Detailed Review of Life Force: Tony Robbins, Robert Hariri and Peter Diamandis’ Book Covering Longevity and Exponential Health Breakthroughs
As hard as I tried, it was impossible to read Life Force for this review without hearing every word in Tony Robbin’s voice.
That said, this book blew away my expectations.
Longevity science is a bubble which often only reaches the public in a negative way. The recent legacy press’ coverage of Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint is an example.
Life Force is laid out brilliantly. The book starts with some amazing medical breakthroughs covering CRISPR, organ transplants and CAR-T Cells. That dazzling future then segues back to ageing and longevity science – starting with a section on David Sinclair’s information theory.
From Dazzling to Practical
By the time you reach the diet, sleep and practical habits chapters – and sections specific to avoiding chronic diseases – readers will have a practical toolkit laid out.
Technologies which are moving the biotech revolution forward at an exponentially increasing pace get their own section. This is penned by Peter Diamandis – of XPRIZE fame. Even after reading his latest book (The Future is Faster than you Think), this section filled me with optimism about the near future.
Sprinkle a little of Tony Robbin’s motivational magic, and I believe that Life Force has raised awareness of the steps needed for healthy ageing in a way that few ‘hard’ science books are able to.
Life Force Book Review: My Five Key Take Aways
All of my longevity book reviews here at the Age Well Times have five takeaways.
Narrowing down to just five was hard for Life Force. This is a huge book, with sections covering the leading scientists in multiple sub-niches. Some of it felt a little ‘advertorial’ for my tastes. That said, I’m sure the selections of products and treatments were genuine. After all, none of the authors appears to need the money.
I enjoyed the sections on looking youthful. This is a huge confidence boost for many people. There are also sections specific to women’s health (by Lizellen La Follette) and tracking technology.
When I started reading, the fact that around 1/3rd of the text is bolded was puzzling. After a few chapters, I tuned in, and it became a useful way to focus on the key points.
#1 – Medicine is About to Go Exponential
Three sections of Life Force showcase how close we are to breakthroughs in treatments for killer diseases.
The first feature specific breakthroughs with multiple healthcare applications. They include how far CRISPR has come, ultrasound therapies, CAR T-cells which work with your immune system to fight diseases and ways to create and reuse replacement organs.
You’ll get a ‘X was about to die, searched desperately for a solution with their final breath, then met maverick doctor Y and in the seconds before death was saved…’ style story along with each treatment. But hey, it’s the one and only Tony Robbins, so who would begrudge a good yarn?
Exponential technology involves an inverted hockey-stick, where breakthroughs multiply together. Instead of incremental increases in effectiveness, Life Force says that we are about to see the graph go vertical.
The section on individual chronic diseases continues showcasing new technology. These are directly related to cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and so on. I found this part incredibly optimistic.
Later in the book, Peter Diamandis’ section on AI for drug discovery is mind-blowing. These are real technologies, working right now to discover drug targets, fold proteins and predict novel structures based on amino acids.
#2 – Genes are not Your Destiny (the Information Theory of Aging)
David Sinclair gets involved in Life Force – with an entire chapter dedicated to his information theory of aging.
The fact that this is introduced in an accessible way to a new audience is a big plus on its own.
My big take-away from this and the chapters on diet, sleep and exercise is that your DNA is not your destiny. Over time, the epigenetic apparatus, which controls which genes get expressed in specific cell types, becomes damaged.
As cellular processes slow and break, you accumulate senescent (zombie) cells which are inflammatory. Ageing is the loss of information within and between specialist cells. Chronic diseases of old age increase massively as cells lose this information.
How quickly this process happens is 80% lifestyle and 20% DNA.
When you combine this knowledge with the exponentially improving medical treatments – then it is hard to avoid the conclusion that you should do what you can to keep your body young right now.
#3 – Life Force Review: Healthy Ageing Starts with Quality Sleep (+ Other Habits)
Including the best scientists in each field is an ongoing theme of Life Force. When it comes to sleep, Matthew Walker is the top choice.
His clear explanations of the phases and sleep, why each one matters and how to get the most from your time sleeping are valuable as stand-alone information.
When you combine quality sleep with the other longevity and healthy ageing habits covered in Life Force – then that value is multiplied.
Without quality sleep, your chances of eating a healthy diet, exercising, and avoiding toxins like sugar, hyper-processed food and alcohol are significantly reduced. Sleep is the habit which makes the others possible. Without that quality sleep, cellular (including neural) pathways are disrupted. You’ll be ageing, and on the road to multiple chronic health conditions over time.
Obesity gets balanced coverage in Life Force.
Tony Robbins is careful not to demonise or personalise carrying excess fat. He is also clear that it is dangerous for the main killer diseases. Life Force includes practical information for healthy eating, fasting and exercise benefits to overcome this. It also sounds the alarm bells about the current obesity epidemic.
#4 – Review of Life Force: There is Zero Shame in Wanting to Look Your Best
Life Force covers a topic which is almost ‘taboo’ in the longevity / healthy ageing science community.
This is the desire to look your best.
The only other time I came across a discussion at a serious level of this was David Sinclair’s series of 6 YouTube videos – where he covered this in one episode.
Looking younger, with smoother skin, more hair and a more toned body shape is a huge confidence boost as people age.
While I have a face which is perfect for Microsoft Word, the technology available for looking and feeling younger is improving dramatically. This include stem cell treatments, where hair follicles are grown in vitro before being transplanted. Skin ageing is in the crosshairs too.
Looking younger and healthier on the outside is an easier ‘sell’ for many people than simply living longer.
Could these technologies be a ‘gateway drug’ to a healthier lifestyle and healthy ageing technology?
#5 – Women’s Ageing: Menopause and Beyond
Tony Robbins deferred to Lizellen La Follette for the section on women’s aging.
Follette is a globally recognised advocate and researcher in women’s healthcare – and a Trustee at the Buck Institute.
I started this part of the book thinking I’d skim through quickly. It surprised me in both the complexity of menopause and perimenopause, and the relative lack of research and support given for this universal process. The cellular and hormonal processes involved are accelerate ageing for women.
I’m publishing this review just a couple of days before the annual International Women’s Day with a new understanding of the challenges involved in ageing for women.
This is only one area I’d like to know more about. Other areas highlighted in Life Force include I’ll be following up on include peptides, CAR-T cell technology and the use of AI in research.
Life Force Review: Final Thoughts on Tony Robbins, Robert Hariri, and Peter Diamandis’ Book
This book is exactly what the world of longevity and healthy ageing needed.
It is a lens into the amazing future of healthcare, tailored for people that would never have picked up a hard-science longevity book.
The structure is a sandwich – optimism about the future / practical things you can do / more optimism.
Get people excited about the future first, then show them simple ways to give themselves a shot at getting there. Life Force zooms in on specific solutions, then pans out to see the big picture. It addresses feared chronic diseases and places the responsibility for reducing their incidence squarely on the individual. Women’s health and the natural desire to look our best are tackled, not avoided.
When you add the insights from the leading longevity scientists, including David Sinclair, Valter Lungo, Rhonda Patrick and Matthew Walker – readers are reassured that the practical advice is high quality too.
Life Force is not the right book for people already knowledgeable about health span and longevity science.
It is exactly the right book for those friends and family members that could do with a nudge towards a healthier lifestyle.
As always, I won’t link out to it (no commercial links here at the Age Well Times to keep my opinions unbiased). You’ll find Life Force at Amazon or better still, at your local bookstore.
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