This book contains advice and information relating to health care. It should be used to supplement rather than replace the advice of your doctor or another trained health professional. If you know or suspect you have a health problem, it is recommended that you seek your physician’s advice before embarking on any medical programme or treatment. All efforts have been made to assure the accuracy of the information contained in this book as of the date of publication. This publisher and the author disclaim liability for any medical outcomes that may occur as a result of applying the methods suggested in this book.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book have been donated to the XPRIZE Foundation to support the creation of a better world in the future … because we’re going to be here to enjoy it.
Thorsons
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First published in the US by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 2019
This UK edition published 2019
FIRST EDITION
© Dave Asprey 2019
Cover design by Milan Bozic © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019
Cover photograph © Ray Kachatorian
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library
Dave Asprey asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
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Source ISBN: 9780008366278
Ebook Edition © October 2019 ISBN: 9780008366285
Version 2019-09-10
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To my children, Anna (twelve) and Alan (nine), who diligently sat by my side and edited this book in a way that genuinely helped make it better. It’s my sincere hope that when you are both over a hundred years old, you’ll let me help you edit whatever you’re creating. I plan to be there for you.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
—Dylan Thomas
CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
EPIGRAPH
INTRODUCTION: YOUR ANCESTORS WERE BIOHACKERS
PART I: DON’T DIE
1 THE FOUR KILLERS
2 THE SEVEN PILLARS OF AGING
3 FOOD IS AN ANTI-AGING DRUG
4 SLEEP OR DIE
5 USING LIGHT TO GAIN SUPERPOWERS
PART II: AGE BACKWARD
6 TURN YOUR BRAIN BACK ON
7 METAL BASHING
8 POLLUTING YOUR BODY WITH OZONE
9 FERTILITY = LONGEVITY
10 YOUR TEETH ARE A WINDOW TO THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
11 HUMANS ARE WALKING PETRI DISHES
PART III: HEAL LIKE A DEITY
12 VIRGIN CELLS AND VAMPIRE BLOOD
13 DON’T LOOK LIKE AN ALIEN: AVOIDING BALDNESS, GRAYS, AND WRINKLES
14 HACK YOUR LONGEVITY LIKE A RUSSIAN
AFTERWORD
NOTES
LIST OF SEARCHABLE TERMS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALSO BY DAVE ASPREY
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
INTRODUCTION: YOUR ANCESTORS WERE BIOHACKERS
A hundred thousand years ago, two cavemen struggled to keep their families alive during a particularly harsh winter. As the wind howled, one wrapped himself in animal skins, checked that the fire was big enough to keep his family from freezing, and made the dangerous trek to a neighboring cave. He ducked his head to avoid banging his overhanging brow at the entrance, shivered as he noticed the dark cave was scarcely warmer than the air outside, and shouted excitedly, “Thog, I have discovered something amazing. You have to see this!” Thog reluctantly wrapped himself in animal skins and ventured into his neighbor’s impossibly warm and well-lit cave, where he saw the world’s very first man-made fire. “Isn’t this incredible?” the caveman said. “I am using this right now to keep my cave warm. See how happy my kids are? Do you want me to show you how I am doing it?”
Thog was skeptical. He knew fire was dangerous. When lightning struck a tree, the resulting wildfire could burn forests, not to mention humans who were dumb enough to get too close. He and all the other cave dwellers had survived winter (for the most part) without fire. They huddled together and shared their food, and everyone got along. Fire might be harder to share. What if only some cavemen had access to its warmth? “No thanks,” Thog grunted.