I’ve just finished listening to a book whose title just won’t stick in my brain. Several times I’ve referred to it as “Longevity” when indeed it is titled “Outlive: The science and art of longevity.” Expecting to be irritated by it, I elected audio versus couch or bath time reading, and found myself surprised by the final chapter - which, if you find yourself in the presence of the book - you perhaps might start with.
Other reviewers on Amazon described the excruciating detail with which Attia describes four flavors of chronic health problems, and seeming lack of direct advice, and without the context of the final chapter (which I’m confident they did not read) it could be that. He outlines heart disease and metabolic problems, cancer and cognitive decline with more science than the average bear is likely to enjoy, but not enough for the medically inclined. He dabbles into nutrition and movement and sleep, without offering any explicit directive advice.
But at the last minute, as I chopped things in the kitchen with half an ear attending to his poetic waxing about the importance of sleep (and an effective summary of Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep, if you’re into the short-short version), he arrived at the final chapter.
Which you ought to read.
Because his incredible vaguery regarding directives was intentional. You might think that he’s hoping you’ll sign up for his private practice and have excessive bloodwork and scanning in order to orient to your substance on the regular, but I don’t think so. Maybe an incredibly small slice of you might. But the last chapter was about the importance of mental health and recovery - the why behind living as long as your sweet body will take you, which is not about amassing wealth or knowledge, but about uncovering and cultivating the capacity for empathy.
Attia never identifies as an alcoholic, although he describes a relationship with work I find eerily familiar. He talks about a life and a body that was obsessed with outrunning death and an affect that made him a miserable person with whom to engage.
I related to this chapter, and felt hope with this chapter, and understand why he wrote it last.
But I encourage you to read it first.
Onward to the almond butter…
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