Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever

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Bought Five and Gave to Dear Friends

Fantastic Voyage?

Very good book!

Watershed book for radical life extension

read it, then continue with your own research

Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever
Ray Kurzweil , and Terry Grossman
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Healthy Living | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Biotechnology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0452286670

Amazon.com

The idea behind Kurzweil and Grossman's Fantastic Voyage is that if you can make it through the next 50 years, you might become immortal. How will that be possible? Through some rather science fictional steps, it turns out, including taking advantage of the latest in biotechnological breakthroughs and not-yet-invented nanotechnology. Is all this longing for immortality driven by an obsession with youth or a fear of death? Readers can judge for themselves, as both Kurzweil and Grossman reveal the personal histories that led them to develop this plan. Fantastic Voyage is written in an easy-to-understand tone, with lots of sidebars giving examples of what the future holds for medicine and health. Whether or not you think that science will find a way to keep our bodies or our disembodied minds alive forever, this book is full of diet and lifestyle tips. For instance, the authors suggest carefully controlling the body's overall pH at an alkaline level, meditating, eating a diet composed mostly of vegetables and protein, and taking loads of supplements (Kurzweil downs about 250 pills each day). The dietary options presented here will mostly only be practical for people whose income levels can support buying organic produce, fresh fish and meat, and top-shelf supplements. The authors cavalierly state that we are living in a "time of abundance," but it seems likely that most who are able to follow this regimen will be Americans of a fairly high socioeconomic class. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Tap today's technological breakthroughs to live longer and better.

Startling discoveries in the areas of genomics, biotechnology, and nanotechnology occur practically every day. The rewards of this research, some of it as spectacular as science fiction, are practically in our grasp. Fantastic Voyage shows us how we can use these new technologies to live longer than previously imaginable.

The authors take the reader on a journey to undreamed-of vitality with a comprehensive investigation into the cutting-edge science regarding diet, supplementation, genetics, detoxification, and the hormones involved with aging and youth. By following their program, which includes such simple recommendations as eating a balanced, low- glycemic-index diet, and taking powerful anti-aging nutritional supplements, anyone will be able to add years of healthy, active life.

Customer Reviews:

Bought Five and Gave to Dear Friends.......2007-08-12

A Great Book and a Great Read. I have been following Ray Kurzweil for many years, and was so impressed about his life-changing Live Long Enough to Live Forever, that I purchased several copies of the book, and then gave them to dear friends who I would like to live a long, long time. The book takes us easily through the 3 bridges - the current one which emphasizes diet, exercise, and correct mental attitude to allow us to live long enough for the 2nd and 3rd bridges - which are biotechnology and nanotechnology. [...]Yes - Ray got me hooked on emerging technologies years ago, and got me interested in living a long life, as well as interested in seeing to it that the world stays safe for ourselves and our children. [...] wishing you a long life and peace in the world. Ted Stalets

Fantastic Voyage?.......2007-05-13

Hmm. Interesting, but im not sure about all of it. Worth reading if it improves ones health though.

Very good book!.......2007-05-06

I really liked this book, its a good introduction into the subject. I recommend it!

Watershed book for radical life extension.......2007-04-08

A review of Fantastic Voyage appeared in my Oakland (Oakland County, Michigan) Press early in 2005. As a longtime enthusiastic advocate--though not necessarily the most ardent practitioner--of life extension technology, I was ecstatic!

Here was a book about radical life-extension appearing in a ho-hum review geared to (what some say is) the cultural-literary wasteland of Detroit suburbia. The vitalist movement had just achieved a major breakthrough into common humanity... at least the branch of common humanity who reads.

Note: Terminology is still a bit tenuous in this transhumanist era we're coming upon. But a vitalist is sort of a practical immortalist, someone who wants to extend life (with youthfulness and vigor) indefinitely, and generally thinks it can be accomplished in our natural lifetimes.

I'll use the term vitalist to identify the movement Kurzweil, Grossman, and many others are pushing. The significance of their book is enormous: Just as Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw (with Life Extension: A practical, scientific approach (1982)) were to health supplements, Kurzweil and Grossman are to the universal prospect of living well for a long time.

The authors break down our pursuit of effective vigorous immortality into three phases:

* Bridge 1: Ray and Terry's Longevity Program: present-day
nutrition, exercise, and wellness strategies that can get you
to the next bridge.

* Bridge 2: The biotechnology bridge, where we learn how to
turn off the bad genes and turn on the good ones, and
figure out the biochemical clues for keeping body and mind
the best.

* Bridge 3: What they refer to as the nanotechnology-AI
(Artificial Intelligence) revolution, where we can rebuild our
bodies and brains at the molecular level.

The prediction: generally effective Bridge 2 vitalist technologies begin 2010, with the beginnings of Bridge 3 technologies in 2020... with full flowering of those technologies a decade following those inception points.

...

For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]

Brian Wright
Copyright 2007

read it, then continue with your own research.......2007-04-03

I love this book. Inwardly, I laugh at Ray Kurzweil for including an endosement from Dean Ornish in a book that focusing on controlling blood sugar by eating low carb and including enough fat, but it is great nonetheless. The book is very positive and contains a lot of practical suggestions. It also presents some complex topics very well.

The one real flaw in the authors' approach is that it contains no sense of proportion. For example, in the seciton on environmental toxicity, it advises that you not shower with chlorinated water, but, in the section on exercise, it advises lap swimming as great exercise... well, if your 15 minute shower has too much chlorine, you can't get in a pool for 2 hours every day!!

The other problem with the book is that new research is coming out so fast now that the book must be out of date by now. But I think it's a great start anyhow.

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Scott Foresman Reading Fantastic Voyage

Manufacturer: Scott Foresman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0328018201

Arthur Tress: Fantastic Voyage : Photographs 1956-2000

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arthur tress: fantastic voyages
Emphasizes Tress' singular language of surrealism

Arthur Tress: Fantastic Voyage : Photographs 1956-2000
John Wood , and Richard Lorenz
Manufacturer: Bulfinch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0821226002

Book Description

Long awaited in the photographic community, this is the first complete overview of the work of Arthur Tress, one of today's most intriguing photographers. His whole career can be seen as a long, fantastic voyage from early photojournalism into the realms of surrealism, eroticism, and fantasy. Richard Lorenz offers an in-depth biographical essay on the photographer and his vision, and an essay by noted critic John Wood places Tress' work in context. The 250 images collected here range from early black-and-white photographs, to richly colored surrealistic images of the 1990s, and his latest, visionary work incorporating painting and collage.

Customer Reviews:

arthur tress: fantastic voyages.......2001-12-03

This book is a great overall of Tress' work, covering his early workes to his present ones. As an art photo teacher, its a great resource to have to show examples for assignments such as dream, light and dark, series, and shadow.
The images are wonderfully reproduced and there is a great essay describing Tress and his vision. Each section of Tress' work also has an introduction by him.

Emphasizes Tress' singular language of surrealism.......2001-08-10

Arthur Tress: Fantastic Voyage, Photographs 1956-2000 arose from the Corcoran Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) retrospective exhibition dedicated to this influential American photographer. Richard Lorenz's informative commentary is augmented by a contribution from John Wood on the life and work of Tress. Organized as a kind of autobiography emphasizing Tress' singular language of surrealism, humor and psychosocial commentary as expressed with an artist's eye through the medium of a camera's lens, this seminal work will introduce a master photographer to a whole new generation of appreciative students and photographer buffs.

Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey: Reissue (Waldo)

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Where's Waldo? The Fantastic Journey: Reissue (Waldo)

Manufacturer: Candlewick
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Humorous | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0763603090
Release Date: 1997-10-06

Book Description

Hey, Waldo-whizzes!

Are you ready for the great new Waldo challenge?

Customer Reviews:

Tragedy and triumph in one package!.......2004-03-16

This collects issues 31-37 of Exiles, and it covers some great moments for the team. First off, they face a world where the Avengers are all vampires (as a result of Captain America losing to Baron Blood in an earlier battle in his own comic). Their only hope it to enlist the aid of Union Jack, but he doesn't want to get involved!

Next we go to two issues where the leaps go wrong for some reason. Sasquatch and Morph end up facing a crazed Weapon X in the Canadian wilderness. This is a good story because it gives emotional depth to Heather and gives her backstory. It's surprising. Meanwhile, Nocturne and Sunfire end up back on the Legacy Virus world. This is a pretty uneventful story, and definitely drags down the pace of the book. Coming dead center of the whole thing, it's unfortunate.

Finally, we end the book with a three-issue arc involving the birth of the Fantastic Four--except this time Ben Grimm isn't normal from the change! For two issues, they go after him to save New York, and just when things settle down, the final issue of the book finds them facing one of their own! This is the strongest issue to come from the series in a while, and before it's all over, one member will be dead and a familiar face will join the team.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Micromen rescue cure.

A defecting scientists knows important stuff. In a bid to stop him his original side goes the violence route, and leaves him critically injured.

A team of shrunken volunteers has to journey inside his body to try and fix him.

Of course it's good, we have the same name........2006-05-23

Isaac Asimov's novel is based on the screenplay by Harry Kliener and a story by Otto Klement and Jay Lewis Bixby and is a very easy read. The world has been divided and battling for control for over half a century. A scientist, Benes, from the Other Side, has been vital in keeping the two factions of the world technologically even, and has now defected. He claims to have important information involving the fate of the world. Grant is the agent in charge of getting Benes to into the hands of the good side "With him in charge, I feel as safe as it is possible to feel, which isn't much. Grant ran the whole thing; flicked Benes out of Their hands like a seed out of a watermelon". However, while being transported to headquarters, the Benes is injured in an assassination attempt. Five scientists are shrunken and injected into Benes' blood stream. They must survive traveling through his body and successfully operate on a deadly blood clot in his brain. The "submarine's" journey is filled with dangers and challenges and it seems as though there is a traitor on board. "For every trick We've got, They've got a counter-trick; for every man We've got planted on Their side, They've got one planted on Ours." The only complaint is the mass amount of dialogue, the cliché cast of characters might bother some people, but I thought they were humorous. Overall I found this book to be an easy-to-read, quick source of entertainment and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun read.

Better for Young Adults.......2006-05-22

Do you want to learn about your body while reading an exciting story filled with adventure? Issac Asimov's book, Fantastic Voyage, based on a screenplay by Harry Kleiner, is a great book for young readers. In this story, our future world is divided in two, with both sides competing in the fields of science and technology. Five people are miniaturized and inserted into the body of a man named Benes from the other side. Their mission is to destroy a blood clot in his brain so he will survive to relay valuable information. Asimov describes every step of the miniaturization in exquisite detail, which helps the readers to immerse in a story that they can believe. Traveling on a miniaturized submarine, the five rescuers are inserted into Benes' neck. They plan to travel up to Benes' brain to destroy the blood clot with a miniaturized laser before they are returned to their normal size in sixty minutes. However, the microscopic crew encounters many problems and obstacles along the way. The submarine ends up traveling through Benes' lungs, heart, and ear before it is able to reach its final destination. Therefore, the readers learn more about different parts of the body and what it would look like on a microscopic scale. Little does the crew know that one of them is an agent from the other side sent to sabotage the mission.
One of the few downfalls to this book is the lack of character development. There is also an abundance of cheesy dialogue between the macho main character Grant, and the pretty girl, Cora, playing hard to get. I would recommend this novel to young adults in middle school because it is easy to read, exciting and informative. To find out what happens to the mission, Benes, and learn about the inside of a human body, read Issac Asimov's Fantastic Voyage today!

Fantastic Voyage.......2006-03-10

The book arrived in great condition and in a timely manner. Thanks amazon.com

Good story / bad characters.......2005-06-15

The story is great, and even educational. Asimov's science and visual settings are excellent and, well, fantastic. But the characters were painfully cliche. Perhaps they weren't when the book was written, but they certainly are now.

You have your main character: A tall, strong, and dashingly handsome take-charge guy of infinite courage.

And your sidekick (pretty much): A beautiful, young, intelligent woman who wants only to be respected for her intellect and not her perfect body and flowing hair.

The dialogue between these characters is ludicrous at best, and takes up a depressingly large amount of the novel. Y'know - Him constantly hitting on her in a rather pushy way, and her constantly deflecting his come-ons with a secret physical attraction for him. And yes, his heroic strength saves her more than once. And, of course, they get together in the end.

I respect Asimov tremendously, but this book was like Lucas' Episode III: A great story with a horrendous script and characters. And also like Episode III, I finished it trying to convince myself that I liked it, but was pretty much just annoyed that I gave it the time that I did.

Average customer rating:

Not worth your time
Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage
Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage
Who says 'marginal?'
Sequel to the novel/movie.

Fantastic Voyage II: Destination Brain
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0553273272
Release Date: 1988-07-01

Customer Reviews:

Not worth your time.......2003-09-21

I could not believe that this is indeed a book by Asimov and double-checked a couple of times. It is barely scientific, totally lacking logic and the finale is very predictable. I figured out the "surprise" ending in the first half of the book. The characters get developed during the book only to be completely shattered at the end. I really feel that I've waisted my time reading it.

Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage.......2003-01-26

As the previous reviewer points out, the first Fantastic Voyage was not Asimov's story, but merely his novelization of the movie plot. So Asimov decided to write his own story on the same theme. Unfortunately, his was not as good as the original.

Asimov had an enormous ego (if he was called "The Great Explainer", as the previous reviewer notes, I wouldn't be surprised if I were to learn that Asimov gave himself the title). He often bragged about the huge volume of output from his typewriter. The problem is that quantity does not equal quality, and much of his writing wasn't worth much. This book falls into that category.

Not as good as the first Fantastic Voyage.......2003-01-26

Asimov had an enormous ego (if he was called "The Great Explainer", as the previous reviewer notes, I wouldn't be surprised if I were to learn that Asimov gave himself the title. He often bragged about the huge volume of output from his typewriter. The problem is that quantity does not equal quality, and much of his writing wasn't worth much. This book falls into that category.

Who says 'marginal?'.......1999-07-30

To what pressure did Asimov bow in writing this book other than his own? And, incidentally, this is no sequel to the first Fantastic Voyage. There is no mention of anything from the first novel here. Asimov's first Fantastic Voyage was not his own: he merely novelized a movie, and was never satisfied with the end result for all of its scientific and otherwise flaws. II is a much better example of Asimovian sicence fiction: totally cerebral, and I like that at the end of the plot, there was no "getting the girl," as one sees all to often, even in Asimov's novels. The victory here involved no sexual liason of any sort-- it was merely that of a scientist having his views validated by grueling experience. There is too strong a tendency in many novels, especially in science fiction novels, to present the attaining of a woman's affections as the "prize" toward which the male hero works and eventually succeeds in getting. Here there is the setup of that, but in the end no actualization. Asimov presents enough scientific notions throughout this book to spin any reader's head, and more than one is are presented a little too didactically. But Asimov could not help it. In the end he was the disseminator of scientific knowledge that earned him the distinction "Great Explainer."

Sequel to the novel/movie........1997-05-11

Asimov bowed to pressure to write a sequel to his highly acclaimed Fantastic Voyage. Unfortunately, as it is with many non-series sequels, this novel is rather flat compared to his original.

If you like medical related sci-fi or thrillers, than this is a book you should buy.

Average customer rating:

By Matthew, aged 8

Great "Living" book

This book was fantastic!

We love using it in our social studies unit...

The Fantastic Flying Journey
Gerald Durrell
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0671649825

Book Description

Great-uncle Lancelot is an extraordinary man with a huge white beard and a walrus moustache. When he builds a fantastic flying machine, powered by tree sap, lit by electric eels and heated by solar panels, his niece and nephews have never seen anything like it. Then, in search of his lost brother, Perceval, he whisks the children off in his flying home, to set out on an amazing journey around the world.

Lancelot's remarkable knowledge and the special powers he gives the children enable them to watch and talk to some incredible creatures.

On their journey they discover all sorts of fascinating things about animals, such as how snakes move and how swallows migrate.

Of course, they encounter many dangers along the way - in Africa the plucky explorers are caught in a sandstorm and Lancelot is chased by an angry rhino. And throughout their journey, one question remains. Will they ever find Perceval?

Customer Reviews:

By Matthew, aged 8.......2005-05-11

The Fantastic Flying Journey

I enjoyed this book because it was fun, interesting, educational and good. I also enjoyed it because I'd learnt a lot more than if I hadn't read it.

I especially liked the part where Lancelot said that he never opened letters in case they were something bad. This is silly because they might be good very often.

It was very interesting that penguins would live in Patagonia on sand-dunes. I thought they would've lived on other surfaces such as rock or a little bit of sand and maybe some ice.

This book was educational because it told me some stuff I didn't know before. It also gave me a good idea of animals in the world.

I'd like to go around the world in a balloon that was pretty much a big bamboo house. It was interesting how it was powered- by electric eels and was crewed by spiders who spun webs for clothes and for closing up cracks in the balloon.

I think quite a few people that I know would like this book.

Great "Living" book.......2004-09-03

My 7yo son wouldn't let me put this down! This story is about a very exciting journey around the world in a hot air balloon house. It conveys factual geographical and natural history information in such a gentle and extraordinary way. As the kids travel from continent to continent, they encounter many indigenous wildlife and discover interesting facts about them. Great read!

This book was fantastic!.......2004-08-16

My mom and I read this book together. I really liked that the animals could talk to the humans. I was a good story. I liked it when they went around the world, reading about all the different places and the animals that lived there. - Marie, age 7 and mom.

We love using it in our social studies unit..........1999-03-27

We have used this book as a basis for our study of around the world and learning about the continents. We would love to find 3 more copies for all teachers. We have not been able to locate these. Can you give an address of where to find them in England? A former student got one for us from a relative who lived in England in less than 4 days. Here in the states we cannot locate any.

Average customer rating:

Reading Fantastic Voyage

Manufacturer: Scott Foresman & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0328039381

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Introducing Pieter Bruegel.....
A BOOK FOR ALL AGES

The Fantastic Journey of Pieter Bruegel
Anders Shafer
Manufacturer: Dutton Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0525469869

Book Description

In the 1550s, a gifted young painter traveled south from Antwerp to study the art and ruins of Rome. He was Pieter Bruegel, now recognized as a Northern Renaissance master. His dangerous, beautiful journey changed his work forever.

Embracing what is known, Anders Shafer has envisioned Bruegel's two-year sojourn in a series of brilliantly imagined diary entries and colorful paintings. We see Bruegel joking with peasants, confronting thieves in mountain passes, caught in a naval battle, working in Rome, and more, always astutely observing and drawing human nature. This unusual book vividly evokes Bruegel's growing sensibility and shows how art carries our common humanity across the centuries. An Author's Note and a gallery of Bruegel art are included.

Customer Reviews:

Introducing Pieter Bruegel............2002-11-13

"...Master Hieronymous Cock, of the Shop of the Four Winds, is pressing me to make a trip south to the great city of Rome. He intends that I shall draw as I go and then study the arts and ancient ruins there. "The prints we make from the drawings you bring back will travel to the four corners of the world," he says..." So begins Anders C. Shafer's intriguing story of the two year pilgrimage painter and draftsman, Pieter Bruegel, took from his home in Antwerp, over the Alps, and south to Rome. Using what little is known about Bruegel, from the writings of his contemporaries and his art, Mr Shafer imagines a fantastic journey, filled with history, drama, humor, and art. His clever text, written as eloquent diary entries, is engaging, and complemented by evocative illustrations. Together word and art draws the reader in, transports you back to the mid-sixteenth century, and paints a marvelously entertaining portrait of the man and his times. Mr Shafer includes an informative Author's Note, to augment and enhance the narrative, and an "art gallery", with enlightening commentary, of some of Pieter Bruegel's paintings. Perfect for youngsters 8-12, The Fantastic Journey Of Pieter Bruegel is an inspiring introductory biography that is sure to whet the appetite, and send kids out looking for more.

A BOOK FOR ALL AGES.......2002-06-22

Regarded by most as the greatest Netherlands painter and draftsman of the 16th century , Pieter Bruegel is a fascinating figure. Focusing primarily on a journey made by Bruegel when the artist was in his twenties author Shafer brings this enigmatic figure to life.

After gaining membership in the prestigious Antwerp painters' guild Bruegel embarked on a trip across the Alps, heading for Rome where he planned to see the works of the great artists as well as that city's historic landmarks.

With thoughtfully imagined diary entries and breathtaking illustrations Shafer enables readers to observe the young Bruegel as he navigates a forest, visits Lyon, rides a barge up a winding river, and visits an alchemist.

Bruegel's two year odyssey is presented with panache and superb drawings. Included is a composite of Bruegel's art as well as author's notes defining Shafer's interest in the artist. While listed as a book for young readers, it is indeed for all ages.

- Gail Cooke

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