The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging [Paperback]

Dr. Andrew Weil provides an endorsement on the back cover saying "This is by far the best book I've read on the science of aging." I wonder why. It is definitely NOT the best book I've read on the science of aging. Better are: Austad, Steven N. Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body's Journey Through Life. (1997); Clark, William R. A Means to an End: The Biological Basis of Aging and Death (1999); and Hayflick, Leonard. How and Why We Age (1994)--see my reviews at Amazon.com. All three of these books explain aging and the evolutionary necessity for death better than Olshansky and Carnes.

I think what Andrew Weil liked about this book is the authors' endorsement of alternative medicine and their mention of Dr. Weil as "a leading proponent of this approach...emphasizing the importance of the natural healing and protective powers of the body in a way that is identical to that of evolutionary medicine." (pp. 146-147) It should be understood that while the authors endorse the principles of evolutionary medicine they do not endorse the use of many popular food supplements as a means of gaining longevity, including some advocated by Dr. Weil. Of course, Weil advocates their use for "optimum health" not as a means to anything like immortality. See his engaging best-seller, Eating Well for Optimum Health: The Essential Guide to Food, Diet, and Nutrition (2000).

What this book has going for it is a clear statement of the demographic facts about aging and death, and some good arguments explaining why the facts are as they are and not as we would like them to be. In particular, we are warned about the "Prolongevists" who make unsubstantiated claims about the possibility of living very long lives or of attaining immortality. They begin with the Taoists and the alchemists, through Roger Bacon and Luigi Cornaro, to the unnamed "advocates of extreme prolongevity" who, it is implied, believe that "meditating and eating fresh fruits and vegetables" will lead to "an ageless body and timeless mind," (p. 235), and they debunk them all. In a sense, theirs is an extended argument against buying any snake oil (in bottle or book form) that promises anything beyond the actuary tables. Clearly Olshansky and Carnes see their book as a clear-eyed "answer" to authors like Deepak Chopra , the mesmerizing author of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind (1993) and many other books, who would have us believe in pollyannaish possibilities.

While I agree that some kind of counter balance to the feel-good fuzziness of some New Age authors is necessary, I think that Olshansky and Carnes may have hurt their cause by not emphasizing the fact that humans need hope perhaps as much as they need factual knowledge. Furthermore, I think the authors may have aimed a little below their readership; witness the fact that the word "senescence" virtually does not appear in the book and is not in the index. Also, do they really think that their readers need to be advised (see page 35) that Tao is pronounced "Dow"?

Nonetheless, this is an attractive book and an easy read. I particularly liked the chapter on antioxidants, which makes it clear that such supplements are unlikely to be of any value in fighting senescence. Also excellent is the Appendix which is a "Life Table" giving years and days of life remaining for males and females at any age from 0 to 110 along with the probability of living to the next birthday. If you're male and a year old all the way up to being 29-years-old, you have a 99.9 percent probability of living to your next birthday. If you're a female, extend that to age 41. If you're a fifty-year-old woman, you have, on average, 11,651 days of life left.

This is an extremely disappointing book. It is superficial, repetitive, padded, sometimes illogical, and could be boiled down to a magazine article with no loss of content. The main point is pretty simple. Now that we have mostly conquered infectious disease in rich countries, what kills us is accumulated genetic damage, and there is no magic potion to treat it. Vitamins, herbs, dietary supplement, etc. are a waste of money. Basically, the authors wrote this book to warn against exaggerated claims about products purporting to prolong life. I have no quarrel with this point, only with the black and white nature of their thinking.

What I was hoping to find, and didn't, was practical advice, based on current scientific knowledge, on what I (or anyone) could do to live longer and healthier. What about diet? Avoiding toxins in the environment? Reducing stress? The authors mention that a healthy life style can add about 900 days to the average life span. Explain that to me in detail and I'll be delighted. But they don't explain it, and what little advice they offer contains nothing new.

The authors are research scientists interested in the possibilities of genetic engineering to further extend the human life span. They strictly believe in science and the medical model. They provide some information on why our genetic inheritance limits the human life span and where breakthroughs in genetic engineering might soon occur. Their science is quite watered down, however, below the level of Scientific American. They often refer to ethical considerations, but take no stand. The possibilities for genetically altering pigs to produce internal organs for transplant into humans seems to enthuse them, for example, but there is no sign of concern about the ethical treatment of other living creatures.

One of the important topics in the book is the discussion of how free radicals damage genetic material in our cells and whether taking antioxidants can help. Even here they are sketchy, illogical and, therefore, misleading. I'll illustrate with only one point. Stripped to its essentials, the authors argue that no one should spend the money on vitamins, herbs, or any alternative medicine product because the results differ greatly among individuals, and relatively few individuals would receive the greatest benefit. But what if you are one of those people who would benefit?

The authors are rightly concerned that a lot of wrong information is besieging the public, but they are unfocused on who their target audience might be. I think they missed all their potential targets and can't imagine who would gain much from this book.

I picked up a copy of The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging after watching Dr. Olshansky discuss his book and issues associated with human aging on Orange County Television in early January. Having been intrigued by the changes I've seen in my own body through the decades, I found Olshansky's perspective on aging to be fascinating and refreshingly honest. With a copy of his book in hand..., I flipped it over to find endorsements from what I have since discovered is a powerful set of authorities on aging. I was most surprised to find a glowing endorsement from Dr. Andrew Weil, who suggested that this was the best book on the science of aging that he had ever read. Over the years I have come to admire, respect and trust Dr. Weil, and now having read the book he so heartily endorsed, I can see why Dr. Weil and this authoritative group would provide such laudatory comments. What these authors did was, perhaps for the first time that I've seen, provide the general public with a scientifically accurate view of human aging that is easily digestible by everyone. None of the hype; no lies about how we can all stop or reverse aging or achieve an Ageless Body and Timeless Mind as suggested by Deepak Chopra (I've read all of his books); none of the exaggeration or lies about stopping or reversing aging by eating vitamins or antioxidants; and none of the hoopla like that coming from the world of anti-aging medicine where they would have you believe that aging can be reversed with the use of hormones or mind control. Olshansky and Carnes use the first chapter to take the reader on what I found to be a fascinating journey through the history of thought on aging and death. I discovered that the 120 year lifespan thought by many to be the scientific view of how long we can all live, actually comes from a passage in the Old Testament. The origin of alchemy came not from any great desire to transmute lead into gold for aesthetic purposes - gold was sought after because people thought it would make them live longer if they ate it. What I found most fascinating was the description of the legends passed down through the centuries designed to convince people that much longer lives are possible, legends that have made their way into contemporary literature and the ommercialization of anti-aging products (which are described in some detail later in the book). Olshansky and Carnes avoid criticizing directly any of the modern longevity salesmen. What they do instead is let us look at the historical and contemporary world of aging through their eyes, which then makes painfully obvious how those who know very little about aging, are trying to exploit the general public for profit. Not surprisingly, this shameless exploitation has been going on for thousands of years. In later chapters, Olshansky and Carnes explain why life expectancy cannot rise to the levels claimed by many scientists; why there is a scientific reason to expect a link between when sex and death occur; how medical technology contributes to our longer lifespan; the true story behind antioxidants and how scientists may be closing in on a genuine pharmaceutical fountain of youth; the frontier of genetic engineering that will change life and death as we know it; and how the modern approach to medicine may not be the best approach we need to take when it comes to the diseases and disorders associated with growing older. It is also obvious now why Dr. Weil so heartily endorsed this book, because Olshansky and Carnes echo Weil's perspective that one of the best ways to deal with health problems associated with growing older is to enhance the body's ability to heal itself. The Quest for Immortality deserves the accolades it has received. I anticipate that the anti-aging industry is going to be very upset about being exposed for having perpetuated a three-thousand year old legend about human aging and longevity. The authors of these anti-aging books are going to be even more upset for having been exposed as either frauds, or trying to make the public feel guilty about aging in order to persuade them to buy their worthless or unproven products. Ignore them all. Olshansky and Carnes know the science, they authoritatively inform us that the most important elements of aging are within our control, and they explain in simple and clear language why most people have the opportunity to enhance the quality of their life, no matter how old they are, and how such improvements can be achieved. Finally, someone who knows what they're talking about is willing to tell us the truth about aging!!

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