In 1921 Stanford University Professor Lewis Terman began a monumental eight-decade study of 1500 people to obtain data about their health, hobbies, habits, relationships, careers, and more. His intention was to map a lifespan of health and longevity. Howard Friedman, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, and Leslie Martin, professor of psychology at La Sierra University, have taken this research project and collected new data and refined the findings of Terman's pioneering efforts.

Using data from both childhood and adulthood, they found that the character trait of conscientiousness (being thrifty, persistent, detail-oriented, and responsible) was the best predictor of longevity. The second major finding is that being active in middle age is one of the most important ingredients in health and longevity. The ideal of relaxation falls behind the ideal of doing something meaningful or pursuing one's goals.

The authors note that happiness, optimism, and cheerfulness are frequently touted as the keys to health. But the research shows that cheerful and optimistic children were less likely to live to an old age than their more staid and sober counterparts. Friedman and Martin report on many other fascinating findings along with the self-assessment quizzes throughout the book: the results of catastrophic thinking and worrying all the time, the life spans of married people, the effects of divorce on the health of men and women, the role of religion, the benefits of physical activity, the impact of early education, the toll of war and trauma, and the toll of stress. Friedman and Martin shatter about 10 long-standing myths about longevity and that alone makes this very accessible book such a winner!