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Borrowed Time

By: Sue Armstrong
Narrated by: Rachel Atkins
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Summary

The question of how and why organisms age has teased scientists for centuries. There are myriad competing theories, from the idea that ageing is a simple wear and tear process, like the rusting of a car, to the belief that ageing and death are genetically programmed and controlled. In fact, there is no clearly defined limit to life and no single, predictable program playing itself out: different things are happening within and between tissues, and each system or organ accumulates damage at its own pace, according to the kind of insults imposed on it by daily living.

Sometime before 2020, the number of people over 65 worldwide will, for the first time, be greater than the number of 0-4 year olds; and by 2050 there are likely to be 2.5 times as many older people in the world as toddlers. Sue Armstrong tells the story of society's quest to understand ageing through the eyes of the scientists themselves as well as through the 'ordinary' people who exemplify the mysteries of ageing - from those who suffer from the premature ageing condition, Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, to people still running marathons in their 80s.

Borrowed Time investigates such mind-boggling experiments as transfusing young blood into old rodents and research into transplanting the first human head, among many others. It explores where science is taking us and what issues are being raised from a psychological, philosophical and ethical perspective, through interviews with, and profiles of, key scientists in the field and the people who represent interesting and important aspects of ageing.

©2018 Sue Armstrong (P)2019 Audible, Ltd
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Great book, I found narration irritating

A really interesting book, packed full of excellent research and therefore really interesting. The content gets 5 stars.

However, I have to mention some degree of irritation with the narration style, specifically, the narrator adopts what for me was a very irritating style when quoting speak. This was particularly irksome in the first half of the book. I think that by the second half she had maybe tired of this style herself and therefore toned it down or maybe I'd just become desensitised to it!

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Well worth listening

This is an informative overview of ageing written in an easily understandable way. Well worth listening to for tips on how to age healthily.

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