We now live longer today than at any time in history. In the UK, more people are aged over sixty-five than under sixteen and by 2050, over a third of the developed world will be over sixty. How should we deal with this phenomenon? What are the scientific reasons for ageing? And can - or should - we prevent it? Lewis Wolpert, distinguished biologist and octogenarian, explores the scientific background and the implications of our ageing population. In this engaging investigation, he tackles every aspect of the subject from ageism to euthanasia to anti-ageing cream and, through it all, tries to better understand his own ageing. Witty, frank and often inspiring, Lewis Wolpert is the perfect guide to 'looking very well'.
Lewis Wolpert is Emeritus Professor in Cell and Developmental Biology. He originally took a degree in civil engineering and carried out research in soil mechanics, and then changed to cell biology at King's College. He has worked on the mechanics of cytokinesis, morphogenesis of the sea urchin embryo, regeneration in hydra, left right asymmetry, and has focused on pattern formation in limb development. He has also been involved in interacting with the public in relation to science. He is the author of, among others, The Unnatural Nature of Science and Malignant Sadness, which was described by Anthony Storr as 'the most objective short account of all the various approaches to depression'. His most recent book about the human cell, How We Live and Why We Die, was published in 2009.
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