Includes bibliographical references.

I. Take charge of your body. The End of the World: A Report from the Front; The Truth; Getting a New Start -- How's Your Wife? Plan and Scheme and Get Ready; Hang On Tight -- The New Science of Aging. "Normal Aging" Isn't Normal; Change on the Cellular Level; Decay Is Optional; Springtime on the Savannah; The Brain Chemistry of Growth; The Language of Nature; Stepping Out of the Crucible -- Swimming Against the Tide. Make It Your New Job Jump; Start the Sucker; Tap Into a Passion; The Best People Hate Exercise -- The Biology of Growth and Decay: Things That Go Bump in the Night. Exercise Is Healthy Stress; A Closer Look: The Messengers of Change; Play the Music; It's All About Circulation; Calling Off the Double Whammy -- Life Is an Endurance Event: Train for It. The Man Who Couldn't Walk to the Mailbox; The Man in the Middle; So, What Kind of Aerobic Exercise? Take Up One of the Healing Sports; A Dog Walking on His Hind Legs; Lying, Self-Abuse, and Related Problems; A Word to the Weak and Uncoordinated -- The Biology of Exercise. Pathways to Higher Energy; The Metabolisms of Hunting and Gathering; Distance, Not Speed; Pushing the Herd; Make It Happen; Showing Up; Getting Started; There Are No Limits -- The Heart of the Matter: Aerobics. Long-Term Goals; The Utter Necessity of Getting a Heart Monitor; A One-Hour Hike in the Mountains; Fight or Flight: Dodging Traffics; Powder Rules Apply -- The Kedging Trick. The Serotta Solution; Pulling to Paradise; The General Rule of Gear; The High-Endurance Vacation; Going to Stowe: Real Men (and Women) at Play -- World of Pain: Strength Training. Hire a Trainer or Read a Book or Both; Some Training Tips; The Nursing Home Miracle and Other Payoff Stories -- The Biology of Strength Training. A Single Step; The Brain-Body; Connection Slow-Twitch; Fast-Twitch; Doing It Right; The Balancing Act; Find a Strength Sport -- The Ugly Stick and Other Curiosities. Whiten Your Teeth; Just Say No to Yasir Arafat; Adventures in the Skin Trade; Modern Dress and Related Concepts; Grumpy Old Men; A Chow's Tail; Slow Down; Look Both Ways; Repeat -- Chasing the Iron Bunny -- Don't You Lose a Goddamn Pound! The God That Lied; Yes, Virginia, Calories Do Count; Look at the Pyramid; It Is Possible to Eat Fish; Lose 40 Pounds; Have a Picture of Yourself in Mind; Exercise & Weight -- The Biology of Nutrition: Thinner Next Year. Exercise Against Decay; The White Foods; Fat for Fuel; Fat for Growth; Fat for Storage; What Can You Eat? -- "The Drink" -- II. TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE. "Teddy Doesn't Care!" -- The Limbic Brain and the Biology of Emotion: Fear and Anger, Love and Play; Parenting and Living in Packs; The Storyteller; The Dance of Life; Disconnect at Your Peril; Play Like a Dog -- Connect and Commit: Cuddle or Perish; Don't Retire at All; Using the Other Side of Your Brain; Make a Job Out of Your Social Life; Just Say "Yes"; Be the Organizer -- Things That Go Bump in the Morning: The New Sexual Life -- The New, New Thing: Smarter Next Year! Raise the Basic Executive Attributes; Harry Saw This Coming; "UNTIL YOU'RE 80 AND BEYOND"; The Margin for Error Narrows -- Protecting Our Brains for Life: Mental Decline Is Not Inevitable; Neurodegeneration and Aging; Brain Function: The Fruits of Aging; Superageism; Exercise & Brain Fitness; Cognitive Training; Iatrogenesis Imperfecta; Sleep Habits for Brain Health Brain; Nutrition Mindfulness and Brain Function; When Could It Be Early Dementia? Time for Hope and Action; Let's Join Ulysses -- Relentless Optimism.