The Clock of Ages: Why We Age, How We Age, Winding Back the Clock - Hardcover

Medina, John J.

3.72

32 ratings by Goodreads

9780521462440: The Clock of Ages: Why We Age, How We Age, Winding Back the Clock

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521462444 ISBN 13: 9780521462440

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 1996

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A few gray hairs and a couple of wrinkles are often the first visible signs of aging on our bodies. For most of us, however, aging remains largely a mystery. We can only wonder why we have to age and what casualty of age hovers nearby. Written in everyday language, The Clock of Ages takes us on a tour of the aging human body--all from a research scientist's point of view. From the deliberate creation of organisms that live three times their natural span to the isolation of genes that may allow humans to do the same, The Clock of Ages also examines the latest discoveries in geriatric genetics. Sprinkled throughout the pages are descriptions of the aging of many historical figures, such as Florence Nightingale, Jane Austen, Billy the Kid, Napoleon, and Casanova. These stories underscore the common bond of senescence that unites us all. The Clock of Ages tells us why.

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Book Description:

Anyone who has watched wrinkles slowly gather round their eyes has uncomfortably confronted the human aging process. The relentless march of time on our bodies begs an important question: why do we have to grow old? Written in everyday language, The Clock of Ages takes us on a tour of the aging human body and explores what happens when we age and why SH from a research scientist's viewpoint. One common bond unites us all: we age and eventually die. The Clock of Ages tells you why.

Review:

"...Medina presents the research in a readable, even amusing, fashion...Diagrams accompanying each section help explain the aging process in a clear and meaningful way...Recommended." Bonnie Morris, Book Report

"If you're one of the many who confront the mysteries of aging every time they look in the mirror, this book may be for you." Ellen Emry Heltzel, Portland Oregonian

"It's one thing to do the work of science--testing, experimenting, discovering. It's another to communicate that work with those science serves. John Medina is one who does the latter in exemplary fashion." Bill Dietrich, Seattle Times

"...a fascinating book about aging and what it means to the human body." Bob Trimble, Dallas Morning News

"...this fascinating book takes us on a comprehensive tour of our aging bodies, inside and out...Clearly illustrated and very readable, the book approaches what is often a taboo subject with both humor and humanity." The Good Book Guide

"The author, a molecular biologist and unusually gifted writer-interpreter from the esoteric world of high science...will leave even the scientifically illiterate with some understanding of the complex and mysterious ways of the 60 trillion cells that make our bodies tick...Medina's reporting and his insights challenge and expand the mind." Natalie Davis Springarn, Washington Post

"...the best illustrations on aging and the body I've seen recently in a mass market publication..." John A. Cutter, St. Petersburg, FL Times

"An entertaining and edifying book with a cast of characters including Oscar Wilde and Billy the Kid as a bonus." Roy Herbert, New Scientist

"This is simply a fantastic book...the best biology book written for the lay public to appear in many years." Eric D. Albright, Library Journal

"...the most reader-friendly book to date about growing old....From this unique-and some would say optimistic-perspective, Medina attempts to humanize aging and death." Medical and Health Annual

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