Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old

Andrew Steele

Mar 2021 · Penguin Random House Audio · Narrated by Andrew Steele

About this audiobook

“A fascinating look at how scientists are working to help doctors treat the aging process itself, helping us all to lead longer, healthier lives.” —Sanjay Gupta, MD

Aging—not cancer, not heart disease—is the underlying cause of most human death and suffering. The same cascade of biological changes that renders us wrinkled and gray also opens the door to dementia and disease. We work furiously to conquer each individual disease, but we never think to ask: Is aging itself necessary? Nature tells us it is not: there are tortoises and salamanders who are spry into old age and whose risk of dying is the same no matter how old they are, a phenomenon known as “biological immortality.” In Ageless, Andrew Steelecharts the astounding progress science has made in recent years to secure the same for humans: to help us become old without getting frail, to live longer without ill health or disease.

Ratings and reviews

TL;DR: Outstanding book, the kind I encounter once a decade and that opens up a whole new area for me. In the same league as "The coming plague" and "Reading in the brain". I enthusiastically recommend it! This book presents a coherent and comprehensive view of aging, connecting the dots across a number of areas. It covers the evolutionary basis for aging across the animal and plant kingdom, covers some of the causes of aging at the molecular, cellular and system level, outlines a number of research areas to handle aging, gives practical advice on what we can do today, and so much more! All the parts in the book fit together into a coherent whole and this answers a number of questions that I was struggling with before reading this book. Why is diabetes a problem at a molecular level? What are plaques (they occur in the brain, blood vessels, eye and so many other places and when they occur they cause problems)? Why is inflammation bad and why does it exist if it is bad for you? ... and I could go on. After reading the book, I feel like I have a much clearer perspective on aging, and I plan to read this book again soon!