The ‘longevity revolution’ has been happening for centuries, with improvements in lifespans occurring for as long as there have been records and estimates of life expectancy. Yet its impact has not been as well addressed as it should have been by researchers and policymakers. This book provides a broad coverage of current issues in longevity, touching on the health, economics, politics, and science of longevity. It also discusses the issues and current problems arising from humans living longer and dying at increasingly older ages.
The author begins with a discussion of longevity challenges including ageism, and then it moves on to the science and politics of longevity. Impacts of diseases and biological science on longevity are also covered, after which solutions are then discussed, including research funding, health care, labor supply, and social security. The material spans areas including the economics of aging, promotion of better health, health care for the aged, productive aging, early retirement, social security and the intergenerational contract; additionally topics covered include social security financing, the annuity market and personal saving, market risk, and scandals over product fees and costs. In the end, the book covers so much ground that it does not focus on any particular aspect in detail.
The book's second section, The Science, with its discussion on the science of longevity is of interest, including a discussion of the possibility of underestimating life expectancy. A full chapter is devoted to Alzheimer's disease and links with aging. Genetic factors are also mentioned, including why females outlive males and the biology of aging. There are many suggestions for possible research areas and developments in aging including medical prevention strategies, and some analysis about aging research from both government and private sectors.
The third section, Solutions, again covers many possibilities, including health promotion and disease prevention, strategies for working longer, changing employment policies, and opportunities for older people as volunteers. The politics of aging and longevity also are treated, although with very much a U.S. perspective. Financing social security is an international problem, relevant for all developing and developed economies. A fourth section expands the discussion to cover worldwide inequality of longevity, poverty and famine, and threats to longevity including environmental destruction, climate change, disease and epidemics.
In all, the volume offers an excellent review on the science of longevity and aging. Yet at just over 400 pages (with an additional almost 40 pages of tables in an Appendix and 50 pages of notes), it is a long read, and some segments are more stimulating reading than others. The book is also kaleidoscopic, covering so many different topics briefly that it can only list ideas and suggestions in many cases. The book could have benefitted from more thought to topic structure and cohesiveness that would have made the book easier to read. This is not a textbook or detailed reference book. Readers seeking to increase their awareness of the issues of longevity and aging, and the proposals of a leading figure in the field, will find the book informative and an excellent base for generating debate and discussion. Discussion of funding for research in longevity and aging is mostly U.S. based.
