Knot Theory is currently a very broad field. Even a long survey can only
cover a narrow area. Here we concentrate on the path from Goeritz matrices to
quasi-alternating links. On the way, we often stray from the main road and tell
related stories, especially if they allow as to place the main topic in a
historical context. For example, we mention that the Goeritz matrix was
preceded by the Kirchhoff matrix of an electrical network.