Rising Life Expectancy: A Global History

by James C. Riley

Between 1800 and 2000 life expectancy at birth rose from about 30 years to a global average of 67 years, and to more than 75 years in favored countries. This dramatic change was called a health transition, characterized by a transition both in how long people expected to live, and how they expected to die. Rising Life Expectancy examines the way humans reduced risks to their survival, both regionally and globally, to promote world population growth and population aging.

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2001

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very easy, quick read on factors that have led to a global increase in life expectancy (which is shared, actually, even by most poorer parts of the world, albeit with different living standards). Still, the thematic organization of the book made little sense, considering the sheer amount of overlap. He has separate chapters on public health and medicine, along with other factors like housing, wealth, and literacy, all of which discuss diseases in different capacities.

A chronological focus or regional focus would have been a better book, in my estimation.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information in this book is very important. Unfortunately the author gets bogged down in details like the pros and cons of various names for the increase in life expectancy. Better to read something by one of the primary thinkers on the topic, like The Role Of Medicine: Dream, Mirage, Or Nemesis?