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Bill Gifford

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Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (or Die Trying) Hardcover – February 17, 2015

by Bill Gifford (Author)

4.4 647 ratings

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From acclaimed journalist Bill Gifford comes a roaring journey into the world of anti-aging science in search of answers to a universal obsession: what can be done about getting old?

Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (or Die Trying)

Spring Chicken is a full-throttle, high-energy ride through the latest research, popular mythology, and ancient wisdom on mankind's oldest obsession: How can we live longer? And better? In his funny, self-deprecating voice, veteran reporter Bill Gifford takes readers on a fascinating journey through the science of aging, from the obvious signs like wrinkles and baldness right down into the innermost workings of cells. We visit cutting-edge labs where scientists are working to "hack" the aging process, like purging "senescent" cells from mice to reverse the effects of aging. He'll reveal why some people live past 100 without even trying, what has happened with resveratrol, the "red wine pill" that made headlines a few years ago, how your fat tissue is trying to kill you, and how it's possible to unlock longevity-promoting pathways that are programmed into our very genes. Gifford separates the wheat from the chaff as he exposes hoaxes and scams foisted upon an aging society, and arms readers with the best possible advice on what to do, what not to do, and what life-changing treatments may be right around the corner.

An intoxicating mixture of deep reporting, fascinating science, and prescriptive takeaway, Spring Chicken will reveal the extraordinary breakthroughs that may yet bring us eternal youth, while exposing dangerous deceptions that prey on the innocent and ignorant.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"You need this book. I grabbed it like a life preserver, and that's exactly what it is. Spring Chicken demolishes the worst hoaxes in anti-aging treatments-like crushed dog testicles, human growth hormone, and Suzanne Somers-and leaves you with the good news: by adopting a few easy-to-understand, easy-to-follow discoveries, you might just deactivate the time bombs in your fat cells and learn to follow in the springy, "successfully aging" footsteps of a 92-year-old pole vaulter."
-Christopher McDougall, New York Times bestselling author of Born to Run and Natural Born Heroes

"Spring Chicken is a masterful exploration of the fantasy and fact surrounding one of the most fundamental questions of humankind: why do we age?"
-David Perlmutter, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar-Your Brain's Silent Killers

"Spring Chicken is an utterly marvelous book - a guided tour of a fantastic, counterintuitive landscape (that happens to be your body), and also a whip-smart guide to living a longer and healthier life. With this book, Bill Gifford joins the ranks of Mary Roach and Bill Bryson as a science writer supreme, illuminating our world in a page-turning style that is as entertaining as it is enlightening."
-Daniel Coyle, New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code

"Bill Gifford's terrific Spring Chicken gives us a riveting account of the most important change of the last century-the doubling of our lifespans-and an intimate vision of what it will take to not only keep that trend going, but keep ourselves healthy and vibrant as we age."
-Steven Johnson, New York Times bestseller of How We Got to Now

"Gifford skillfully navigates the many strands of aging research to create an entertaining narrative of the perils of getting old."
-Kirkus

"An enlightening book-and a terrific read."
-The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Bill Gifford is a contributing editor for Outside magazine and has written on science, sports, and fitness for numerous publications, including Wired, Businessweek, Men's Health, Men's Journal, Slate, and The New Republic, among other publications. He has been features editor of Men's Journal and executive editor of Philadelphia magazine. He is also the author of Ledyard: In Search of the First American Explorer. He lives in New York City and central Pennsylvania.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; First Edition (February 17, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1455527440
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1455527441
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.3 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.25 x 9.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,012,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #325 in Gerontology Social Sciences
- #1,367 in Anatomy (Books)
- #104,485 in Self-Help (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.4 647 ratings

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Bill Gifford

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Bill Gifford is a veteran magazine writer and editor who writes about extraordinary athletes and cutting-edge health science. After growing up mostly in Washington, D.C., he returned after college to become a staff writer for the legendary Washington City Paper, for a salary paid in beer, rice and beans. He then moved to Philadelphia to write and edit for Philadelphia Magazine for several years. Continuing north along I-95 to New York, he worked as features editor and then "editor-at-large," the world's best job title, for Men's Journal. His freelance work has appeared in Outside magazine, where he is a longtime contributing editor, as well as Bicycling, Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, Slate, and others, as well as in Best American Sportswriting. His first book, Ledyard, is a biography of the 18th-century explorer, writer, entrepreneur and bon vivant John Ledyard. His latest, Spring Chicken, is a personal investigation into the science of aging.

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647 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides valuable information on a topic they are concerned about. They appreciate the clear, accessible prose written for the lay reader. The book is described as an engaging and entertaining read with amusing anecdotes. Readers enjoy the author's humor and self-deprecating style. The presentation style is well-organized and clever. Overall, customers find the book informative and thought-provoking, making them consider longevity and living a more robust life.

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Information quality Readability Enjoyment Humor Presentation style Longevity

121 customers mention "Information quality"112 positive9 negative

Customers find the book provides useful information and insights about aging. They appreciate the well-researched content that is easy to understand for lay readers. The book presents a comprehensive perspective on the subject, with humor and valuable insights.

"...Spring Chicken: I laughed out loud, learned about myself, raised my eyebrows, mumbled "really?", laughed out loud again, read passages aloud..." Read more

"...The author deserves credit for maintaining a broad, comprehensive perspective and clearly shows the evolution of thinking in this realm...." Read more

"...34;Spring Chicken" is a privilege to read, not simply because it's edifying and entertaining in every bite, but because it's the work of a non-..." Read more

"...It does provide a window into directions in research on aging and a few specific tips for improving ones odds that are accessible to the average..." Read more

110 customers mention "Readability"102 positive8 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. It's written for lay readers while bringing pro levels in a simplified way. The author writes in a way that anyone can understand the most complicated research. Overall, it's a good and easy read for long flights.

"...work: the skill to make the complex - even terrifying - easier to understand...." Read more

"...This explains the clear, readable prose. But there is a tendency to oversimplify and interject sophomoric asides (yikes!)..." Read more

"...and entertaining in every bite, but because it's the work of a non-fiction writer at the top of his game...." Read more

"...I really learned a great deal about longevity, and I enjoyed the reading while I was at it. How rare is that? I highly recommend the book." Read more

65 customers mention "Enjoyment"65 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it engaging and well-written, with amusing anecdotes. The writing style keeps them reading, though some readers feel there isn't enough science content yet.

"...is a privilege to read, not simply because it's edifying and entertaining in every bite, but because it's the work of a non-fiction writer at the..." Read more

"...A feature that makes Spring Chicken an enjoyable read are the short stories in which the author himself becomes one of the characters...." Read more

"For a book with a lot of scientific detail, this book was amusing and easy to get through...." Read more

"...So you'll read a lot of interesting material, but occasionally you'll read about some outdated ideas (like eating fat is bad for you)...." Read more

26 customers mention "Humor"26 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the author's wit and self-deprecating style entertaining.

"...Spring Chicken: I laughed out loud, learned about myself, raised my eyebrows, mumbled "really?", laughed out loud again, read passages aloud..." Read more

"The sense of humor displayed in this book’s title is present throughout the book...." Read more

"...And I was not disappointed. The book is written with humor and warmth and explains in easy-to-understand terms much of the research going on today,..." Read more

"...The author’s wit and self-deprecating style make what could have been a thankless trek from one dry data collection to another a lively tale full of..." Read more

14 customers mention "Presentation style"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-presented and engaging. They appreciate the author's wit and self-deprecating style. The book provides an interesting overview of the fascinating history of science with a nice, well-crafted presentation.

"This is an engagingly written overview of the fascinating history of the science of ageing...." Read more

"This is truly a great book. Bill Gifford is an alchemist, presenting deep and comprehensive hard science in a crackling style with a laugh-out-loud..." Read more

"...The author’s wit and self-deprecating style make what could have been a thankless trek from one dry data collection to another a lively tale full of..." Read more

"...Very entertaining presentation. He also has very good ideas about his journey, pizza crusts and all--lol! I highly recommend it." Read more

10 customers mention "Longevity"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's longevity. They say it makes them think about living a more robust life, and that the author has courage, determination, and stamina to produce the book. The book is described as being in like-new condition and arrived within two days in excellent condition.

"...I really learned a great deal about longevity, and I enjoyed the reading while I was at it. How rare is that? I highly recommend the book." Read more

"...I received my latest purchase which is as described, it is in like new condition; however, imagine my shock to see a sticker on the front which..." Read more

"...He reviews lifespan and what we can expect from our bodies as we age. The recommendations on healthy longer living are well founded...." Read more

"This was a solid, scientifically researched book on different theories of aging such as shortening of telomers and DNA damage...." Read more

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Peter O'Toole
Superb
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2015
Verified Purchase
If you’re a sports fan, there are few things worse than watching a chair-sitting, flabby “journalist” who has never laced up anything besides a wing tip try to school a former NFL/NBA/NHL/MLB/World Cup etc player on “what it all means.”

What does that have to do with “Spring Chicken”? A lot.

Because in his many years reporting for Outside, Wired, in his first book Ledyard and elsewhere, Bill Gifford’s enormous credibility has come from his commitment to getting out there and playing the game, bringing the best investigative reporting methods to subjects that rarely get such treatment. When covering Lance Armstrong at Lance’s height of popularity, for example, Gifford trained, too, riding the merciless Colombian mountains with Armstrong’s “hill guys,” racing in the Tour d’Afrique, packing his empirical arsenal all the while and ultimately bringing it to his readers.

Readers will be happy to know that Gifford brings that commitment to his work, and his readers, to Spring Chicken – and so much more.

One reason why this book is such a corker is something I’ve appreciated in his previous work: the skill to make the complex - even terrifying - easier to understand. And if anything qualifies as complex and terrifying, it’s how long we might live, based our genetics and our behavior.

Spring Chicken: I laughed out loud, learned about myself, raised my eyebrows, mumbled "really?", laughed out loud again, read passages aloud to others, learned more about myself, missed my bus stop, nodded my head, shook my head, took notes so that I could try certain examples myself. I flat out loved it.

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10 people found this helpful

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Ken Kardash
spring chicken journalism
Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2015
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This is an engagingly written overview of the fascinating history of the science of ageing. The author deserves credit for maintaining a broad, comprehensive perspective and clearly shows the evolution of thinking in this realm. Unfortunately, as he points out, he is an English major trying to explain physiology and medicine. This explains the clear, readable prose. But there is a tendency to oversimplify and interject sophomoric asides (yikes!) that make the reporting seem less professional. Even the opening scene, which makes the eminent physician Brown-Sequard look like a buffoon in a story that has nothing to do with ageing research, made me wonder if the priority was to entertain or to explain. Then there are the factual errors that are obvious even to a casual reader, raising doubt about the overall accuracy of the content. “A young Elvis Presley” wasn’t being broadcast in the 1920’s; he wasn’t even born. Coronary arteries do not “come off” the heart; they supply it. Anti-inflammatories are not “safer” than Tylenol; they cause many more deaths, mostly from gastric bleeding.
I’ll still give it four stars as a stimulating update on a topic that fascinates and affects us all. At least there are source notes to follow up on some of the more interesting strategies, like intermittent fasting and metformin. The references will come in especially handy when you read about someone suggesting transplant immunosuppressants for age extension!

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11 people found this helpful

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Jack McEnany
This is truly a great book. Bill Gifford is an alchemist
Reviewed in the United States on February 25, 2015
Verified Purchase
This is truly a great book. Bill Gifford is an alchemist, presenting deep and comprehensive hard science in a crackling style with a laugh-out-loud line page after page. "Spring Chicken" is a privilege to read, not simply because it's edifying and entertaining in every bite, but because it's the work of a non-fiction writer at the top of his game. I compare it to Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run" for it's readability and important reportage. Except "Spring Chicken" isn't about a slice of society; it's universal, speaks to everyone who'd like to squeeze more juice from their body and mind, to skirt the dwindling twilight of old age for a vibrant and healthy new phase of life.

Guys like me--pushing 60 and can't quite believe it--will find a motherlode of useful information. But, like retirement planning, people in their 20s and 30s who want life's ride to be longer, smoother, and more fun, should get in early and read it too. My teenagers are getting copies for their next birthdays. Someday they'll thank me. Maybe I'll even be around to hear it.

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40 people found this helpful

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Taxodium
Immensely entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2015
Verified Purchase
The title is a tipoff. Even though Gifford, by necessity, has to introduce technical terms -- and he explains them well I might add -- " Spring Chicken" in the title tells you that this is not going to be a dry recitation of facts. A feature that makes Spring Chicken an enjoyable read are the short stories in which the author himself becomes one of the characters. In one chapter Gifford goes for a cold plunge into the frigid (sub 50°) waters of Half Moon Bay with a biochemical engineer who is referred to by Gifford as "the World's Toughest Nerd". Trooper that he is Gifford manages to stay in the water, but -- and this is a direct quote from the text:
"...My heart pumped furiously, trying to keep my core warm, while robbing blood from my extremities. Like my testicles, which ached fiercely, as if in the grasp of a vengeful girlfriend. 'My ba**s hurt!' I blurted.
'Yeah," said the World's Toughest Nerd, with a knowing nod. 'That happens.' "

Rather than rely on journal articles, Gifford goes right to the sources and interviews the people who have lived a long time, or who have aged well, or are doing life extension research. As a result I felt I had almost met them myself.

My Kindle Paperwhite is pretty well stocked with diet and exercise books and I even own a copy of CALORIE RESTRICTION, AGING AND LONGEVITY, but in Spring Chickena I found information which was heretofore unknown to me. What a bargain!

I count myself lucky to have had my car radio on when Gifford was being interviewed on NPR. Thank you NPR and thank you Mr. Gifford for making me laugh.

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16 people found this helpful

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Donna Craig
Most Enjoyable Anti-Aging Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2023
Verified Purchase
The sense of humor displayed in this book’s title is present throughout the book. I really learned a great deal about longevity, and I enjoyed the reading while I was at it.
How rare is that? I highly recommend the book.

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3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

HARPREET
Poetic story is fascinating and sticky!
Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
The stories and researches were compelling. Page turner. The prints are much better than my old medical textbooks! One of 100 books that inspired me to write our book " ALIVE OR NOT ALIVE" also available on AMAZON.com

Niran Ojomo, MD ( Author of ALIVE OR NOT ALIVE)

Physician & Coach focusing on Wellness, Resilience, Human Performance & Longevity.

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Amazon Customer
Four Stars
Reviewed in India on November 16, 2016
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OK

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Julia Hamilton
What a great read! Gifford has put his research into a ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2015
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What a great read! Gifford has put his research into a very digestible and readable format. Best of all his is game to try and writes humbly about his experiences - a quality I greatly admire in a researcher. It is inspirational, will get you moving and have you thinking about life choices that hope to lengthen your health span. That's what it is really all about, feeling your best while living your life. I feel better already!

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William
Well written, but pessimistic view of the current state of age research.
Reviewed in Japan on September 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
Bill Gifford is a skilled writer, but it is clear from the start that his view on age research is skewed to the negative. He barely mentions figures like Aubrey de Grey that are doing concrete and revolutionary work and instead focuses much more on the quacks and shills like Suzanne Somers and Dr. Life. I understand he wants to warn people and keep realistic about aging, but I kept waiting for some sense of hope on the subject that never came. He brings up "issues" with longevity that would have been easily put to rest by listening to some of his research subjects. I enjoyed the extensive Appendix more than I did many of the chapters. That said, I'm glad that I read the book as Gifford's research introduced me to subjects and topics that I haven't come across on my own. Read it, but keep in mind he's a bit of a wet blanket. A book that covers the same material, and then some, in a more optimistic way would be "100 Plus" by Sonia Arrison.

*Note for Kindle edition: Be prepared for the usual grammar and transposition errors that come from a machine scanned OCR with minimal editing.

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Amazon Customer
Good read
Reviewed in Canada on January 9, 2020
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Good read but gets into the the weeds in parts on the science of aging.

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