I have a healthcare background, so for non-science trained people, this book is an entertaining read by taking what may deem to be a dry subject (medicine and aging), and turning it into an inquisitive journey. The author approaches the subject similar to "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," only he uses his two uncles, the "Christian, crackly and stupid uncle, vs. healthy, liberal, intelligent - but still dead uncle." If you can stomach the anti-"certain religion" writing, you may get some ideas from this book. For me, it was uncomfortable to read, not because I'm associated with Christianity, but because I tolerate people's struggle to find truth, no matter their religious background, especially in regards to aging and dying. Any healthcare worker understands both disease and death is extremely personal. He made it uncomfortable and distracting to read. But then how does one turn the subject of aging and death into entertainment?
The author is a major part of the tale so it's difficult to talk about ideas without talking about him. If I appear to be "bashing him," it's because he's writing about himself through the whole book.
He has a clear bias against Somers, yet, aside from her alternative lifestyle, she did change my life at age 18 - I stopped eating sugar, processed foods, and ate clean proteins and veggies. I worked out and learned to love food. I dropped 20 lbs, my mother dropped 11 lbs in one week. She teaches sugar is our enemy! And indeed, isn't there research that shows what she is saying is true? Sugar that doesn't come from fruits and whole grains can greatly affect the aging process. It's also taught to new doctors and nurses in A&P that older people need more protein than younger people because they no longer are able to efficiently breakdown protein. Somers focuses on a diet of high protein, fresh fruits and veggies, and she focuses on efficient digestion through food combining and probiotics. Microbes are also proving to be a promising area in anti-aging medicine. Yet, he picks on her one ancillary idea - HgH - and discounts her entirely with his mocking/cynical tone.
He writes with an attitude at times, and mocks the "conservatives" with obscure and untrue facts. Why does he inject his political bias when this book could have been written cleanly? I was expecting an Oliver Sacks style of writing but instead, I have to put up with offensive statements. His writing style is more like Douglas Coupland - a Gen X'er who wrote "Life After God," but then, sometimes a mild Tucker Max emerges - one minute he is talking about his girlfriend but then the next sentence he's sharing about his fantasy on a private island with an MRI technician. As a woman, this makes me super uncomfortable, I'm a little too close to what goes on in a "healthy man's head." But maybe his cynicism and "guy talk" is his strength and weakness, allowing you to get insight into the topic from an ordinary perspective.
He points out this "longevity study" he participated in was only available for white, middle aged men, and that they are now liberally "advancing" and including women. He writes as if this was a victory - but because the author isn't in healthcare, he sounds ignorant, merely because women were restricted from participating in clinical trials after thalidamide caused infants to be born with missing arms and legs. Experiments can cause unknown side effects upon women and their offspring so out of safety, the FDA put restrictions in place.
I do agree about the importance of exercise and keeping active as we age. We were taught that exercise is the best anti-aging medicine. You have no pumps in your legs to return blood to the heart - you need active legs. They are also discovering that the brain continues to make new neurons in the hypothalamus, so the idea of "you were born with all your brain cells simply is untrue. However, the scary thing is, the only way you can keep your new brain cells is through exercise.
There's a new type of medicine being born, individual or personalized medicine, and when we are able to heal and fight disease and choose the right foods based on our own individual genome, we will rely less on "curious ordinary magazine writers" and "extreme quacks" to gather hope for our future.
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Excellent work. Written for lay person while bringing pro levels in a simplified manner with humour. One is confronted with behaviours which in the long term are debilitating however useful practical solutions are made evident. The research team did their homework. So enuf of this thing exercise. Going to make a healthful smoothy.
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Wonderfully Interesting book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 23, 2018Tim Searle
who'd like to stick around for as long as I can
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 24, 2015
