Aging by Design

by Theodore Goldsmith

Why do we age? How do we age? These questions have baffled scientists for centuries and remain unresolved. The answer to the “how” question is critical to our ability to successfully prevent and treat age-related diseases like cancer and heart disease that now cause the majority of all deaths in the developed world. Because of major difficulties in directly experimentally determining causes of aging, the answer to the “why” question is critical to guiding research efforts directed toward identifying and altering processes involved in age-related diseases.
Evolution theory plays a critical role in the “why” issue because it attempts to explain why each living organism has its particular design and therefore why different species display different aging characteristics and different life spans.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

93 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2011

Reviews

[Steven Northover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up on a whim. I had created a website where my two main interests involve restoring health and maintaining health. Within restoring health I have a category called aging/anti-aging. This book was the first of several I planned to read to help me "get up to speed". I am very glad I got it.

The author helped me to come to grips with two different theories of aging and death. My terms for the two theories are 1) Built-in and 2) Wear and Tear. The author calls them Programmed and Non-programmed. I prefer my terms.

I am old enough that I learned the wear and tear explanation for why we age and die. As a result of reading T. Goldsmith's book, I have come to the conclusion that Built-in makes more sense. I think the truth may be a combination of the two. We experience wear and tear throughout our lives. The built-in mechanisms including aging genes and hormone signaling tell our bodies when to slow down repair.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in aging. I cannot imagine why that does not include everyone.

[Gregzeng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Theoretical design limits, only.

Doesn't cover the full diversity of population variables; geography, health, trauma, etc. Sociocultural design is much more significant for complex social organisms. These superstructures are much more important than the biochemical machinery of individual sub units.

[Igor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book describes the continuing lack of scientific agreement on the nature of biological aging. The three theories: Aging results from fundamental (and unalterable) deteriorative processes; aging results from the fact that our bodies do not try harder not to age; aging results from our possessing, in effect, a suicide mechanism that purposely limits lifespan. The book has pictures and descriptions of the scientists responsible for developing the various theories and an overview of their implications for the future of medical attempts to treat and prevent age-related diseases.

[Fermentum · Rating 2 out of 5]

very much like his other book....An Introduction to Biological Aging Theory .