Product Description

Why do some people age in failing health and sadness, while others grow old with vitality and joy?

In this revolutionary book, bestselling author John Robbins presents us with a bold new paradigm of aging, showing us how we can increase not only our lifespan but also our health span. Through the example of four very different cultures that have the distinction of producing some of the world’s healthiest, oldest people, Robbins reveals the secrets for living an extended and fulfilling life in which our later years become a period of wisdom, vitality, and happiness. From Abkhasia in the Caucasus south of Russia, where age is beauty, and Vilcabamba in the Andes of South America, where laughter is the greatest medicine, to Hunza in Central Asia, where dance is ageless, and finally the southern Japanese islands of Okinawa, the modern Shangri-la, where people regularly live beyond a century, Robbins examines how the unique lifestyles of these peoples can influence and improve our own.

Bringing the traditions of these ancient and vibrantly healthy cultures together with the latest breakthroughs in medical science, Robbins reveals that, remarkably, they both point in the same direction. The result is an inspirational synthesis of years of research into healthy aging in which Robbins has isolated the characteristics that will enable us to live long and–most important–joyous lives. With an emphasis on simple, wholesome, but satisfying fare, and the addition of a manageable daily exercise routine, many people can experience great improvement in the quality of their lives now and for many years to come. But perhaps more surprising is Robbins’ discovery that it is not diet and exercise alone that helps people to live well past one hundred. The quality of personal relationships is enormously important. With startling medical evidence about the effects of our interactions with others, Robbins asserts that loneliness has more impact on lifespan than such known vices as smoking. There is clearly a strong beneficial power to love and connection.

“We all have the tools to live longer lives, and to remain active, productive, and resourceful until the very end,” Robbins writes. Healthy at 100 strives to improve both the quality and the quantity of our remaining years–no matter how old or how healthy we might currently be–and to reverse the social stigma on aging. After reading this book, we will never think about age–or life–in the same way again.

“John Robbins has inspired millions of people with his eloquent, clear, compassionate, and insightful guidance on the path to health and fulfillment. Healthy at 100 may be his finest work to date. If you are interested in extending your health span as well as your life span, read this book! Healthy at 100 is a masterpiece.”
–Dean Ornish, M.D., president and director of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, author of Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease

“This is a remarkably open and heartfelt book full of wisdom and love by an extraordinary man who has been teaching us how to live more healthy and compassionate lives for over twenty years now. John Robbins has created a new vision of aging for American society.”
–John Mackey, CEO, Whole Foods

“John Robbins is one of the most important voices in America today. He cuts through nonsense like no one else does. He gives hope like no one else does. His words are lifelines for both the body and soul. This book can literally save our lives.”
–Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love and A Woman’s Worth

“Healthy at 100 is a marvelous blend of wisdom, hope, courage, and common sense. John Robbins gives us caring, science, and inspiration–a beautiful diet for the heart.”
–Jack Kornfield, co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, author of A Path with Heart

“As the low-carb diet craze is gone, John Robbins proposes a far healthier approach that leads not just to a healthy weight but also to a joyful and fulfilled life. Healthy at 100 is packed with informed and heartfelt wisdom.”
–Jorge Cruise, author of The 3-Hour Diet, creator of JorgeCruise.com

“John Robbins inspires me on every page. His unique experiences and viewpoints were the reasons I wanted him to be in my film Super Size Me. This book only reinforces my faith in him as a thought-provoking humanitarian.”
–Morgan Spurlock, producer and director of Super Size Me


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11713 in Books
• Published on: 2007-08-28
• Released on: 2007-08-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345490117
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
“Read this book! Healthy at 100 is a masterpiece.”
–Dean Ornish, M.D.

“Healthy at 100 is a marvelous blend of wisdom, hope, courage, and common sense. John Robbins gives us caring, science, and inspiration–a beautiful diet for the heart.”
–Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

“Commonsensical and scientifically sound . . . readers seeking that elusive fountain of youth would be wise to listen up.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Robbins marshals a great deal of excellent data from reputable scientific sources to support his arguments.”
–The Roanoke Times

“Thought-provoking . . . highly recommended.”
–Library Journal


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Review
“Read this book! Healthy at 100 is a masterpiece.”
–Dean Ornish, M.D.

“Healthy at 100 is a marvelous blend of wisdom, hope, courage, and common sense. John Robbins gives us caring, science, and inspiration–a beautiful diet for the heart.”
–Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart

“Commonsensical and scientifically sound . . . readers seeking that elusive fountain of youth would be wise to listen up.”
–Publishers Weekly

“Robbins marshals a great deal of excellent data from reputable scientific sources to support his arguments.”
–The Roanoke Times

“Thought-provoking . . . highly recommended.”
–Library Journal

About the Author
Widely considered one of the world’s leading experts on the dietary link between the environment and health, John Robbins is the author of the million-copy bestseller Diet for a New America. His work has been the subject of cover stories and feature articles in the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and People. Robbins has been a featured and keynote speaker at hundreds of major conferences including those sponsored by the Sierra Club and UNICEF, and is the recipient of many awards, including the Rachel Carson Award and the Albert Schweitzer Humanitarian Award. He is the founder of EarthSave International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to healthy food choices, preservation of the environment, and a more compassionate world. Robbins lives with his wife, Deo, their son, Ocean, and daughter-in-law, Michele, and their grand-twins River and Bodhi outside of Santa Cruz, California.


From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews

Great Book!
This is a great book which reviews four cultures which achieved health at old age. But it goes beyond the historical perspective and cites recent studies which support the lifestyle and dietary approach of these four cultures.

The book led me to read other books which support this mostly vegetarian, whole grain approach to achieving good health as one ages. I was led to The Spectrum by Dean Ornish, The China Study by Colin Campbell, and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn. They are all excellent books. But having read Healthy at 100 first they had much more meaning to me.

I was motivated to try the Esselstyn program even though I am in very good health at age 72. And without even trying I have lost 10 pounds in three weeks. This was not a real objective of the trial, but it is a nice side benefit. I was not overweight, but feel that my new weight is what I would like to maintain. I was also impressed with how easy it was for me to adjust to the vegetarian diet, although I tried to avoid eating a lot of meat before.

I was also motivated to try the vegetarian approach by the high percentage of people whose first sign that they have heart disease is the incident that causes their death. I also was impressed to learn that the four cultures discussed in the book also significantly avoided many other diseases that we have come to think are a natural part of aging.

This book scores 100 out of 100
OVERALL: A must read for all homo sapiens who want to live a happy life, not just a healthy one.

PROS:

* Quite rational and measured. Robbins constantly tempers his enthusiasm for the four healthy cultures he examines. He refrains from idealizing them, which strengthens his argument. He doesn't gush over their way of life and points out their shortcomings (e.g., lack of refrigeration, dirt floors, poor telecommunications, etc...).

* Adds two components that he didn't mention much in his previous books: exercise and love. He's always focused on diet, but now he spends more time talking about the importance of exercise and creating a loving community.

* He's less dogmatic about being a vegan. He admits that the longest lived people in the world (the Okinawans) eat fish regularly. His concerns are now fish have more mercury than ever and that we've over-fished our waters.

* Well researched and documented. As usual, Robbins cites his sources for those who want to dig deeper. He's professional.

CON: His argument that the gaps between rich and poor is the predictor of a nation's health is weak. I would have liked to see more evidence of that.

CONCLUSION: I love this book and recommend it to anyone. I've read 3 of his books and this is the best so far. It's balanced and persuasive. He's matured and become quite wise.

Healthy at 100
Excellent book, full of good facts and information, and suggestions for healthy living. Focuses mainly on nutrition and includes other lifestyle suggestions.