The author, an anthropologist, travels to Ecuador to interview centenarians, study their environment and write about his findings. "We see that nearly all centenarians are closely involved with the land in their lives and the bulk of their food is grown in the locality." They also live at an altitude of 1700-1900 meters (about 5577-6234 feet). He suggests developing a center to enable scientists and doctors to "make a full and unbiased study, for the benefit of all mankind ... Geneticists and environmentalists should work together to discover the secrets of old age--and these people of Ecuador offer us a unique opportunity. We must grasp it."--Conclusion, pages 136, 138, 141 and 142.
In the remote Andean Highlands there exist communities where individuals who live for 140 years or more, remaining agile and lucid. Death from cancer or heart disease is unknown. The author describes the villages in which these super-centenarians are found.
What simple practice could reduce fatal medical errors? Do juries make sense if the goal of criminal justice is to discover the truth? What are the alternatives? What kind of health studies should be taken seriously and what kinds should not? In this compendium of short, entertaining essays, Austad answers these very practical questions and others. Do we really become more foolish with age? Is there a limit to how long humans can live? He answers big questions you may not have known you had. What makes up the 95 percent of our universe that we can’t see? Why do we think “natural” means good for us? He also provides tips on everyday living: how to survive a shark attack, how painful is a fire ant sting, and why opossums make poor pets. These seventy-seven essays cover topics on the workings of science, the history of life, the mysteries of the universe, and the puzzles of everyday life with wit, insight, and humor. Your questions are answered, and more intriguing questions raised. This is a book that will keep you awake at night . . . lost in thought.
In October 1995, a blind, deaf, French grandmother broke a world record. Jeanne Calment became, so far as we know, the oldest human being who has ever lived when she reached the age of 120 years and 238 days. She went on to survive for nearly three more years—dying in 1997 at 122 years and 164 days. On the long journey to her record-breaking age, Madame Calment acquired more and more company. The United States today has more centenarians than any other country, and they are the fastest-growing section of the population, with at least fourteen times as many centenarians as there were sixty years ago. Secrets of the Centenarians delves into the intriguing background of this incredible increase. In the book, John Withington explores the factors that determine who among us will reach one hundred and who will not. Is it determined by lifestyle or by genetics or by geography? Why do women outnumber men so heavily among centenarians? What kind of life can you expect if you reach one hundred? Is surviving that long a blessing or a curse? Withington answers these questions and more, along the way telling stories of celebrity centenarians like the comedians Bob Hope and George Burns, songwriter Irving Berlin, Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, Britain’s Queen Mother, and the scientist who invented LSD. Finally, Withington explores whether—even if the number of centenarians keeps increasing—there remains a maximum life span beyond which we cannot survive. Thoughtful, well-researched, and highly entertaining, Secrets of the Centenarians reveals some of the most intriguing secrets of growing older.
A COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE ON GERONTOLOGY AND GERIATRICS Since its inception in 1987, The Encyclopedia of Aging has proven to be the definitive resource for scholars and students across the burgeoning and increasingly interdisciplinary fields of gerontology and geriatrics. Like its three esteemed predecessors, the fourth edition contains concise, readable explorations of hundreds of terms, concepts, and issues related to the lives of older adults, as well as timely coverage of the many new programs and services for the elderly. Updated, under the distinguished stewardship of editor-in-chief Richard Schulz to reflect the infusion of new information across the scientific disciplines, this new edition brings readers up-to-the-moment significant advances in biology, physiology, genetics, medicine, psychology, nursing, social services, sociology, economics, technology, and political science. While retaining the format and standard of excellence that marked the first three editions, the fourth edition encompasses a wealth of new information from the social and health sciences. It contains the most current bibliography of an expanding literature, an exhaustive index, and extensive cross references. This much anticipated update of the field's most authoritative resource will take its place as an indispensable reference for specialists and non-specialists across a broad range of disciplines that now comprise the field of aging. SPRINGER--SERVING THE HEALTHCARE AND HELPING PROFESSIONS FOR MORE THAN 55 YEARS
The 120 Club Living the Good Life for 120 Years By Philip Rose In his book, The 120 Club - Living the Good Life for 120 Years Phil Rose wants us to imagine that living to 120 years is possible. He imagined this long before consulting the longevity experts, many of whom had reached the same conclusion: living to 120 is the natural life span for humans. In The 120 Club - Living the Good Life for 120 Years Phil Rose presents his Ten Wisdoms for living a balanced and rational life. His ideas stand in contrast to much of what is out of balance in our world. In addition to the more widely accepted and discussed areas of nutritional supplements, diet, and exercise, Phil Roses program of ten wisdoms includes an in-depth analysis of: Learning effective and practical ways to reduce stress and heal emotional hurts. Managing money and finding meaningful work. Living outside the box through personal creativity and play. Enjoying the rewards and inner peace of an authentic spiritual life. Participating in the essential healing powers of Mother Earth. Gaining and keeping long time friendships alive. Using alternative healers and Western doctors to repair and heal the body. Experiencing personal power to transform the world. The 120 Club Living the Good Life for 120 Years is not a quick-fix book but one that is meant to accompany you over a lifetime. There is no pre-requisite to join The 120 Club other than the total and joyful decision to transform your now long and healthy life. The 120 Club is THE survival manual for this century Bob Bodgan Professor of Sociology and Education Syracuse University There are books aplenty that urge us to fix the world and as many that guide us in healing the body and soul. In these pages Phil Rose wisely shows that to be fully alive is to be fully engaged spiritually, politically, and personally. Read on, live well, live long. Jack Manno Executive Director of the Great Lakes Research Consortium and author of Privileged Goods.
Why do some people age in failing health and sadness, while others grow old with vitality and joy? In this revolutionary book, bestselling author John Robbins presents us with a bold new paradigm of aging, showing us how we can increase not only our lifespan but also our health span. Through the example of four very different cultures that have the distinction of producing some of the world’s healthiest, oldest people, Robbins reveals the secrets for living an extended and fulfilling life in which our later years become a period of wisdom, vitality, and happiness. From Abkhasia in the Caucasus south of Russia, where age is beauty, and Vilcabamba in the Andes of South America, where laughter is the greatest medicine, to Hunza in Central Asia, where dance is ageless, and finally the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa, the modern Shangri-la, where people regularly live beyond a century, Robbins examines how the unique lifestyles of these peoples can influence and improve our own. Bringing the traditions of these ancient and vibrantly healthy cultures together with the latest breakthroughs in medical science, Robbins reveals that, remarkably, they both point in the same direction. The result is an inspirational synthesis of years of research into healthy aging in which Robbins has isolated the characteristics that will enable us to live long and–most important–joyous lives. With an emphasis on simple, wholesome, but satisfying fare, and the addition of a manageable daily exercise routine, many people can experience great improvement in the quality of their lives now and for many years to come. But perhaps more surprising is Robbins’ discovery that it is not diet and exercise alone that helps people to live well past one hundred. The quality of personal relationships is enormously important. With startling medical evidence about the effects of our interactions with others, Robbins asserts that loneliness has more impact on lifespan than such known vices as smoking. There is clearly a strong beneficial power to love and connection.
