Immortality

Rating:
Summary: A most important and valuable book
Review: How long would you like to live? 80 years? 100 years? 200 years? How about forever? You know, you just might.

Ben Bova has succeeded in gathering the most recent developments in medical science and technology together with the most credible extrapolations of current trends to write a terrific and much-needed book. He has studied the many diverse and often arcane fields of scientific investigation and somehow created a highly readable yet convincing depiction of where life extension research may lead us. He makes acceptable what used to seem unbelievable.

Immortality is not a long book and does not come across as scholarly or academic. It is clearly intended for the popular reader. And yet, I believe it is one of the most important and valuable books to be written within the last 20 years. If it is widely read and discussed, it will go a long way toward persuading the public that they'd better pay attention and begin preparing for the amazing ways in which our world is about to change.

NOTE: Ben Bova is not a medical doctor, but rather a Ph.D. of the liberal arts. The use of "Dr." before his name was probably his publisher's idea, intended to give the author more legitimacy on this topic. I find it disingenuous and needless. Ben Bova is a successful, respected writer of speculative fiction, and is probably as well qualified to write this book as any medical doctor.

Rating:
Summary: Great Source of Knowledge
Review: I thouroughly enjoyed the entire book. Every chapter captures your interest and simply envelpes your mind. Many, and I mean many, Americans simply do not realize how far science has come in terms of life extension and eventually life unlimited. This books opens your eyes to alot of new frontiers that are already in our midst. It shares with the reader the up-to-date reviews of experiments currently underway, such as organ regeneration, telomere shortening and others dealing mainly with aging. The author concludes the book with his interpretation of what might, and in all reality could possibly, happen to our world as we know it if immortality was possible. Bottom line is its a great book that will keep you hanging on every line and leave you wanting to know more. "The more you read, the less you know."

Rating:
Summary: Great Source of Knowledge
Review: I thouroughly enjoyed the entire book. Every chapter captures your interest and simply envelpes your mind. Many, and I mean many, Americans simply do not realize how far science has come in terms of life extension and eventually life unlimited. This books opens your eyes to alot of new frontiers that are already in our midst. It shares with the reader the up-to-date reviews of experiments currently underway, such as organ regeneration, telomere shortening and others dealing mainly with aging. The author concludes the book with his interpretation of what might, and in all reality could possibly, happen to our world as we know it if immortality was possible. Bottom line is its a great book that will keep you hanging on every line and leave you wanting to know more. "The more you read, the less you know."

Rating:
Summary: Very readable and important book
Review: It seems to me a great accomplishment that Ben Bova can maintain his conversational style while educating the public and provoking serious contemplation. Reading this book took me only 2 evenings, and it felt like having the author in my living room. I'm not a scientist. I didn't even know there was a difference between life expectancy and life span. Life expectancy has increased because of the percentage of children who now survive to adulthood thanks to medical advances. The human life span referred to in the Bible as threescore and ten (and sometimes fourscore) has really never changed. Until now, or almost now. We are on the brink of understanding cellular processes that cause what we know as "aging" to occur. The author explains in very clear terms the present theories of aging and the research efforts now underway. He also delves into all the moral quandaries involved...this was the area that prompted me to read the book. I wanted to know more about embryonic stem cell research and cloning, and why pursuing these technologies is or is not justified. I am Catholic! The author tries to be civil about religious viewpoints, but can barely manage. His viewpoints are always 100% secular and ammoral. Nevertheless, he presents the arguments of all, and makes his case is a logical manner. I do recommend this book for the nonscientist who wants to explore these issues and pick up a good deal of knowledge about how the research is being done.

Rating:
Summary: Very readable and important book
Review: It seems to me a great accomplishment that Ben Bova can maintain his conversational style while educating the public and provoking serious contemplation. Reading this book took me only 2 evenings, and it felt like having the author in my living room. I'm not a scientist. I didn't even know there was a difference between life expectancy and life span. Life expectancy has increased because of the percentage of children who now survive to adulthood thanks to medical advances. The human life span referred to in the Bible as threescore and ten (and sometimes fourscore) has really never changed. Until now, or almost now. We are on the brink of understanding cellular processes that cause what we know as "aging" to occur. The author explains in very clear terms the present theories of aging and the research efforts now underway. He also delves into all the moral quandaries involved...this was the area that prompted me to read the book. I wanted to know more about embryonic stem cell research and cloning, and why pursuing these technologies is or is not justified. I am Catholic! The author tries to be civil about religious viewpoints, but can barely manage. His viewpoints are always 100% secular and ammoral. Nevertheless, he presents the arguments of all, and makes his case is a logical manner. I do recommend this book for the nonscientist who wants to explore these issues and pick up a good deal of knowledge about how the research is being done.

Rating:
Summary: Very Informative....But needs a companion book
Review: This is a good book to have if you are interested in stopping aging and living longer. And if you are not afraid of considering the possibility, the probability, of Immortality. But, for me, it does not go far enough. If you buy this book, you would also want to get a copy of THE IMMORTALIST MANIFESTO: Stay Young & Save the World. The author is Elixxir. And it is available on Amazon. It is the only book which gives us a new Immortalist philosophy, worldview, paradigm. Instead of merely hoping that the anti-aging life-extension breakthroughs will arrive in the nick of time to save your life, THE IMMORTALIST MANIFESTO tells what needs to be done to guarantee its timely arrival - for you and me. Bova shows it is scientifically feasible, probable. The Immortalist Manifesto shows how you can make sure it comes soon enough to save your life.

"Old Age and Death are no longer necessary or acceptable. We are either the last to grow old and die, or the first to stay young and live forever. We choose to be the first to stay young and live forever. Our goal is simple: kill Old Age and Death!" -- from The Immortalist Manifesto

Rating:
Summary: Highly informative.
Review: Thoughtful and detailed, this book gives a very good overview of current thoughts, studies and avenues of research on life extension with care given to make the information clear to persons without a science background.