Ryan J. Rossner, PhD

Longevity, budget biohacking, the afterlife, and more…

Longevity books

  • 2021 Katcher, Harold The Illusion of Knowledge: The paradigm shift in aging research that may show the way to human rejuvenation
  • 2020 Barzilai, Nir Age Later
    • Barzilai is a researcher who spearheaded the TAME trial to get Metformin tested by the FDA as the first aging-targeted therapeutic. Book contains valuable insights including about supercentenarians (110+ years old).
  • 2020 Steele, Andrew Ageless: The New Science of Getting Older Without Getting Old
    • Steele is a young guy who kind of came out of nowhere (physics? much respect for physics) to suddenly be one of the prominent public-facing voices discussing longevity. This book is solid and well-organized, highly recommend, especially the breakdown at the end of types of therapies.
  • 2019 Khaidakov, Magomed Pessimistic Guide to Aging Research: Death is Immortal
  • 2019 Sinclair, David Lifespan: Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To
    • This book is the #1 thing non-scientists ask me about when discussing longevity, taking the top spot from “telomeres.” Sinclair is a research professor at Harvard and might be the most effective researcher thus far when it comes to penetrating the mainstream consciousness.
  • 2017 Mellon, Jim and Chalabi, Al Juvenescence: Investing in the Age of Longevity
    • Excellent overview of developments in longevity therapies from an investment perspective, useful for non-investors as well.
  • 2017 Blackburn, Elizabeth Telomere Effect 2016 Longo, Valter Longevity Diet
  • 2016 Estep III, Preston The Mindspan Diet: Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk, Minimize Memory Loss, and Keep Your Brain Young
    • Preston Estep has done research into aging and works with George Church, a luminary if ever there was one. This book is really interesting especially because of its focus on iron (risking anemia probably promotes longevity!). Iron, along with oxygen, is biology’s ultimate double-edged sword.
  • 2016 Mitteldorf, Josh and Sagan, Dorion Cracking the Aging Code
  • 2014 Valentine, Raymond C. and David L. Human Longevity: Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Bioenergetics…
  • 2013 Zhavoronkov, Alex Ageless Generation
  • 2012 Friedman, Howard and Martin, Leslie The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark EIGHT-DECADE STUDY
    • Just ordered this, haven’t read it yet
  • 2012 Buettner, Dan The Blue Zones: 9 Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who Have Lived the Longest
    • Blue zones are regions with more long-lived people: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Icaria, Greece; Loma Linda, California. Their lifestyles include pro-longevity habits like family, not smoking, exercise, and plant-based diet.
  • 2011 Arrison, Sonia 100+
  • 2010 Stipp, David Youth Pill
  • 2008 De Grey, Aubrey Ending Aging
    • Aubrey De Grey created SENS, proposed a detailed if controversial plan for ending aging (described step-by-step in this book), and did a lot relatively early (2000s) to bring longevity to the mainstream consciousness. Definitely an essential viewpoint to be aware of and consider.
  • 2007 Friedman, David M. The Immortalists: Charles Lindbergh, Dr. Alexis Carrel, and their Daring Quest to Live Forever
  • 2006 Massie, Harold Aging Resarch: A Look at Some of the Scientific Evidence on Aging
  • 2006 Garreau, Joel Radical Evolution
    • Not exactly about aging, but one of two books (along with Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Near that inspired me to switch from liberal arts (philosophy, poli sci) to biology in my late 20s.
  • 2006 Spencer, Charlotte A. Genes, Aging, and Immortality
  • 2005 Kurzweil, Ray Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever
    • Kurzweil is a futurist and inventor who has regularly taken ~100+ pills a day in his own quest to increase his longevity. I’m not a Kurzweil disciple, but his writing changed the course of my life and inspired me to become a scientist. In particular, his description of history as progressing along an exponential trajectory was a completely new thought for me in 2007.
  • 2005 Michael Rose The Long Tomorrow: How Advances in Evolutionary Biology Can Help Us Postpone Aging
  • 2004 Immortality Insitute Scientific Conquest of Death
  • 2003 Guarente, Leonard Ageless Quest
    • Guarente is an MIT research professor whose lab broke the sirtuin story in yeast. Interesting scientific thoughts as well as recollections of the earlier days of current longevity luminaries like Matt Kaeberlein (my mentor), Bryan Kennedy, David Sinclair, Imai, and others).
  • 2003 Hall, Stephen S. Merchants of Immortality
  • 2003 West, Michael Immortal Cell
  • 2001 Olshansky, Stephen Jay; Carnes, Bruce Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging
    • Olshansky is a demographer, not a molecular biologist, but he’s thoughtful and it’s valuable to have longevity discussed from different perspectives.
  • 2000 Klarsfeld, Andre; Revah, Frederic Biologie de la Mort
  • 1999 Broderick Last Mortal Generation
  • 1999 Clark, William A Means to an End: The Biological Basis of Aging and Death
  • 1997 Austad, Steve Why We Age
    • Austad is a prominent aging researcher, especially around the comparative biology of aging (studying extremely long-lived species), who has a famously colorful past including working as a lion tamer!
  • 1994 Hayflick, Leonard How and Why We Age
    • The great Leonard Hayflick demonstrated that cells have a replicative limit, disproving the earlier work of the infamous Alexis Carrel. Here Hayflick gives his thoughts on aging, he’s an important voice to consider. He published a review article with the title ~ “Aging is Entropy” at one point.
  • 1991 Rose, Michael Evolutionary Biology of Aging
  • 1990 Finch, Caleb Longevity, Senescence, and the Genome
  • 1983 Fulder, Stephen An End to Ageing? Remedies for Life Extension
  • 1974 Watson, Lyall The Romeo Error (The Biology of Death)
  • 1928 Pearl, Raymond Rate of Living
    • Seminal work that bears reading, still controversial if I understand correctly.

Ryan Rossner

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