Aging, the process of becoming old is said to be caused by genetic behavior or biochemical process in our body. We have always believed that genes control our lifespan. But what if someone tells you that genes are not that powerful? That we have more control over them. Authors David A. Sinclair and Matthew D. LaPlante pinpoint this in their book, Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don't Have To.
In the book, geneticist David A. Sinclair has shown that genes do not fully control our lifespan. He wants people to live longer, healthier and disease-free in their hundreds as well. The book Lifespan provides a vision of the not-to-far future of living beyond the age of 120 years. Sinclair is a leading scientist in the field of senescence and aging. He is a believer of the fact that aging is not a natural part of life but a curable disease.
Sinclair has dedicated his research around aging and has come with masterful theories for increasing lifespan. In this book, he along with LaPlante deals with the problem statement that is why humans age and whether we can avoid aging and degeneration.
In the first part of the book, Sinclair presents his Information Theory of Ageing. He starts by talking about the past and what we have been told about aging. Sinclair states that till the twentieth-century scientists believed that humans grow old and die for the good of the next generation. He also questions the role of genes in aging.
The authors have defined aging as a disease. They talk about cancer and heart diseases in the first chapter, and the way journey of their treatment landed us with many solutions. Hence, authors say if begin finding treatments for aging we might come across many innovative theories. They even optimize to the fact that curing aging will be easier than cancer or heart diseases.
The subsequent parts of the book talk about how we can avoid aging and its effects. The author David A. Sinclair in the second part of the book focuses on the present. He talks about treatments in process, developing theories, and steps we can take to avoid aging. Sinclair says that during the mapping of the Human Genome, genes that supported longevity were mapped.
The genes were mapped that affected the symptoms of aging. But no gene was found which was responsible for aging. Hence, proving his statement that genes are not responsible for aging. The author also discusses the ways we can delay or even stop the process of aging. It is possible by staying active, exercising, eating healthy, and living healthier lifestyles.
The authors have discussed past and present in the first and second parts of the book. In the third, they deal with the future. The authors very intelligently have also covered the implication of longevity. They have discussed the possible future and proposed a path to the future with a longer lifespan. They showed the expected negative effects of longevity. They examine the economics of extending lifespan on the planet with limited resources. They also discuss the ethical perspective of going against the natural order. However, the authors Sinclair and LaPlante also showed positive perspectives of aging. The authors state that increased lifespan will promote the working and living together of many different generations. It would make us more empathetic.
The book takes the readers on a lively ride from the past to the future of aging. The authors make the readers hopeful for the near future where the 90s could become the new 70s, and centenarians will not be uncommon. The titles of the chapters are vibrant that keep the reader curious about the content. They have also mentioned the excerpts from the life stories of historical figures like Luigi Cornaro and the father of information theory, Claude Shannon. In the book, defining aging as a disease is their central approach and, the whole discussion revolves around it.
Lifespan is a well-structured book with the perfect flowing from the knowledge of the past, developments of the present, and the prospects of the future. But, the book is not an easy read. The science mentioned in the book is dense. A person with less scientific knowledge of genetics and biochemistry will find it hard to understand the major concepts of the book. Despite this weakness, the authors have successfully tried to explain the concept of aging and also promoted a healthy lifestyle for longevity.
Sinclair believes that we have understudied the restrictions of growing old or mortality and has shown how aging can be a choice. The book is a great contribution to the field of aging, genetics, evolution, and longevity.
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