Synopses & Reviews
"After watching elderly mice on resveratrol perform like rodent Olympians in an endurance test, I came away convinced that the long, weird quest to extend life span-a 5,000-year trek during which hopelessly hopeful seekers tried everything from transfusing youths' blood into their aged veins to injecting minced dog testicles-was finally getting somewhere."
Even before the first person set off to find the Fountain of Youth, we've been searching for a way to live longer. But promises of life extension have long reeked of snake oil, and despite our wishful thinking-not to mention the number of vitamins we pop, cups of ginkgo tea we drink, or miles we jog-few of us believe we'll live to see 100, much less set a longevity record.
Scientists, too, have long been skeptical, often dismissing gerontology, the study of aging, as little more than a front for charlatans. And it's hard to blame them. Aging's daunting complexity has often led to more questions than answers, and opportunists have always been quick to cash in on any development, no matter how dubious.
But now we're closing in on true breakthroughs in anti-aging science. Compounds that dramatically extend the health spans and longevity of animals, including mammals, have recently been demonstrated in the lab, and gerontologists now generally agree that drugs that slow human aging and greatly boost health in later life are no longer a distant dream-in fact, candidates supported by reams of data are already at hand.
David Stipp, a veteran science journalist, tells the story of these momentous developments and the scientists behind them. He reveals how seemingly unconnected findings on gene mutations that can double animals' life spans, the life-extending effect of near-starvation diets, the link between dwarfism and longevity, the secrets of weirdly long-lived animals, and the special genes behind human centenarians' radical resistance to the ravages of time are coming together to spark an anti-aging revolution.
Writing for nonscientists, Stipp provides a definitive, engaging account of some of the most exciting, and sometimes controversial, advances that promise to change the way we live forever.
Review
"Improvements in technology, particularly the ability to sequence DNA quickly, have made the serious study of ageing possible. All this is carefully chronicled in "The Youth Pill" by David Stipp, a former medical writer for the Wall Street Journal and an able guide to this young science. His book draws readers down the blind alleys and experimental dead ends that are an inevitable part of scientific research, as well as explaining the advances that have been made and the hunches that led to them."
-The Economist
"An engaging account of the burgeoning field dubbed gerontology-the study of aging and of medicinal tools to block its unwanted effects"
-Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former deputy commissioner of the FDA, Wall Street Journal
"From the history of attitudes and philosophies on old age and various nostrums that have been pitched to the hard science of the cellular mechanisms of aging, genetic studies, and dietary variables and finally to what is becoming the big biotech business of life extension, Stipp covers the field admirably...This tour de force is recounted with insight, authority, and a somewhat breezy style reminiscent of the best of Natalie Angier's works."
-Gregg Sapp, Evergreen State College, Library Journal
From the title of the book, I expected hype about resveratrol or some other miracle pill; but instead it is a nuanced, levelheaded, entertaining, informative account of the history and current state of longevity research. It makes that research come alive by telling stories about the people involved, the failures and setbacks, and the agonizingly slow process of teasing out the truth with a series of experiments that often seem to contradict each other."
-Dr. Harriet Hall, Science-Based Medicine
"Stipp's experiences as a popular Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine writer have blessed him with a singular style, crafting complex explanations of scientific discoveries (and failures) into eminently enjoyable reading. Whether or not the notion of living energetically to the age of 150 appeals, Stipp makes the research compelling."
-Donna Chavez, Booklist
"...a well written and documented journey through all the theories, animal studies and human observations since the 1900's about the attempts to find the fountain of youth...Mr. Stipp delivers a detailed exploration of the complex quest for youth with humor and thoroughness. He entertains with details of intrigue and one-up-manship in the research world as well as everything you ever wanted to know about the naked mole-rat."
-Suzan M. Streichenwein, M.D., FAPM, Medical Front-Page
Review
“David Stipp is the ideal ambassador to the sometimes surreal landscape of life extension. How is it possible to understand so much, to explain so clearly, to tell a story so engagingly and so well? I hope he keeps writing books until he’s 300 years old. (And guess what? It’s not entirely out of the question!)”
—MARY ROACH, bestselling author of Stiff, Spook, and Bonk “Well-researched, excellent book on the progress of the biology of aging.”
—Robert N. Butler, founding director, National Institute on AgingSynopsis
In
The Youth Pill, journalist David Stipp explores the scientific battle against aging and the pioneers of the movement to extend lifespan for everyone. He takes readers behind the scenes and introduces us to the key players who are experimenting with the most promising cutting-edge research. It is an informative and provocative read that shows how a small group of optimistic and determined scientists are closing in on drugs that will change the way we live forver.
Synopsis
Living longer is closer than we think. Even before the first person set off to find the Fountain of Youth, we were searching for a way to live longer. But promises of life extension have long reeked of snake oil, and despite our wishful thinking—not to mention the number of vitamins we pop—few of us believe we’ll live to see one hundred, much less set a longevity record. But now scientists are closing in on true breakthroughs in anti-aging. Compounds that dramatically extend the health spans of animals, including mammals, have recently been demonstrated in the lab, and gerontologists now generally agree that drugs that slow human aging and greatly boost health in later life are no longer a distant dream. David Stipp, a veteran science journalist, tells the story of these momentous developments and the scientists behind them, providing a definitive, engaging account of some of the most exciting (and sometimes controversial) advances that promise to change the way we live forever.
About the Author
David Stipp is a former senior writer for Fortune and a former staff reporter for The Wall Street Journal, where he covered science, medicine, and technology. In 2006, he wrote a front-page story for The Wall Street Journal that broke the news that resveratrol, and ingredient in red wine, induces anti-aging effects in mice. He lives in Boston.