Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body's Journey Through Life
by: Steven N. Austad
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Amazon.com
Before we know why we age, we need to know how we age. According to Steven Austad, we should blame the process on rusting and cooking. Oxygen causes our cells to rust, and glucose causes some of our tissues to take on the qualities of cooked meat. If we eat less food, we cook more slowly and we live longer. So, why do we age? Austad claims that we've evolved to have a certain reproductive usefulness, and after that the species doesn't need us anymore. What about all the "antiaging" equations modern science promises? Generally, the best they can do is prevent premature death. Sound harsh? Well, that's life, and Why We Age is one of the most entertaining and comprehensive guides on aging that you'll find. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Kirkus Reviews
The problem with long life is that one keeps getting older; here's an able and clearly written summary of the latest theories on why we age and what might be done to ameliorate the process. Austad, a biologist at the universities of Idaho and Washington and science advisor to NPR, begins with an examination of longevity. Despite anecdotal claims of ages in excess of 150 years, modern medicine has concluded that there is no evidence of a human living much past the age of 120. While the human life span has unquestionably undergone a dramatic increase during this century, almost all the gain has come in the elimination of infectious diseases, especially those of childhood. If a complete cure for cancer were discovered tomorrow, it would add at most a couple of years to the average life expectancy. Austad notes other fascinating patterns, such as a huge leap in the male death rate during the period of ``testosterone dementia'': adolescence and early maturity. The discussion then turns to the biological mechanisms of aging. Among the explanations that have become current at various times is the notion that aging and death are evolutionary mechanisms for removing obsolete stock from the gene pool. Another theory is that there is an arbitrary limit on the number of times a given cell can divide; Austad refutes these and other theories. Especially interesting is his examination of the relation between menopause and aging, and the use of hormone therapies to inhibit aging in older women. Finally, he turns to the current theories, scientific and otherwise, on therapies to postpone aging: reduced calorie intake, exercise, and such trendy nostrums as melatonin. While he is skeptical of many of the claims for such anti-aging therapies, he remains optimistic that continued research may enable our descendants to look forward to a longer and healthier lifespan than we can. -- Copyright 1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Reviews
"Austad's book can be read with pleasure and profit by any intelligent person with a smattering of biological knowledge."Science
"In this clear, engrossing overview, Austad takes the sting out of a subject that will ultimately capture us all."Publishers Weekly
"Why We Age is remarkably rigorous in its analysis and thorough in scope . . . a comprehensive examination of its topic."Science Expert Editors, Amazon.com
Science Expert Editors, Amazon.com
"Why We Age is remarkably rigorous in its analysis and thorough in scope . . . a comprehensive examination of its topic."
Card catalog description
A leading expert on aging, Dr. Austad clears away the clutter of exaggeration and folklore to present a full picture of the new understanding of what aging is, why it happens, andmost provocatively - whether it can be controlled. Drawing on the latest developments in such fields as evolutionary biology, comparative zoology, anthropology, and basic medical research, Austad surveys and synthesizes an enormous amount of material. He explores the basic concept of longevity and the various ways we measure it, and analyzes the claims of greatly extended lifetimes - as well as our eagerness to believe them. In anecdotes that read like detective stories, Austad tracks down outrageous examples of age inflation from around the world and throughout history, from the celebrated seventeenth-century case of Thomas Parr, who was buried with great honor in Westminster Abbey for his false claim of having lived more than 150 years, to intriguing tales from Pakistan, the Caucasus, and Ecuador. As he describes the different responses of neurologists, cardiologists, and evolutionary and cell biologists to key questions on the causes of aging, Austad paints illuminating portraits of such renowned scientists as J. B. S. Haldane and Peter Medawar, both major contributors to our understanding of why we age. We learn how long-term exposure to certain hormones, especially estrogen and testosterone, affects longevity, and how new therapies made possible through advances in molecular biology offer hope for slowing aging and extending life. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
The publisher, John Wiley & Sons
A lively introduction to the newest findings on what makes aging happen and whether it can be stopped. It explores intriguing questions such as why some animals age faster than others, why females of most species live longer than males, and when does human aging begin. Includes the best information about how scientists are trying to find ways to extend life, such as special diets, by searching for an aging gene, and by regulating hormones. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
About the Author
STEVEN N. AUSTAD, Ph.D., is an associate professor of zoology at the University of Idaho and an affiliated professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He serves as a science advisor for National Public Radio and writes for Natural History, Scientific American, and National Wildlife. Dr. Austad lives in Moscow, Idaho.
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