Age Proof: The New Science of Living a Longer and Healthier Life

"I think this book will appeal to lots of people. Well, we’re an ageing society. And it’s not only that we are all ageing, but also the workforce is aging . There are not enough people to contribute to the economy, so people are soon going to have to work into their seventies and even eighties if we’re not going to become economically distressed. Rose Anne Kenny is a professor of gerontology at Trinity College, Dublin. She does take a scientific approach to this subject, but she peppers the subject a bit with her own experiences and with conversations with her own patients, which is, I think, a nice way to do it. It ends up a bit more of a self-help book than the others, without a doubt. Kenny gives us the statistics, the evidence for longevity and happiness . Friendships, exercise, what you eat… everything that you might predict but she actually gives the evidence for it, and it’s such an easy read. It’s not necessarily challenging, but at the same time you think, ‘Goodness, that really is the truth.’ It’s important for older and younger people too to think about longevity. The chances are that someone like yourself will have to work full-time until you are 70 or 75. So you want to stay healthy. There’s a test at the end, which you can do at any age, to see how you are doing. Kenny has been involved in putting together a massive database with people from across Europe. So she has the statistical norms for all sorts of things for all sorts of ages, so you can do this test and see how your levels of anxiety compare, for instance—which is obviously very bad for you, as you might imagine—but also, how long you can stand on one leg. That sort of thing. Then you can pick up your score. I personally couldn’t bear to do it! The book is beautifully written and really interesting. Of all the shortlisted books, it’s probably got the most popular feel, after all, everyone is interested in living for a long time."