For centuries we have been taking notes on ourselves and each other. We have noticed how things hang together, and we have considered everything about human behavior. Many of our ancestors coded their earliest, astute observations in stories, supposedly about the gods. Today we see these myths as patterns describing the human condition. For example, the stories of Hera and Zeus investigate jealously in marriage between a strong-willed woman and her philandering husband. Today's novelists such as John Updike and Marge Piercy continue to investigate the same questions in contemporary society.