lives. In this memoir, author Ryan James uses the events and experiences of his life to explore the concept of destiny. He shows how all of his lifes actions have affected who he is todayhis birth on a farm during a raging blizzard, the death of his mother two days after his birth, attending college in the 1960s, enlisting in the US Army, serving in England, graduating from engineering school, working as an engineer, traveling within the United States and abroad, and enjoying retirement. Where Destiny Led: What If? examines the consequencesthe what ifsof changes in the stream of events. What would be the result? What would life be like today? It examines Jamess past and present from the perspective of his own destinythe mystical force that weaves our lives together, the universal control that makes us who we are at any given time.