From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The End of Illness comes an ingenious guide to what our fellow animals can teach us about living longer, healthier, happier lives. Mother nature has a lot to teach us, if only we open our eyes. Pigeons and dolphins offer creative strategies for preserving our memories and warding off dementia, while squirrels and pigs harbor secrets for managing chronic pain. Rhinoceroses demonstrate the subtle power of our environments—and how to exercise better—while chimps have surprising parenting tips, not to mention great diet advice. Studying elephants has unlocked insights into preventing cancer, and we can look to giraffes for solutions to cardiovascular issues. Ants reveal the unusual benefits of collaboration and altruism, dogs are masterful mentors in living the good life, prairie voles hold clues to connection, and hitchhikers from our evolutionary past may bring us to the edge of immortality. In The Book of Animal Secrets, visionary physician and biomedical researcher David B. Agus, MD, explores all these ways—and more—that we can harness the wonders of the animal kingdom in our own, very human lives. Filled with lively storytelling and astonishing practical takeaways, this revelatory guide will have you rethinking what’s possible for your health and wellbeing—now and for years to come.

Bestselling author David Agus unveils the brave new world of medicine, one in which we can take control of our health like never before and doctors can fine-tune strategies and weapons to prevent illness. In his first bestseller, The End of Illness, David Agus revealed how to add vibrant years to your life by knowing the real facts of health. In this book, he builds on that theme by showing why this is the luckiest time yet to be alive, giving you the keys to the new kingdom of wellness. Medicine is undergoing rapid change. In the old world, you followed general principles and doctors treated you based on broad, one-size-fits-all solutions. In this new golden age, you'll be able to take full advantage of the latest scientific findings and leverage the power of technology to customize your care. Only those who know how to access and adapt to these breakthroughs - without being distracted by hyped ideas and bad medicine - will benefit. Imagine being able to get fit and lose weight without dieting, train your immune system to fight cancer, edit your DNA to avoid a certain fate, erase the risk of a heart attack, reverse aging, and know exactly which drugs to take to optimize health with zero side effects.

The time has come for us to stop thinking about illnesses like cancer as something the body 'gets' or 'has' but rather to think of them as something the body does. In this landmark work, leading researcher and physician Dr David Agus takes readers on a journey to decode the mystery of health and the human body. For decades we've tried to whittle down our understanding of the body to a fine point - a mutation, a germ, a deficiency or a number. But this has led us astray from a fundamental basic understanding of our bodies as systems. The End of Illness presents a system's view of the body, urging readers to begin viewing their total health as a complex network of processes that cannot be explained by any single pathway or focal point. In many instances, it does us no good to try and understand a certain disease; we just need to control it, much like an air traffic controller manages planes without knowing how to actually fly one. This radically different perspective on health will not only change how we care for ourselves, but also the next generation of treatments, and cures. The book also shows readers how to personalize their self-care; much of the advice is surprisingly simple and affordable - such as wearing good shoes and eating lunch at the same time every day.

CAN WE LIVE ROBUSTLY UNTIL OUR LAST BREATH? Do we have to suffer from debilitating conditions and sickness? Is it possible to add more vibrant years to our lives? In the #1 "New York Times "bestselling "The End of Illness," Dr. David Agus tackles these fundamental questions and dismantles misperceptions about what "health" really means. Presenting an eye-opening picture of the human body and all the ways it works--and fails--Dr. Agus shows us how a new perspective on our individual health will allow us to achieve a long, vigorous life.
Offering insights and access to powerful new technologies that promise to transform medicine, Dr. Agus emphasizes his belief that there is no "right" answer, no master guide that is "one size fits all." Each one of us must get to know our bodies in uniquely personal ways, and he shows us exactly how to do that. A bold call for all of us to become our own personal health advocates, "The End of Illness "is a moving departure from orthodox thinking.