Survival of the Sickest：The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity

You'realreadylivingit.Wasdiabetesevolution'sresponsetothelastIceAge?DidadeadlygeneticdiseasehelpourancestorssurvivethebubonicplaguesofEurope?Willavisittothetanningsalonhelploweryourcholesterol?Whydoweage?WhyaresomepeopleimmunetoHIV?Canyourgenesbeturnedon--oroff?Joiningtheranksofmodernmythbusters,Dr.SharonMoalemturnsourcurrentunderstandingofillnessonitsheadandchallengesustofundamentallychangethewaywethinkaboutourbodies,ourhealth,andourrelationshiptojustabouteveryotherlivingthingonearth,fromplantsandanimalstoinsectsandbacteria.Throughafreshandengagingexaminationofourevolutionaryhistory,Dr.Moalemrevealshowmanyoftheconditionsthatarediseasestodayactuallygaveourancestorsalegupinthesurvivalsweepstakes.Whentheoptionisalonglifewithadiseaseorashortonewithoutit,evolutionoptsfordiseasealmosteverytime.Everythingfromtheclimateourancestorslivedintothecropstheyplantedandatetotheirbeverageofchoicecanbeseeninourgeneticinheritance.ButSurvivaloftheSickestdoesn'tstopthere.Itgoesontodemonstratejusthowlittlemodernmedicinereallyunderstandsabouthumanhealth,andoffersanewwayofthinkingthatcanhelpallofuslivelonger,healthierlives.SurvivaloftheSickestisfilledwithfascinatinginsightsandcutting-edgeresearch,presentedinawaythatisbothaccessibleandutterlyabsorbing.Thisisabookabouttheinterconnectednessofalllifeonearth--and,especially,whatthatmeansforus.