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Title: The Dream of Eternal Life by Mark Benecke, Rachel Rubenstein ISBN: 0-231-11672-1 Publisher: Columbia University Press Pub. Date: 15 April, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $29.95

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Average Customer Rating: 4.17 (6 reviews)

Rating: 3
Summary: All men are mortal
Comment: I have not read this book, but I did read some of the reviews of it here. The refusal of people in this society to face up to death is amazing. It is the root cause of the entire asinine culture that we enjoy. You mean that the fashionably dressed and perfectly coiffed young superstar is going to die? How uncool to suggest such a thing. And to look to science for eternal life is hilarious. The great joke of this society is that people lavish infinite care on themselves, exercising and dieting with religious devotion, but not one of them will get out alive. They can either look into the wisdom traditions for eternal life, or they can go on trying to diet and exercise enough to live forever.

Rating: 2
Summary: Does Not Reflect Current Science
Comment: I bought this book hoping that it would provide a decent overview of current work on anti-aging medicine. I was sorely disappointed. Benecke spends much of his time on popular culture, philosophical musings, and general health tips like vitamins and the effect of alcohol on heart disease.

He does not cover the advances of the last 10 years in genetically engineering animals to live much much longer than the norm, using caloric restriction to extend life, the success of synthetic anti-oxidants in extending the lives of nematodes and fruit flies, or any other current scientific topic in anti-aging medicine.

Rating: 5
Summary: Life, death and everything in between...
Comment: Mark Benecke has immortalised himself in this most witty of forays into the popular biology of life and death. All the concepts in this book are well-clarified, and easily accessible to scientists and non-scientists alike. Dazzling in its detail while remaining true to the 'big picture' all the while, the narrative is almost like a cameraman zooming in and out to capture a panoramic landscape, looking at each issue from many angles. This is one of the many strengths of the book, making it well-rounded and non-biased on every level. The progression through basic cell and molecular biology to the concepts of life, death and immortality leads the reader in a satisfyingly logical order. From Dracula to Darwin, Gaia to genome, climate change to cryopreservation, this book is comprehensive enough to have it all. If you are human, and have an interest in life or death - read this book now!!