Rating: 
Summary: Useful Advice For Quality of Life and Perhaps A Longer Life
Review: I took the audio program of this book out from my library due to sheer curiosity and since then have bought the book in print because I though it would be easier to use it as a reference that way.
I have many of Dr. Chopra's audio tapes and while I don't take everything he says at face value I try to stay open to what he says on any given program and judge the material for it's own merits.
Of course Dr. Chopra's popularity as a "Pop Culture Guru" can make it tempting to take him less seriously and write off anything he does as just another way for him to make a buck. Sometimes I myself feel this way due to the "factory-like" volume of materials that have come out under his authorship. Also, I do find that Deepak can get somewhat repetitive in much of his talk about "Cybernetic Feedback Loops" and the like :)
Still, I always feel that if there's even one idea that can be helpful it is worth the effort and I generally get some benefit out of Deepak's work which is what led me to check this out.
What I found on this particular program was a lot of good advice for living a healthier and less stressful life. While I'm not a scientist, it seems quite obvious that anyone with a brain and common sense would realize that if you actually follow the advice given on this program you could only realize tremendous benefits on many levels.
Perhaps the only thing that might be considered "hocus pocus" by the mainstream medical community is Dr. Chopra's use of affirmations. While I'm generally not personally drawn to use affirmations , I would have to at least admit that if an affirmation helps one to focus on something positive rather than something negative it certainly can't hurt.
As far as the claims of a program like this making you live longer, who knows, BUT it seems quite clear to me that if you follow this program you will in the least feel better during whatever time you do have. Not only that, it seems pretty logical that if you do follow the useful advice on this program and therefore improve your overall physical and mental well being that it should translate into having a longer life than if you didn't follow the advice, and there is a LOT of practical and sound advice here.
I would be wary of some of the obviously jaded and arrogant scientific criticism that I read in previous reviews listed here concerning this book. My experience with the book is that those criticisms didn't ring true. While I can understand their concerns that this book may make some bold claims which they don't feel are scientifically proven, in general it appears that scientists seem to have a very narrow window that they look through and if it doesn't fit their world view then they think it's false.
The danger is that they think their world view is one based on facts, but perhaps they fail to realize or admit that they are limited by their current level of understanding, methods and equipment.
It wasn't so long ago that Newton was THE voice of physics and Quantum physics didn't exist as a scientific discipline. It wasn't so long ago that Galileo was given quite a hard time for views that are obvious to us now. There are other world views out there, that are equally valid. There are also many other approaches to well being that have been working for thousands of years, long before there was the American Medical Association and the like.
Likewise it also always amazes me how many doctors like to write off certain healing anomalies as a "placebo effect". What they fail to admit is that the whole notion of a "placebo effect" in and of itself is quite miraculous and shows that there are possibilities beyond what many Western doctors and scientists would like to admit is possible. Just because they can't quantify it doesn't make it invalid.
All that being said :)
Aside from the "Affirmations", this book is actually very grounded and filled with excellent and practical advice and one doesn't need to have a Ph.D. in aging to realize it's benefits. Anyone who "has a body" and common sense can benefit by good nutrition, exercise and stress reduction and therefore can benefit by the information in this program.
This book IS by the way co-authored by two doctors, one of which is Dr. David Simon. Dr. Simon was trained in neurology but came to feel the limitations of Western medicine as a sole healing modality. His search has led him to an integrative approach utilizing the best of so called "Conventional" and "Alternative" disciplines.
I am currently reading two of his books "Vital Energy" and "Wisdom of Healing" which are excellent. I was first exposed to Dr. Simon through a 12 tape audio program he did with Deepak Chopra called "Training the mind, Healing the Body" which is fascinating and very helpful. I was deeply impressed with Dr. Simon's deep knowledge, obvious sincerity, and compassion. After encountering that program I started searching out more of his materials which have all been outstanding!
Rating: 
Summary: One star for the humor
Review: A friend gave me Chopra's book as a gift recently. I am now convinced that either he doesn't like me or has a very dry sense of humor. What strikes me as absolutely ridiculous is that Chopra believes that you can "think" your way to reverse the aging process! The "I think I can...I think I can" concept might work well on the football field or in children's books, but it is absurd to think that it can actually affect my biological age. However, the borderline-dishonest element is that Chopra is profiting on the ignorance and fear-of-dying of the public. Chopra should be donating the proceeds of his book to the families of those who lost their lives in New York and bookstores should be displaying this book in the fiction department. Overall, don't waste your money on this nonsense.
Rating:
Summary: Why Follow 'Anti-Aging' Guru who's Growing Old?
Review: As the New York Times pointed out, Deepak Chopra is aging at the same rate as you. So why model yourself after an 'anti-aging' guru who's growing Old? Why not model yourself after an anti-aging guru who is "the only anti-aging guru who has actually stayed young"? Investor's Business Daily's Marilyn Much says this about the anti-aging guru Elixxir. If you want to stay young, The Elixxir Program is your best bet. It is based on the only scientific way to dramatically retard, even reverse, aging. And extend your maximum lifespan. The book you want to read to introduce you to the anti-aging philosophy behind The Elixxir Program is The ImmorTalist Manifesto by Elixxir. Available on Amazon. Life Extension, in a rave review, describes The ImmorTalist Manifesto as "an extraordinary book which challenges the belief that we must grow old and die." It is an incredible read. The Immortalist worldview you need to stay young. An Eureka experience. After that, search for Elixxir's website and find how to get the Executive Memo about The Elixxir Program. The stakes are too high if you really want to fight off Old Age and Death. You cannot afford to listen to Chopra who claims that yoga and meditation can do the trick. They cannot. And you will grow old -- and overweight -- like Chopra. I tried Chopra. Did not work. I tried The Elixxir Program. It works. I slimmed down to my college weight! They all wanted to kill me at my class reunion. And my blood works is that of a 21 year old. Elixxir is the anti-aging guru to "the pampered set." But you can get The Elixxir Program by reading first The ImmorTalist Manifesto and then the Executive Memo about it. The only scientific way to stay young. The only way!
Rating: 
Summary: No nonsense advice
Review: Chopra and Simon offer 10 basic steps to living longer and feeling younger. The steps in of themselves are not complicated (drink water, sleep 8 hours, meditate, etc.), but putting them into practice is difficult for most of us. I, for one, have a terrible sleep schedule, I drink coffee like a fiend, and I hardly look for activities that get me out of my daily hum-drum routine. But the fact of the matter is that I do these things unconsciously, and this book has motivated me to live a more conscious life and be more aware of how every choice I make affects my health for the better or worse. You don't have to follow the book's plan to the letter, but learning more about healthy habits and adopting what works in your life can only help.
Rating:
Summary: No nonsense advice
Review: Chopra and Simon offer 10 basic steps to living longer and feeling younger. The steps in of themselves are not complicated (drink water, sleep 8 hours, meditate, etc.), but putting them into practice is difficult for most of us. I, for one, have a terrible sleep schedule, I drink coffee like a fiend, and I hardly look for activities that get me out of my daily hum-drum routine. But the fact of the matter is that I do these things unconsciously, and this book has motivated me to live a more conscious life and be more aware of how every choice I make affects my health for the better or worse. You don't have to follow the book's plan to the letter, but learning more about healthy habits and adopting what works in your life can only help.
Rating:
Summary: The potential we all have within us
Review: Chopra's latest book gives me a tremendous 'waking up' experience. No one understands the body/mind/spirit connection quite like him, and he suggests that to reverse aging and grow younger (for vanity or health or energy reasons) is part of the potential we all have within us. "Whether you choose to activate this choice and implement this possibility is up to you." The book is easily divided up into a 10-step program you may wish to commit to over a 10-week period.
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Summary: Scientist reviews Grow Younger, Live Longer
Review: Deepak Chopra's new book entitled Grow Younger, Live Longer is the latest in his line of frequently churned out pop culture manuscripts devoted to encouraging the public to adopt healthier lifestyles. The premise is not far different from his previous publication entitled Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, but in this case the central focus revolves around the notion that aging itself is reversible through lifestyle modification. The book is organized such that each chapter is devoted to revealing the various ways in which the author believes you may choose to reduce your biological age. These include Changing Your Perception, Deep Rest, Healthy Food, Nutritional Complements (e.g., vitamin supplements), Mind/Body Integration, Exercise, Eliminating Toxins, Cultivating Flexibility and Creativity in Consciousness, Love, and Maintaining a Youthful Mind. Fifty-one pages of the book are devoted to recipes designed to make their consumers grow younger and live longer. The idea combines together in one book the nearly identical idea presented by Michael Roizen in his books RealAge: Are You As Young As You Can Be? and The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger With What You Eat in which he too claims you can reduce your biological age and grow younger. However, the difference is that in Chopra's book there is not just bad science, as is the case with anyone claiming we can reduce our biological age, there is no science at all. The basis for Chopra's argument is his claim that your biological age can be measured by such things as blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol, blood sugar tolerance, bone density, and a host of other measures. Unfortunately, scientists who study aging in humans and other animals have already concluded that at present there are no reliable biomarkers of aging. In other words, it is not currently possible to measure biological age, nor is there any scientific evidence to suggest that growing younger is possible. Reducing your risk of age-associated diseases is certainly a benefit of regular exercise and a diet based on moderation, but aging itself cannot be stopped or reversed. Anyone telling you that you can reduce your biological age or grow younger is selling a modern form of anti-aging medicine that has been sold successfully to the public for more than 3,500 years - it didn't work in the past, and it doesn't work now. Chopra leads the reader to believe that you can reset your BIOSTAT for your biological age by convincing yourself that you're younger than your chronological age. This is done by encouraging readers to repeat the following mantra: "Every day in every way, I am increasing my mental and physical capacity, my BIOSTAT is set at a healthy __ years old. I look and feel a healthy __ years old. I am reversing my biological age"...by doing whatever is suggested in each chapter. The idea then is that if you BELIEVE you're younger, your BIOSTAT will orchestrate your biochemistry to MAKE you younger. Suggesting that you can grow younger by willing it to be so is an anti-aging strategy that has been around for thousands of years, which is considerably longer that the duration of the lives of its proponents. It never ceases to amaze me how such nonsense can make its way into books. Perhaps it is not so surprising once one realizes that those making such ridiculous claims are not scientists in any one of the various fields that inform the study of aging - they are entrepreneurs. I used to look upon Chopra's books with great amusement, because in a way he wasn't really selling anything except a suite of pop culture ideas that are unsupported by basic science. But now even he has crossed over the line to becoming an anti-aging entrepreneur, and this is what prompted my review. In Chapter 5 of this book he claims that nutritional supplements can activate your body's rejuvenating chemicals, and not surprisingly, he is now selling these supplements through the Chopra Center Essentials line of nutrients. Amazing! Scientists are now cautioning against the indiscriminate use of single dose supplements because of possible adverse side effects (such as with beta-carotene). While antioxidant supplements may have some health benefits for some people, so far there is no scientific evidence to justify the claim that they have any effect on human aging. The pseudo science of anti-aging medicine has now permeated every aspect of our modern world. Although most books on the market are written by people who have no background in any of the scientific fields associated with aging, there are a handful of books written by scientists for the general public that explain the true story about human aging. Take your pick - I've listed them in alphabetical order by first author. In the meantime, don't waste your money on this book by Chopra. Steven Austad's Why We Age; Leonard Hayflick's How and Why We Age; Tom Kirkwood's Time of Our Lives; John Medina's The Clock of Ages; and Olshansky and Carnes' The Quest for Immortality.
Rating:
Summary: The Path to Health
Review: Despite some blatant entrepreneurial pitches for Chopra's Prana Institute and its products, as well some blatant abuse of quantum physics, and the annoying "I am young" manatra you will repeatedly be asked to mouth throughout the book in order to help change your psychological perception of age, GROW YOUNG, LIVE LONGER is a fine book that will indeed enhance health, and thus perhaps make you look and feel younger. It's one of those all-around good books: covering basic yoga, providing some good recipes, filled with wonder facts about detoxification, wise nutritional supplementation, and the benefits of proper sleep and exercise. And of course, Chopra outlines his universal philosophy of love, which I found inspiring. On the whole, I was deeply impressed with the book, and ended up buying copies for friends. Another book I highly recommend that will add to your healthly living arsenal is The Optimum Nutritional Bible by Patrick Holford. Unlike Chopra, Holford takes a purely nutritional stance, but his dietary suggestions have the power to increase intelligence, vitality and life-span. Now go eat your veggies!
Rating:
Summary: The Path to Health
Review: Despite some blatant entrepreneurial pitches for Chopra's Prana Institute and its products, as well some blatant abuse of quantum physics, and the annoying "I am young" manatra you will repeatedly be asked to mouth throughout the book in order to help change your psychological perception of age, GROW YOUNG, LIVE LONGER is a fine book that will indeed enhance health, and thus perhaps make you look and feel younger. It's one of those all-around good books: covering basic yoga, providing some good recipes, filled with wonder facts about detoxification, wise nutritional supplementation, and the benefits of proper sleep and exercise. And of course, Chopra outlines his universal philosophy of love, which I found inspiring. On the whole, I was deeply impressed with the book, and ended up buying copies for friends. Another book I highly recommend that will add to your healthly living arsenal is The Optimum Nutritional Bible by Patrick Holford. Unlike Chopra, Holford takes a purely nutritional stance, but his dietary suggestions have the power to increase intelligence, vitality and life-span. Now go eat your veggies!
Rating:
Summary: Changed me forever
Review: Dr. Chopra offers insight on living that truly changed me forever. Learning how to relax my mind at night has me sleeping better than I have in my entire life. I have been listening to my body on which foods it needs and feel better every week. I left fast food behind and look healthier than I have in 15 years. I found out about Dr. Chopra in the suggested reading list in the book Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life.
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