Book review on Lifespan by sinclair and the book THE LAND THAT NEVER WAS

A highly optimistic review of anti-aging science that may persuade older readers that they were born too soon. An uplifting review of the science suggesting that “prolonged healthy lifespans are in sight.” According to Sinclair (Genetics/Harvard Medical School), scientists have discovered what causes aging. They’ve also discovered how to treat it because, despite what doctors and philosophers have claimed throughout history, aging is not inevitable. It’s a disease. Throughout the book, the author’s enthusiasm jumps off the page. Scientifically inclined readers may be occasionally turned off by his affection for dramatic stories of individuals who defy aging, but they cannot deny that he is an acclaimed, award-winning scientist who works hard to explain his groundbreaking research and that of laboratories around the world. Beginning at the beginning, he writes that “way back in the primordium, the ancestors of every living thing on this planet today evolved to sense DNA damage, slow cellular growth, and divert energy to DNA repair until it was fixed—what I call the survival circuit.” In the 1950s, scientists discovered that DNA damage occurs throughout life. Since it’s disastrous for a cell to divide with broken DNA, repair mechanisms suppress growth and reproduction until they’re finished. Cells that don’t divide live longer. Insects and mice mature quickly, reproduce, and soon die. Elephants and whales grow slowly and live much longer lives. Cells of the bristlecone pine, the oldest of which is nearly 5,000 years old, show no signs of aging. Researchers have discovered the mechanism of growth suppression in hormones and also in genes that produce such specific enzymes. These longevity enhancers respond to stress but also to exercise, intermittent fasting, low-protein and low-calorie diets, and several pharmaceuticals that, the author assures readers, will soon emerge from the laboratory. Also in the works are DNA monitoring and reprogramming, already well advanced in animals, that can detect malfunctions and reset the aging clock. A highly optimistic review of anti-aging science that may persuade older readers that they were born too soon. Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019 ISBN: 978-1-5011-9197-8 Page Count: 416 Publisher: Atria Review Posted Online: June 30, 2019 Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2019 Categories: HEALTH & FITNESS THE LAND THAT NEVER WAS SIR GREGOR MACGREGOR AND THE MOST AUDACIOUS FRAUD IN HISTORY BY DAVID SINCLAIR ‧ RELEASE DATE: JAN. 15, 2004 A top-notch survey of the vast dimensions of human greed. (11 b&w photos) The bizarre tale of a Central American land swindle that rivals for implausibility those country song lyrics about “ocean-front property in Arizona.” Yet folks in England and Scotland queued up, ponied up their pounds, and set sail for Poyais, a country that didn’t exist. Gregor MacGregor, creator of the swindle, rivals in undiluted chutzpah that fictional rogue Flashman, except there is little humor to be found in MacGregor’s cruel cupidity. British journalist Sinclair (The Pound: A Biography, 2000, not reviewed) explores this truly odd case with the imagination and diligence it requires, since MacGregor covered his tracks well with outrageous lies and bogus documents. Early in 1823, a ship from Scotland dropped anchor near the Mosquito Coast between Nicaragua and Honduras and began scanning the shore for signs of life. The vessel’s occupants expected to find a thriving settlement. After all, they had read the exciting literature about opportunities in Poyais and had left their shops and professional positions to profit in the New World. But these settlers found only unfriendly jungle, puzzled aboriginal people, and some English survivors from a group that had arrived a bit earlier who told them the grim news: It was all a lie. Before it was over, a couple of hundred unfortunates had died from yellow fever and malaria, while hundreds more were ruined financially. MacGregor spent only eight months incarcerated in France before being acquitted of his crimes. The author follows the swindler from his early failures in the British military to his creation of a false lineage and a false identity. MacGregor somehow managed to endear himself to the Venezuelans; he served in their army for a bit, and they later buried him with full military honors. Sinclair does a masterful job explaining the intricacies of the swindle, though the absence of maps is regrettable. A top-notch survey of the vast dimensions of human greed. (11 b&w photos) Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2004 ISBN: 0-306-81309-2 Page Count: 384 Publisher: Da Capo Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010 Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2003 Categories: HISTORY | WORLD | GENERAL HISTORY SHARE YOUR OPINION OF THIS BOOK