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The author grew up with a love for exploration and adventure in the bush near Sydney, instilled by his grandmother, Vera. Vera had a Bohemian upbringing in Hungary and lived a life of vibrancy and curiosity. However, as she grew older, she became frail and lost her zest for life. The author’s mother also experienced a quick death, which made him realize the violent and irreversible nature of death. This led him to question why we grow old and the possibility of extending human life.

Children are aware of death from an early age, but tend to push the thought to the back of their minds. They believe it won’t happen to them until they are old. As adults, we often avoid thinking about death because it is sad and paralyzing. However, the author believes that it is important to confront our mortality and consider the impact it has on our loved ones and ourselves.

Most people believe that while we are living longer, the quality of our lives in old age has not significantly improved. The final years are often filled with medical treatments, suffering, and loss of independence. The author argues that this is not how our final years should be. He believes that aging is a disease and should be treated as such. By identifying the causes of aging and developing therapies to slow, stop, or reverse it, we can extend healthspan and improve the quality of life for older individuals.

The author is a professor at Harvard Medical School and has conducted extensive research on aging. He believes that aging can be understood through the Information Theory of Aging and that practical steps can be taken to slow down the aging process. Many of his findings have been applied to his own life and have resulted in improved vitality and youthfulness.

There are skeptics who argue that extending human life is not possible, but the author believes that prolonged vitality is within reach. He argues that there is no biological law that says we must age and that the science of lifespan extension is progressing rapidly. He envisions a future where reaching 100 years of age is common and death is a rarity.

The author believes that prolonged healthy lifespans are inevitable and that society needs to prepare for the changes it will bring. He compares this time to the invention of flight, where the majority of people were oblivious to the possibility until it became a reality. He urges society to embrace the revolution in aging and redefine what it means to be human.

In the first part of the book, the author discusses what is currently known about aging and the potential for extending human lifespan. He presents evidence from scientific research and highlights the possibility of reversing aging. He also addresses common skepticism and challenges the belief that aging is inevitable.

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