Seven Decades – How We Evolved to Live Longer

This authoritative book gives an anthropological and evolutionary perspective on our capacity for longevity initially evolved among hunter gatherers rather than being the product of the last two centuries. The author's experience with indigenous peoples in Bolivia reinforces the importance of community while observing an absence of chronic disease, as also noted by Sir Robert McCarrison over 100 years ago in researching the Hunza People. Old age is part of the natural history of our species, and there has traditionally been a role for elders. An important contemporary concern is to extend healthspan, and it is here that lifestyle and dietary factors play an important role although finding meaning and purpose turns out to be just as important.