An anthropologist uncovers new evidence for the evolutionary origins of human longevity-and explains why growing old is an opportunity, not a burden
Our ability to live for decades may seem like a modern luxury made possible by clean water and advances in medicine. In fact, human longevity is a legacy of our unique evolutionary path as a species. Seven Decades challenges the belief that life in the past was "nasty, brutish, and short," tracing how our capacity for long life came to be and transforming how we think about aging.
Blending vivid storytelling with cutting-edge science, anthropologist Michael Gurven weaves tales from his years of field experience among Indigenous societies whose diet and traditional lifeways are closer to how we all lived prior to industrialization, demonstrating how these communities are relatively free of the chronic diseases of aging such as heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. He provides compelling evidence that our longevity first evolved among our hunting and gathering ancestors and shows how the human body was built to last around seven decades. At a time when people are more likely to live to old age than ever before, Gurven discusses how we can harness this amazing evolutionary feat through a shift in societal values, one that balances self-reliance with interdependence, nurtures multigenerational ties, prioritizes women's health and longevity, and enables us to rediscover the wisdom of our elders.
Sharing bold new perspectives on human aging, Seven Decades draws important lessons from our ancestral history, bridging the past with the present to reveal what healthy, happy, and productive old age could look like for all generations. Michael D. Gurven is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His work has been featured in the New York Times and on NPR and the BBC. "This beautifully written book shows how to get the most good years out of life. In a genre littered with Instagram scientists and antiaging charlatans, Michael Gurven has tapped into a consummately original source of longevity wisdom: an Amazonian tribe with the world's lowest rate of cardiovascular disease. Here, he harnesses evolutionary biology and his keen anthropology skills to tease out their wisdom to understand the capacity of the human machine. Read it to live longer or just for fun. Either way, you won't regret it."-Dan Buettner, National Geographic Fellow and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zones
"Packed with wisdom, magnificently written, remarkably wide-ranging, and practical at every turn, Seven Decades offers us the best blueprint for how we can make the most of our multigenerational future, as individuals and as societies."-Marc Freedman, founder and Co-CEO of CoGenerate and author of How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations
"Clearly explained and beautifully illustrated, Seven Decades is replete with profound insights about why knowledge of human evolution and aging in different human societies actually helps us as we move through our own lives. This is a superbly informative book."-Nina Jablonski, author of Living Color: The Biological and Social Meaning of Skin Color
"Blending scholarly expertise and masterful storytelling, Michael Gurven makes a compelling case that physical, mental, emotional, and social decline are not the inevitable processes we believe them to be. This is a must-read for anyone invested in human longevity."-Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, coauthor of Zoobiquity and Wildhood
"This eye-opening, wise, and entertaining book uniquely combines groundbreaking anthropological and evolutionary insights to explain how and why we age, and how those too often overlooked insights can help all of us age better. Be sure to read this gem of a book!"-Daniel E. Lieberman, aut
