The past century has witnessed a revolution.

'[A] quietly ambitious book ... both fascinating and, ultimately, optimistic.' -- P.S. Cottier Canberra Times 'An entertaining and revealing book about our delayed ageing and death, about astonishing future prospects and our failure to take simple measures to prevent diseases such as dementia.' De Volkskrant 'Westendorp stresses above all the positive aspects of the fact that we are living to an increasingly advanced age. He also explains with great clarity how we can gain control of our long lives.' Trouw 'A navigation system for the second life that lies ahead.' De Morgen 'One by one, Westendorp demolishes ingrained ideas about old age and ageing. He offers a brand new perspective on old age.' Het Belang van Limburg 'This is not a glib book about searching for the elixir of youth in a jar or via surgical means, but a serious study, albeit in easy-to-read prose. There's no prescription to prevent mental and physical impairment, but a wide-ranging survey that encompasses societal and economic as well as personal responsibilities to prolong productivity.' -- Thuy On The Age

Professor Rudi Westendorp was trained at the Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) in the Netherlands, and specialised in intensive care and epidemiology. Later, he focussed on geriatrics and gerontology. In 2000, he was appointed professor of medicine, and, from 2005 to 2012, he was head of the Department of Gerontology and Geriatrics at the LUMC. In 2008, he founded and became the first director of the Leyden Academy on Vitality and Ageing, a research institute that provides training, conducts research, and initiates developments in the field of vitality and ageing. In addition, since 2012, he has been director of the VITALITY! programme, part of Medical Delta, an innovative partnership of academic and public institutions, and enterprises, in the south-west of the Netherlands. In 2015, he moved his workplace to Denmark, where he was appointed Professor of Old-Age Medicine at the University of Copenhagen.