A proactive, manageable, and practical approach to stemming the aging tide.
A heart surgeon and restorative medicine authority continues mapping his blueprint for a robust life through scientifically supported dietary changes.
In his latest, readers will find Gundry’s (The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods that Cause Disease and Weight Gain, 2017, etc.) friendly demeanor, sound advice, and compassionate motivational techniques unchanged as he takes a closer look at the aging process and examines a variety of ways to mitigate the damage done to the body across a lifetime. After debunking many commonly held myths about human aging, the author turns to one of his main areas of research: gut bacteria and how to make it advantageous for the body. In clear, concise language he describes the human microbiome (the body’s collective microorganisms or “gut buddies”) as being at the mercy of both a Western diet as well as a lectin-inducing plant-based one, each systematically hijacking and wreaking havoc on human cells. Gundry acknowledges this condition as reversible, however, as long as one adheres to his suggested nutritional therapies and lifestyle adjustments—e.g., avoiding lectins and carefully limiting alcohol and heartburn medications. Lay readers alarmed by the idea of micromanaging their microbial composition will find chapters on foods to best fight cancer and heart disease, as well as the enduring benefits of regular exercise for brain and memory health, more accessible and appealing. Gundry clearly lays out the immense potential for aging gracefully, and in the second half of the book, he presents a comprehensive program of wholesome organic food choices, meal plans, fasting intervals, vitamin supplementation, and lifestyle suggestions. Dedication and commitment are mandatory. Though the author sees aging as an unavoidable inevitability, that doesn’t mean the process has to be arduous and unhealthy. Instead, he believes that once one’s microbiome is improved and preserved, it can result in maximum health and longevity.
A proactive, manageable, and practical approach to stemming the aging tide.Pub Date: March 19, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-06-284339-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Harper Wave
Review Posted Online: Jan. 13, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
Oncologist Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) predicts that the application of advanced technology for modeling complex systems will transform 21st-century medicine.
The author writes that a remark Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann made to him in 2009—“Look at cancer as a system"—transformed the way he views his own specialty and the entire field of preventative medicine. It made him realize that “[r]ather than honoring the body as the exceedingly complex system that it is, we keep looking for the individual gene that has gone awry, or for the one ‘secret’ that can improve our health.” Agus writes that although the ability to sequence the entire human genome is a great step forward, it is insufficient for achieving a significant breakthrough. Even though it may start with a mutation, cancer “is a dynamic process that's happening…far from the confines of a static piece of DNA”—it involves the body's immune system, its ability to regulate cell growth, metabolism and more. Agus directs his university’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine and is the co-founder of two personalized medicine companies, Applied Proteomics and Navigenics. His hope is that their research will contribute to developing better analytical tools for preventative medicine and for the treatment of cancers. These will address the functioning of the body as a whole, applying digital technology already used by physicists to provide virtual models of cancers and model the action of proteins that regulate cell communication in the body. He also hopes to develop tools that will provide information on the concentration of different proteins in a drop of blood taken from a patient, which may reveal the onset of disease. The author also includes some guiding principles and warnings about certain healthy practices that may not be so healthy. A refreshing change of pace in the medical field, but by venturing beyond his field of expertise to pontificate on a wide range of subjects, Agus makes his otherwise intriguing narrative difficult to follow.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1017-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An authoritative, engaging study of plant life, accessible to younger readers as well as adults.
A neurobiologist reveals the interconnectedness of the natural world through stories of plant migration.
In this slim but well-packed book, Mancuso (Plant Science/Univ. of Florence; The Revolutionary Genius of Plants: A New Understanding of Plant Intelligence and Behavior, 2018, etc.) presents an illuminating and surprisingly lively study of plant life. He smoothly balances expansive historical exploration with recent scientific research through stories of how various plant species are capable of migrating to locations throughout the world by means of air, water, and even via animals. They often continue to thrive in spite of dire obstacles and environments. One example is the response of plants following the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Three decades later, the abandoned “Exclusion Zone” is now entirely covered by an enormous assortment of thriving plants. Mancuso also tracks the journeys of several species that might be regarded as invasive. “Why…do we insist on labeling as ‘invasive’ all those plants that, with great success, have managed to occupy new territories?” asks the author. “On a closer look, the invasive plants of today are the native flora of the future, just as the invasive species of the past are a fundamental part of our ecosystem today.” Throughout, Mancuso persuasively articulates why an understanding and appreciation of how nature is interconnected is vital to the future of our planet. “In nature everything is connected,” he writes. “This simple law that humans don’t seem to understand has a corollary: the extinction of a species, besides being a calamity in and of itself, has unforeseeable consequences for the system to which the species belongs.” The book is not without flaws. The loosely imagined watercolor renderings are vague and fail to effectively complement Mancuso’s richly descriptive prose or satisfy readers’ curiosity. Even without actual photos and maps, it would have been beneficial to readers to include more finely detailed plant and map renderings.
An authoritative, engaging study of plant life, accessible to younger readers as well as adults.Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-63542-991-6
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Other Press
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
