Younger Next Year

November 22, 2004
Believing they have a unique approach for improving men's lives, Crowley, a former litigator, and Lodge, a board-certified internist, collaborated to write this "evolutionary" health program. The authors base their plan on the idea that instead of looking forward to decades of pain as the body slowly deteriorates, it's possible to live as if you were 50, maybe even younger, for the rest of your life. Yet with the exception of "Harry's First Rule"—exercise at least six days a week—there isn't much that's new or groundbreaking in their agenda. Most recommendations fall under the "common sense" umbrella, though these suggestions may be news to many men, who aren't as steeped in the world of health and fitness as most women are (they may find the chapters dealing with nutrition and biology particularly informative). The authors' method of proffering their philosophy is rather trite, however, and their cavalier demeanor belies the significance of what they have to say. More than one-third of the book is devoted to how and why they came up with this program based on their own lives, with special attention to 70-year-old Crowley's impressive abilities (he says he can ski better now than he could 20 years ago). All told, this manual for healthy living offers sound, if unoriginal, advice with some hackneyed padding.

February 1, 2005
Writing alternate chapters in this how to live better longer book, Crowley, a retired litigator and septuagenarian, first presents the lay reader's point of view; Lodge (Columbia Univ. Medical Sch.) then gives the physician's scientific follow-up on aging well. Drawing on Crowley's "Harry's 7 Rules" (e.g., exercise six days a week for the rest of your life, quit eating crap, and connect and commit), the authors explain how a man can reverse his biological clock and become functionally younger, making the last third of his life his best years. Written in a jocular, conversational style, the text exudes a hail-fellow-well-met exuberance that failed to reach this reader, who would have preferred more facts and less camaraderie. Those looking for a vade mecum to the Fountain of Youth are advised to wait for a better-written road map with more landmarks.-James Swanton, Harlem Hosp. Lib., New York

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