Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach

Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach was a 1982 bestselling book (ISBN 0-446-51229-X) by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw that popularized the life extension and smart drug movements. The book increased public awareness of free radicals, how they cause aging, and how antioxidants partially prevent the damage free radicals do. In the book, the authors describe six causes of aging and recommend ways to slow down five of those. Also presented are several chapters containing methods to improve health and the quality of life in general, from enhancing sex, to improving athletic performance, to improving mental abilities, to how to quit smoking and drinking (and alternatively how to make them less harmful), among many other useful tips.

Criticism
In the 1992 documentary Never say die: The pursuit of eternal youth, Antony Thomas interviewed Pearson and Shaw, and criticised the anti-aging movement as misguided.