A few days ago, book publicist Jeffery Anderson dropped me a line about a new book called The Longevity Bible by Dr. Gary Small. Anderson often lets me know about books related to the themes Betterhumans addresses, and offers review copies. I have a stack of books I want to read right now, however, and am feeling burned out on longevity tomes after completing Ray Kurzweil's Fantastic Voyage. So this time, I didn't take him up on the offer. But I figured I'd mention the book and see what BH members thought.

Small is the Director of the UCLA Center on Aging and, according to the bio Anderson sent: "one of the world's leading physician/scientists in the fields of memory and longevity. He has developed breakthrough brain-imaging technology that allows physicians to detect brain aging and Alzheimer's disease decades before patients show symptoms." Small is also the author of The Memory Bible.

Here are the eight "essentials" to longevity covered in Small's latest book:

Essential 1: Sharpen Your Mind

Mental Aerobics cross train your brain to significantly improve memory skills and brain efficiency. If you fix your brain for longevity, your body will follow in kind.

Essential 2: Maintain a Positive Outlook

Positive Thinking boosts the body’s immune system, which is why optimists have fewer physical and emotional difficulties, less pain and higher energy levels.

Essential 3: Cultivate Healthy and Intimate Relationships

Socially Connected people survive up to 20 percent longer. A healthy sex life at every age helps lower blood pressure, reduce stress and depression, boost the immune system, and extend life expectancy.

Essential 4: Promote Stress-Free Living

Stress is among the leading causes of age-related disease, and your ability to adopt Stress Busters will not only help you feel and look better, but also live longer.

Essential 5: Master Your Environment

Whether it’s traffic, smoke, clutter, noise, mold, smog, or information over-load, quality longevity depends upon your ability to adapt to and control your environmental influences.

Essential 6: Shape up to Stay Young

The Longevity Fitness Routine combines cardiovascular conditioning, balance and flexibility, and strength training to maximize health, boost energy levels, and prevent age-related diseases.

Essential 7: The Longevity Diet

Eat all of your favorite foods—including desserts— and break free of today’s fashionable diets by learning to eat delicious and healthy foods in realistic portions, while feeling anything but deprived.

Essential 8: Modern Medicine to Look and Feel Younger

From smart drugs to Botox to microscopic lasers, the Longevity Bible reveals the latest in medicines and treatments to keep you looking and feeling young.

As I've said, I haven't yet read the book. But looking at this list doesn't quite inspire me to do so. I'm assuming that most members of this site are a bit more hardcore about their approach to longevity. For example, I highly doubt that most members think that eating "realistic portions" constitutes a longevity diet. Caloric restriction or a Japanese-influenced high-vegetable diet, along with heavy supplementation, would probably be more in line with their thinking.

Furthermore, I can't help thinking that instead of spending $15 to $20 to read things they already know about living a healthy lifestyle, most people aiming for longevity might be better off acting on what they know and donating the money to something like the M Prize.

It's not that books such as The Longevity Bible aren't valuable (and, as I said, I haven't read it). It's just that most books about longevity coming on the market now offer only incremental advantages, if any, while real life extension will come from far more aggressive interventions and breakthrough research.