The Book of Immortality

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"Gollner goes to the ends of the earth to talk to people who want to beat the clock--forever. So far, there's no proof of success, but their efforts prove entertaining, and, throug h Gollner's lens, touching as well." The Globe and Mail The author of the widely acclaimed The Fruit Hunters weaves together religion, science and magic in this Mark Kurlansky-style exploration of the most universal of human obsessions, immortality. With his singular curiosity, Gollner delves into a strange array of contemporary and historical characters and cults, religions and myths, and businesses all devoted to some form of immortality. His journey begins at a costume party thrown by a group of immortalists in California and ends on David Copperfield's archipelago in the Bahamas, where Copperfield claims to have found the fountain of youth. Along the way he visits St. Augustine, Florida and its purported fountain of youth; Harvard University, where he attends an anti-aging symposium; and Esalen, where he meets a whole host of quirky characters who embody our fascination with escaping death. Show more