Is there anyone who doesn’t want to live longer than the apparently allotted time of around 80 years? Is there anyone who wouldn’t want to live in a “wellderly state” right up until when they die? Not many of us wouldn’t want ultra-long and healthy lives. Well, very soon scientific advances will allow just that. Juvenescence is not just a book or a phenomenon, it’s about to be a fact.

Jim and Al, authors of Fast Forward, Cracking the Code and of Wake Up, alert the readers of their new book to the amazing science of Juvenescence, to the prospects for all of us to live much longer than most people expect, also to the ways in which we can prosper as investors in this new era of longevity.

They forecast that average life expectancy in the developed world will rise to 110-120 within twenty years and thereafter, much higher. The old life paradigm of born, learn, earn, retire and expire is about to be radically changed. The entirety of our lives will be upended; we will learn continuously, we will start families later, we will enjoy multiple careers and we will have more time for leisure and self-development.

As technology and biology fuse into ever greater capabilities, the conventional wisdom of life’s trajectory will be totally ditched. Retirement will be so last century – people will work till at least 85, and they will be needed and valued.

The diseases of ageing that debilitate so many people after the age of 65 or so will be gradually conquered and rendered rare or chronic; these diseases are principally cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease and dementia. Ageing will soon be regarded as a disease in itself, and therapies designed to “cure” it, some available now, will be commonplace. New techniques, including organ transplantation as a matter of routine, cell therapies and genetic engineering will become mainstream.

Deep learning strategies to develop personalised drugs and to accelerate the development of therapies will sit alongside genetic screening and transform medicine.

Jim and Al describe in detail the processes involved in getting older. Ageing is marked by the progressive loss of physical integrity, lessened functionality and increased vulnerability to disease and to frailty. Ageing is the single biggest risk factor in contracting one or more of the deadly quintet of diseases which are responsible for more than 60% of all deaths in developed countries – cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and pulmonary disease.

At present, there is no central unified theory as to what causes ageing at the molecular and cellular level, but with fast advancing tools and analysis, a definitive picture will surely emerge.This is a time of true transformation and we are lucky to be living through it.

Prophets in the wilderness, such as was Aubrey de Grey until recently, are increasingly being recognised as visionaries and the transcribers of the scientific advance that will be known as Juvenescence.
Jim and Al have conducted dozens of interviews, many face to face, have travelled extensively in the US and in Europe and have distilled a complex science into layman’s language.

Their book is necessarily quite science heavy, as it has to convey differing opinions and strands of research. it is also a primer on the investment opportunities for all those who would like to prosper from Juvenescence. And it seeks to show readers how they can keep themselves in the best possible shape using existing science in order to bridge the gap between today’s knowledge and tomorrows opportunities.

Long life beckons for all, and for the readers of this book, a long life lived in prosperity is more than just a possibility.

If we are all indeed going to live much longer lives, how are we going to be able to afford it? As Juvenescence is a book for investors, Jim and Al have identified the most exciting investment opportunities and companies that will hopefully provide readers with ultra-long-lived portfolios alongside their ultra-long lives!

The biotech recommendations in Cracking the Code, for instance, have served investors very well, and the authors believe that the stocks identified in Juvenescence could do even better.

So, in summary, the book does three things: firstly, describes the current or soon to be marketed treatments that will enable everyone to live much longer than actuarial table currently suggest. Secondly, it outlines the technologies that have the potential for extending life, such as genetic engineering and stem cell therapy. And lastly, Jim and Al have carefully curated three portfolios for interested investors to consider.

This book provides a comprehensive, curated and peer reviewed compendium of everything readers need to know about ageing and how to profit from the rapid evolution in the science of biogerontology. Live long and prosper!!