Counterclockwise: My Year of Hypnoisis, Hormones, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-Aging

by Lauren Kessler

In this age of lunchtime lifts, wrinkle-erasing injections, furrow fillers, and lip plumpers, there's no question that anyone who aims to look younger easily can. But Lauren Kessler wants something more than to follow the cosmetic path to youthfulness. She wants to live with energy, stamina, vitality, resilience, and health for a very, very long time. Her to reverse her biological age from the inside out. Guided by both intense curiosity and healthy skepticism, a sense of adventure and a sense of humor, Kessler sets out to discover just what's required to prolong those healthy, vital, and productive years called the "health span." In her yearlong journey, Kessler investigates and fully immerses herself in the hope and hype of the anti-aging movement. She delves into the new science of "biomarkers"―objective, measurable indications of how old you really are on the inside―going as far as getting a muscle biopsy to determine the state of her mitochondria, the parts of cells that control metabolism. She tries Tabata training, calorie restriction, a diet centered on 20 superfoods, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), hypnosis to achieve a youthful mindset, and much more. In a voice that speaks to every woman who feels her date of birth and sense of self have little in common, Kessler explores her own fears, attitudes, and assumptions about aging. Counterclockwise is a thoughtful, hilarious, and informative tale of what's really possible when you get serious about taking charge of how well and how quickly you age.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Memoir, Self Help, Humor, Womens

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2013

About the author

Lauren Kessler is an award-winning author and immersion reporter who combines lively narrative with deep research to explore everything from the gritty world of a maximum security prison to the grueling world of professional ballet; from the wild, wild west of the anti-aging movement to the hidden world of Alzheimer’s sufferers; from the stormy seas of the mother-daughter relationship to the full court press of women’s basketball. She is the author of 12 works of narrative nonfiction, including Pacific Northwest Book Award winner Dancing with Rose, Washington Post bestseller Clever Girl and Los Angeles Times bestseller The Happy Bottom Riding. She is also the author of Oregon Book Award winner Stubborn Twig, which was chosen as the book for all Oregon to read in honor of the states 2009 sesquicentennial.

Her journalism has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Los Angeles Times Magazine, O magazine, Utne Reader, The Nation, newsweek.com and salon.com. Club www.laurenkessler.com

Reviews

[Kim Sheehan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book is like having a long, cozy chat with your best friend, as long as your best friend is smart, inquisitive, curious, skeptical, and just a little bit snarky. But what best friend isn't?

Kessler investigates all those 'too good to be true' schemes to make us look and feel younger, and tells us which ones are to be believed, and which ones to be ignored. What I found most helpful is the information on 'superfoods'. What I found most enjoyable was Kessler's easygoing, accessible language.

[Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Reviewer’s note – I am an independent writer. I am also a freelance reviewer. On occasion, I receive advance copies of books from publishers, for review. My reviews are based solely on the merits of the book, and I receive no remuneration from the publisher or author, other than a copy of the book, in exchange for posting a review on my blogs. Through a contest sponsored on Goodreads.com, I recently ‘won’ an ARC of Lauren Kessler’s latest non-fiction book, COUNTER CLOCKWISE. The following is my review. Disclaimer: I have taken care to not, with a couple of minor exceptions, directly quote from the book. Please note that the opinions and any 'claims' the reader may infer from this review are mine, and not necessarily those of the author. Thank you – vmls)



“If I could turn back time… if I could find a way…”

In Diane Warren’s “If I Could Turn Back Time”, Cher sings of love and of regret over things said and things done… wishing to turn back time and take away the hurt. But as we all know, time moves in one direction.

Or, does it…?

In Lauren Kessler’s Counter Clockwise, the author writes of ‘turning back time’ in a more literal and profound sense… in a way that will change your life… in a way that will improve the quality of your life, not just now, but as one grows older… chronologically, that is. With solid research and testimony from experts in their respective fields behind her, Lauren explains that while ‘age’ may be something measured by passing of years on a calendar, how we age… the speed at which we ‘grow older’ is something that we have much, much more control over than one might think.

Lauren’s “Year of Hypnosis, Hormones, Dark Chocolate, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-Aging”, as Counter Clockwise is subtitled, is an odyssey of discovery… and a search for the truth behind the hype… through the anti-aging ‘realm’. A market that some estimate, in the next couple of years, will exceed $200 billion in revenue.

Lauren explores the pills, supplements, creams, lotions and assorted devices pushed on a largely unsuspecting public that is in search of the fountain of youth. She tackles fitness and exercise regimens that would make even the most hardcore Marine boot camp drill sergeant toss in the towel and head for the lockers. The lure of cosmetic surgery, guaranteed to take years off your body (if not your mind), along with thousands of your hard-earned dollars, sings its siren song to Lauren. Does she succumb? Ha! If you’re expecting spoilers from me, you haven’t been reading my reviews.

Diet. When we hear that word, most of us think in terms of losing weight, but remember this… ‘diet’ is not just a verb. Diet, in the noun form, is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and if your quest is to ‘turn back the hands of time’, what, when and how you eat is even more important. Lauren’s research - I would have loved to be her research assistant, at least for this part - takes her through the science of food and nutrition in search of the right foods and combinations of foods that will promote optimal health and get those narrow black hands winding backward around the clock face. Think you know what a superfood is? Want the real lowdown on dark chocolate and red wine? Pay particular attention to that chapter.

Even a good diet doesn’t mean your body, and mind, can’t use a little help from the supplement market. Lauren has done a great deal of research in the area of supplements and come up with her own list. I think this is a list worth paying attention to.

Exercise… how important is it? Lauren gives us the ‘sweaty truth’. After reading Chapter Eleven, I am rethinking my current exercise regimen… which presently consists of a daily five-mile run - more if my stress level is up. Deadlines and commitments; what are you gonna do? - and thrice-weekly visits to the gym. Yeah, yeah, I know… there are seven days in a week. But, I’m young. I’ve got plenty of time, right? Hmmm… might want to be re-thinking that ‘philosophy’, Veronica.

There is a philosophy, a sound one, by the way… unlike some of the hoke and hype surrounding some diet, exercise, and supplement ‘stay young’ regimens… that explores how the mind contributes to whether we age well, at a ‘normal’ pace, or age quickly.

Lifestyle, diet, attitude… the wrong combination of these can give a thirty-year old the body – inside and out – of a sixty year old. And vice-versa… the right combination… well, imagine being 60 in calendar years but with the outside body of a 50 year old - without the benefit of cosmetic surgery - and the inside body of a 40 year-old? (My words, not Lauren’s – vmls)

In Counterclockwise, Lauren shows us how we can not only slow down the march of time, but even reverse it, to some degree. Has she found the fountain of youth? No… there is no such thing. Forget all those infomercials and so-called ‘experts’ on ‘midnight’ television, hawking the latest ‘key to eternal youth’… it is for the most part little more than ‘snake oil’.

Want to know a secret? You have the key… not to eternal youth, but to living longer… to living younger than the age on your driver’s license.

I hesitate to say that there is one single thing that will ‘turn back time’, that will slow down that clock and turn you into an ‘anti-ager’… but in a very real sense there is.

One thing, from which everything else flows…

Attitude. As is pointed out in the book… “expectation rules outcome”. This is a simple, yet deeply profound truth that it seems, humans need constant reminding of. What we think… how we think… is what we become.

Attitude.

Getting into the proper mindset. Why does anything fail? Diets… exercise… jobs…. relationships… all have one thing in common for not succeeding. Our attitude. If you don’t ‘expect’ to meet that weight goal… if you don’t ‘expect’ to finish that marathon or 10K race… if you don’t ‘expect’ to get that job you want… you won’t! It’s that simple. You can’t just want something to happen… you have to make it happen. All of the research and advice Lauren offers in Counter Clockwise will help you make things happen.

My wife, Christina, has on more than one occasion remarked that I “act like a twelve year-old.” Well, pardon me for not always acting my age, but as Chapter Twelve - unless they get renumbered; I am reading an advance reader copy, not the final ‘to-market’ book – points out, that may not always be a bad thing. If I had only five seconds to summarize the ‘message’ in Chapter Twelve, it would be this…

Think young… live young… be young.

Fortunately, I don’t have only five seconds…

In the 21st century job market, more so than at any other time perhaps, youth… the perception of youth, that is… ‘rules’. Wisdom, experience and knowledge take second place to a pretty face and a ‘fit and trim’ body. You can take the band aid approach to ‘youth’… cosmetic surgery and the latest fad diet, but if what you really want is to look, feel and live not just younger, but longer… with a better quality of life….

Read Counter Clockwise. This book is not 230 pages of opinion and conjecture. The author has, through exhaustive research and at times, incredible self-sacrifice, written a roadmap, if you will, to a happier, healthier and longer life… a life “increasingly disease-resistant and increasingly energetic”. Lauren has consulted with some of the top experts in their respective fields, subjecting her body and mind at times to total strangers, and come away with some very good news.

We can ‘turn back time’. But remember…

You can’t just want something to happen… you have to make it happen.

I’ve read a book or two on self-help, diet and exercise… and wasn’t terribly impressed. I’ve listened to a spiel or two at conventions, fairs and such… and was more impressed with the free water bottles and key fobs than the product or the pitchman’s speech. After reading Counter Clockwise, however… I recommend it without hesitation. I don’t say this about a lot of books I read, but this one… it will be life-changing. Lauren covers all the bases here with good solid advice, as well as some resources, to set you on the path to a more fulfilling life.

Lauren's keen sense of humour, and occasional snarkiness - gotta love it! - made this a thoroughly enjoyable read, as well as being very informative and educational.

There was one thing missing from the book, though.

I didn’t see the chapter on the health benefits of Sonic’s Texas Toast Breakfast Sandwich or Five Guys’ Bacon Jalapeno Cheeseburger (yes, with the cajun fries!)… I’m sure they will be in the final version of Counter Clockwise. Right, Lauren?

One final thought…

“Lauren, I have to side with your daughter on this… don’t mess with my smoothies!”


Thank you,



Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
12 May 2013
(Writing under a large mushroom, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest)

[Dirtbarbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm in my late 40s and have spent at least a decade working to hold back the clock, so I was excited to read this book. Overall, a disappointment. She attends an anti-ageing conference, talks to a few doctors, tries a few weeks of a couple of fad diets. Nothing radical. She concludes with what you already know - eat right (mostly plants) and exercise, quit smoking, limit stress, and live a happy life. She gives you some of the science behind it which is nice, but hardly earth shattering.

The chapter on supplementation is the most helpful. There she culls what's proven and what's hype and gives you a resources to find quality supplements. Apart from that, I thought she missed opportunities to investigate the benefits of things like mediation (despite dedicating several pages to the ills of stress), or a deeper dive into the more interventionist treatments, like hormone replacement therapy. She dedicates many pages to conflicting evidence on hormone replacement therapies but then concludes with a simple - 'i'm too nervous to try this'. Hardly more insightful than a google search.

She never talks about the microbiome. She never reveals her age, which I found extremely annoying. She talks about having the arteries of a XX year old and the face of a YY year old - hard to know what to do with that information if you don't know how old she actually is. Coupled with a long conclusion about aging gracefully, it felt like a total b.s move to not acknowledge her actual age. Also, after the book title, she never mentions hypnosis once.

[William Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author writes in a breezy style; not quite as sarcastic as Mary Roach, but does has some witful critiques.

She provides a counterpoint and commonsense to all the amazing claims of the many variety of anti-ager hawkers and hucksters.

Sometimes there are too many irrelevant details added to all of the author's encounters (one example would be her going on and on about the art gallery look of a doctor's office).

Still, she give a fairly comprehensive and understandable look at various anti-aging strategies, including various bewares.

She definitely personalizes her research: she has either investigated and/or participated in many of the anti-aging strategies of which she writes and then she tells the reader what happened to her.

[W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. Lauren Kessler is one of my favorite authors. She won me over with "Dancing with Rose: Finding Life in the Land of Alzheimer's."

Kessler makes the difficult subject of Aging (along with some hardcore scientific research) into a page turner I didn't want to put down. Even though what I am learning is scaring me.... it's a good kind of scare. The kind that makes me want to better myself and make some permanent changes.

I dearly wish I could write like Kessler. This is a Must Read book.

[Sherilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neat concept - I just got lost in the science weeds and didn't engage as hoped.

The author definitely tried to provide solid information and the opportunity to think of our bodies as a living instrument that has a life cycle and particular stages that ... maybe once we understand some of the why...we may be more accepting of the changes.

[Angela Risner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book by Lauren Kessler I've read.

Kessler spends a year trying to turn back time (cue Cher - or don't, as it's all auto-tune and I can't take it.) I can relate. At 41, I am definitely interested in staying healthy and active. I am not interested in living into my "golden years" if they are going to be full of illness and someone else wiping me. I know I can't predict the future, but there are things I CAN control now to make my later years more robust.

As of yet, I haven't had to worry about the looking older part, as I have a baby face and look much younger than I am. I am not sure what I will do when that does happen, but it's nice to know what the options are, even if I never use them.

Kessler explores everything, from botox to mitochondrial testing, from supplements to VO2 output. It's a lot of research and science, but written in an accessible way.

What it comes down to is: You need to exercise. Study after study after study shows that one way to stay young is exercising. And, one of the best barometers of your health is your blood pressure. The farther apart the systolic and diastolic numbers are, the more your arteries are aging.

The health of your aging body is about 30% genetics and 70% environment. The best news is that it doesn't matter if you are middle-aged and just now figuring out that you need to take care of your body - you can start today and it will make a difference.

There is so much good information in here, it would be impossible for me to share everything. But here are some highlights:

•What I am interested in, what I powerfully and passionately want, is to be all those good things we associate with "young." Because, despite my independence of spirit and my modest successes and a strong streak of feminism, I am part of a culture that labels "old" bad (weak, sickly, sexless, boring, crabby) and "young" good (healthy, vibrant, sexy, creative, adventurous).
•My DNA and my eggs are the only parts of me that date back to the day of my birth. My skin cells are sloughing off and replacing themselves every moment. Over about a month, my entire epidermis is replaced...The entire lining of my stomach and intestine is continually re-created, with a turnover time of a week or less...My red blood cells are never more than four months old. My liver cells are perhaps a year old. My skeleton rebuilds itself too, with estimates ranging from a two-year to a seven-year regeneration process. The body is not a permanent structure...It is in a constant state of renewal.
•The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, a massive effort that tracked 3,000 people from their 20s to their 90s, concluded that people age at such vastly different rates that by the time they reach 80 or 90, the differences are so marked that birth dates are entirely irrelevant.
•Recently, researchers at the University of Southern California found that while life expectancy increased by 1 year during the past decade, people also faced an additional 1.2 years of serious illness and an extra 2 years of disability. By some estimates, nearly 85 percent of people over 65 suffer from one or more degenerative disorders.
•The forehead wrinkles. The brow droops (and don't forget the eyelids.) The midface thins. Lips flatten. Jowls appear. The jaw squares. The neck "bands."
•Perhaps the best anti-aging appearance news I come across is this: Good posture and a strong, steady gait can make you look up to 10 years younger. The shoulders-back, abdomen-tucked, head-lifted position is said to also have other rejuvenating effects, like improving circulation and digestion, making breathing easier and deeper, and keeping muscles and joints in proper alignment. Just ask any yoga teacher.
•About the IPL (intense pulsed light), which I have three times: It works. Almost immediately after the treatment, the spots on the sides of my face darken (this is good)...A day or so later, the spots look like coffee grounds. Then the coffee grounds flake off.
•Two researchers from the USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts - a physiologist and a medical doctor - outline 10 quantifiable indications that they believe predict health and vitality. Four of the 10 biomarkers are closely related - intertwined really: lean body mass, strength, basal metabolic rate, and body fat percentage.
•The Tufts researchers say that the average American loses 6.6 lbs of muscle every 10 years starting right after young adulthood. After age 45, the rate accelerates.
•Older people are "weaker" than younger people because they have less muscle mass, and the muscle they do have is less dense and works less efficiently.
•Basal metabolism declines by 2 percent every decade after age 20.
•Increased muscle mass leads to increased strength, which is directly related to a quicker, more youthful metabolism.
•In fact, between voting age and retirement age, the average person doubles his or her ratio of fat to muscle.
•The more you can lower your percentage of body fat, the younger, biologically, you'll be. How does that happen? More muscle, more strength, high metabolism, less fat.
•Population studies show that by age 65 the average American has lost 30 to 40 percent of his or her youthful aerobic capacity.

Highly recommend.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's good information here but nothing you haven't heard before: eat healthy, exercise, and stay positive. "Drop Dead Healthy" was better and funnier. "Younger Next Year" was more original and comprehensive. Some of this was downright boring: such as her description of classes she took so she could comprehend how the computer experts can age photographs to show how a person will look in the future. The reader learns absolutely nothing from that. In other chapters she is absolutely gleeful in describing how well she performed on various physical fitness tests. She's a champ but why do I care?
The chapter on raw food was disgustingly interesting (don't bother) but the saving grace of the book is her crusade for constant continual consistent exercise. Why? Because no matter how often we hear it, we need to hear it all the time. So despite my complaints, I gave this 2 stars in appreciation for the repetition of good advice.

[Maraezimmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of the author's year-long quest into the world of anti-aging. Throughout the year, the author does research, visits labs, talks with scientists, and implements suggestion to fight every aspect of aging - everything from commonly-tried ideas like eating superfoods and experimenting with dietary supplements, to things I've never thought about, like muscles and mitochondria. In particular, the author repeatedly notes throughout the book the effects of lifestyle on aging - noting that how quickly we age is determined 70% by our own choices.

One of the strongest points of the book is that it pulls all of the research, experiments, and focuses on the different aspects of aging into one memoir. I've certainly read a lot of article isolating aspects, such as which foods to eat and how to protect your face, but it was great to read a book that offers a comprehensive view, as well as teaching me something new.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather humorous account of the author’s quest to verify, or at least research, the various anti-aging claims touted by media, celebrities, etc. I was impressed with the author’s common sense attitude, a well as her funny descriptions of her experiences. I’m not so much interested in preventing age in my own appearance as in extending my vitality: mind & strength, and these areas (specifically, an emphasis on exercise & nutrition) were also discussed in the book. References were included.

[Bonnie Fazio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and informative how-to: How to live better; how to avoid the pitfalls associated with aging; how to be healthier; how to progress along the lines of "healthy, healthy, healthy, dead" instead of "healthy, healthy, sick, sick, dead." Or something like that.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seemed mostly centered on physical appearance of health rather than actual health.
The supplements chapter was very useful.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, it was both informative and entertaining. I learned a few things, with information not being oversimplified too much. What I can not get over though - why is there no source list of any type??? Throughout the book, there are plenty of sources described using author names, names of journals, dates, locations, etc. From what I could tell, Kessler provides plenty of information on the sources within the text, and they we're often good, peer-reviewed studies and papers, but there were no citations of any kind or style, not even footnotes. There is no source list in the back. For me, this undermines the purpose and value of the book. Without sources for the huge amount of information described, the author's intention could not have been for anything beyond thought-provoking entertainment. Or she thinks readers are gullible and will believe anything printed and bound.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect book to read on the first day of a new year. I feel energized!

Lauren Kessler is a thorough journalist who is dedicated to research, and her year-long experiment provides results that are both practical and insightful.

(Note: My only hesitation on this excellent book is that it is now, in 2025, dated regarding hormone replacement therapy. This book was published in 2013 and since then the findings on the use of HRT have substantially changed).

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing but a lot of the book is spent on pursuing and investigating things that are nonsense, like a “detox”, superfood diets, etc that have little to no scientific support. It basically reinforces what people already know but don’t want to hear: exercise and eat more vegetables.

[KathyStroh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting, I loved going on this journey with her, and was glad to let her do the experimenting.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of her better books but now it's sort of old news.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

(This hasn't been edited because I want to just get it all out there. I felt strongly about Counterclockwise and want to throw this out there in its purest form).

Kessler won me over with her candor in this book. It's rare for an author to be as brutally honest as she was in her pursuit of finding the secrets behind age reversal. I don't consider her vain or superficial or obsessed; she's an immersion journalist and honesty is just part of her MO.

I appreciate that she did all the footwork for me in regard to the cosmetic side of the anti-aging movement. I'll admit I want IPL and I want it soon. I like that she used herself as a guinea pig for this and I felt safe with the process, if that makes any sense.

Being a little obsessed with nutrition, I dove right in to the sections on food. I've long been a "superfoods" advocate (minus the meat and dairy), so I was cheering for her when she gave herself two weeks to eating following the general superfoods guidelines, which were cross-referenced from several sources. (And she gave them all!!!). I want to do the two-week cleanse she was on. It sounded heavenly and wonderful and so clean. I want to feel that way.

I'm enough of a personal cataloger (books, movies, FitBit steps, etc.) to confidently say that I'm way into calorie restriction. For six months I assiduously tracked calories, protein, carbs, fiber, fat, sat. fat, cholesterol, and various minerals. The weight loss was astounding and I did it by getting all my nutrition. So I am on board with CR! I don't think she did it right, though. I think she could have made wiser decisions and kept herself a little fuller.

Perhaps the most eye-opening part of the entire book was the supplments section. Historically, I usually won't look at a product unless it's been thoroughly studied through several large-group studies (placebo, double blind, etc.). Kessler makes insightful, logical points about why this might not be the best way to determine a supplement's efficacy. A lot of this had to do with how the FDA operates - which isn't busting on the FDA, just stating their operating policies. Completely understandable. My disgust with Big Pharma renewed itself as I read. They have no reason to study herbs and minerals - why would they? They can't make proprietary products with something that's growing naturally so they don't waste time studying it. Not like they'd allot the money from the deep pockets of their Marketing departments. Jerks. Also, just because it hasn't been proven yet doesn't mean it won't be, especially given the evidence on most - if not all - animals on which they've tested. I know the process for getting products approved is long and tedious, due to regulations on clinical trials and the length of studies (as it should be to ensure honest results and safety issues). And yes, I'm supplementing now and I'm not ashamed to say it. Not with everything she decided to supplement with - I researched the specific ones I was interested in for hours one day until I felt confident I'd found which ones were right for me.

At the end, I felt for her, I truly did. From the beginning she stated that approximately 30% of one's health comes from genetics. You just can't change that. Liver, let me just remind you that one day you're going to regret making so much cholesterol in my body. I will shut this whole thing down before I let you win! This body's going to be the death of me. Mark my words.

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less than 15% of Americans follow the top 5 recommended anti-aging/healthy lifestyle choices: regular exercise, moderate drinking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a variety of fruits/vegetables, and non-smoking. These 5, in concert, give the best chance at a prolonged, active life.

The author, over the course of a year, attempted many more anti-aging routines--some random/ridiculous, some reasonable--but all researched and explained. She tried calorie restriction (scientifically proven to prolong life in lab mice and humans), a process that was do-able, but made her miserable. She had injections (not Botox) in her face. Nobody noticed. She tried a wide range of exercises, including hot yoga (not a fan), spin classes, running, cross-fit...and found that regardless of the type of exercise, as long as the heart rate was up and she worked up a sweat, they had similar results in stamina, fitness, and overall well-being (Thus, no particular exercise is perfect. The best exercise for you is what you enjoy, so you continue to do it!). She tried hypnosis, raw plant eating, and every imaginable real-age test. All were shared with a deprecating wit, especially those that involved her family's (teenaged daughter and husband) responses.

Ultimately, she came back to the aforementioned 5 choices. Researched, proven, and reasonable. And at this stage in my life, I can happily say that I'm part of the 15%. :-)

[Biblio Files (takingadayoff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

By her own admission, journalist Lauren Kessler is a bit of a control freak. When she finds out that roughly 30% of our aging process is out of our control due to genes and the limits of nature, she decides to make the most of the 70% or so that she can do something about.

While she keeps her exact age a closely guarded secret, we can determine that she is probably around 60, and has been exercising and eating healthily for some time now. She realizes she can only do so much about extending her life span, but she wants to stay fit and active for as long as possible. We're invited along for the ride to see what she learns.

Kessler keeps an open mind about what may or may not help in her quest. She mentions her naturopath several times, and entertains the idea of using a variety of supplements and vitamins, some of which are recognized by the mainstream medical community, others which are not. She opens the book with her trip to a Las Vegas to attend an anti-aging convention. Later adventures have her trying several types of yoga, having her photo digitally aged, and taking a plethora of online "real age" tests.

It's mostly fun, somewhat informative, and while you might learn something new, you probably already know what to do -- eat less, exercise more, don't smoke, and don't drink too much.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are lots of books about how to look and feel younger—Kessler estimates it would take 159 years and 44 weeks of reading one a week to read them all. But this one is different. In Counterclockwise, Kessler dives into the truths, myths, and misconceptions about ways people try to fight the advance of time. Are all those ads for superfoods and supplements valid or hype? How much exercise do you really need? How much of your lifespan and physical health are preordained? She goes into it all with both deep research and personal experience. She tries the crazy diets, the pills, the exercise programs, skin treatments, and even hypnosis. In the end, she is still the same chronological age but has knocked at least 10 years off her biological age in things like muscle strength, heart health, energy and appearance. Occasionally the narrative gets a little bogged down in the research. Some of this stuff is pretty scientific, but her attitude and her story carry us through. We also learn a lot. Before I finished reading, I was already reconsidering my own diet and exercise. Kessler previously wrote about Alzheimer’s Disease in Dancing with Rose and about the teenage mind in My Teenage Werewolf. This is another hit. She blogs about the world of anti-aging at http://www.counterclockwisebook.com.

[Spook Sulek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it. Chatty in tone and informative in content it was a very nice holiday read. The trials Kessler put herself through seemed to cover every facet of aging, from what it does to the body and the various methods of 'dating' oneself to the difference between being 'old' and 'long-lived'. I appreciate all the reasearh she did into what doctors are selling, what is a total scam and what isn't, the toxic environment we've created and live in (p. 111), supplimentation (p. 153 especially), info about ConsumerLab.com (p. 158), how she looked into what it means to be 'cued' young (p. 184), learned optimism (p. 188), and all the other ways she tackled her subject. Her experiences make for an engaging account, and I would recommend this book to others, as well as maybe getting it for my Kindle, because the concluding information that comes from this exercise is solid, and while not revolutionary, is something I personally could use reminding of (pg. 219-20)!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't often read non-fiction, but this one grabbed my attention and I got it at a discounted price. Man, am I glad I did. Though I don't really fight the good fight against aging, yet, it spoke to the part of me that knows that one day, these wrinkles of mine, and my decreasing health will feel an affinity. It was chock full of interesting information delivered in easily digestible chunks for the most part, and peppered liberally with laugh-out-loud anecdotes. I finished it feeling a little more enlightened, and, more importantly, more motivated to get myself informed on how to live a healthier, happier life. I guess I couldn't ask more from a book than that.

[Traci Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the humor this book was written with. It kinda laughed at the lengths we go to fight aging, while acknowledging it is something we all get dragged into kicking and screaming (aging, that is). There was a lot of great information while still being a fun read. This book actually had me up at 1 am, googling biological age tests. (Just an fyi, I range anywhere from 23-37; my chronological age is 29). I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is starting to think about what to do to turn back the hands of time!

[Janine Brouillette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janine Brouillette If you have reached mid-life and you want to know what is out there to help you age gracefully or even turn back time, this is the book for you. Each chapter discusses the current trends for exercise, diet, vitamins, surgery, detoxing, and chemistry. This book has great summaries for what is out there but some chapters get very technical with a little too much information and a little bit of rambling. Overall it is a good book for women of a certain age, like me, who want to keep up their health and appearance .

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems we are all searching for the right things to do to give us a longer life! Lauren Kessler has done all of the research for us becoming a human guinea pig in order to write this book. She has endured endless diets and exercise and medical tests to come up with the conclusion that a eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking and moderate consumption of alcohol is the way to go. Not many of us do that!

[Liz Doyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't exactly know how to characterize this book--it was a quick read and somewhere between a "memoir" and "self-help" type book, but then not quite. Her exploration into the "anti-aging" world was sometimes quite witty and other times a bit too mundane, but her message in the end was inspiring. I received this book for free through Goodreads First-reads.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a sense of humor that had me laughing out loud sometimes, Lauren Kessler spends a year trying out and learning about all the different ways we can turn back the clock and hope to be younger! Needless to say there was no quick fix, but this was an informative and interesting read. I highly recommend it. It's time to come to grips with the fact that we can't change the inevitable!

[Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading it although I am not too caught up in trying to stay young. Some of it is funny, some of it sad,some of it just plain scary, but mostly it is interesting scientific research and the author's personal testing summaries of different aging effects and results of anti- aging products (and yet it still held my attention).

[Oscar Vazquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and an excellent summary on aging

The author does an outstanding job of putting forth the many anti aging tools available today. She does a even better job of portraying all of these facts and fads in an easy to read and entertaining fashion. I truly learned quite a bit all while enjoying the read