Methuselah's Zoo steps through a variety of environments and tells the stories of long lived animals and what we can learn from them about our own aging process. Why do cats live 15 years, but whales can live for 200? Is it possible to extend the human lifespan longer than it currently is? Should we even bother? What if we could slow the effects of aging?

While the applications are directed at researchers, the writing is engaging and accessible to lay readers. This book was packed full of interesting anecdotes and fascinating information about a variety of animals and their aging processes.

This was not the kind of book I expected it to be. Over the past couple of years, I have been repeating this statement often. Although it is the only way I can begin to talk about my feelings for such books.
There is a measurement factor introduced by the author early on in the book, one that he uses throughout the rest of the chapters to define the differences in the average longevity of a particular species or subspecies.
It is more of a textbook containing that information. As the blurb indicates, the author moves from habitat to habitat focusing on species of different sizes and habits. It is highly informative, but ultimately the information is reduced to the previously mentioned value.
There is a difference between certain animals in captivity versus in the wild, and sometimes there is not much of one. He does not venture too far into talking about how exactly this information is to be used from the human angle, with some exceptions.
I have read a couple of other books that talk about similar information and it is probably the only reason I was not as awed by the content as I could have been.
For someone who has not explored the concept of longevity in species and the genetic implications of their respective lifespans, this is a good solid place to begin.
It is not a single sitting read, but being divided into appropriate sub-chapters, it is not difficult to pick up where one has previously left off.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

This was a brilliant read. I loved it that much that I needed to read it all in one sitting. It was so packed full of fascinating information that I learnt so much from reading it. I was totally engrossed in the book from the start. As the author wrote the book so well it flowed brilliantly and was easy to understand and take in. It had a real whit about it aswell which made it even more enjoyable. I have to say my favourite bit was where the author explains estimated ages of animals. There zoos and private collectors say they own the oldest animal. I was laughing when the author explained that the claim from the oldest elephant changed from African to an Asian elephant. There was also lots of science which I love and the author did an excellent job explaining it all. So we can all understand. If you love learning amazing animal facts then this book is for you. I can't recommend this book enough. I'm not entirely sure what I have taken away from the book about humans living longer but I loved this book all the same. It kept me happy and entertained for hours. With me saying wow or no way out loud throughout. 

Only the highest of praise goes out to the author and publishers for creating such a fascinating book about the longevity of animals lives.

The above review has already been placed on goodreads, waterstones, Google books, Barnes&noble, kobo, amazon UK where found and my blog https://ladyreading365.wixsite.com/website/post/methuselah-s-zoo-by-steven-n-austad-mit-press-5-stars either under my name or ladyreading365 links are on my blog for retail sites

This book offers a fascinating look at which animals are long-lived, and – to the extent that it’s known – why. It’s not so much, as the subtitle suggests, a book about how humans can live longer by applying understanding of other creatures of longevity. The advice for living longer would include tips such as: be a relatively large species, be a species that flies [of its own devices,] be ectothermic, be a cold-water aquatic creature, mature slowly, live underground, etc. This kind of knowledge, while interesting, isn’t really applicable to humans. Other takeaways are relevant to humanity, but still don’t change the calculus– e.g. have a relatively big brain. So, if one’s entire interest in this book is based on learning about how humans can live longer by applying ideas from other species, there is little to be gleaned, e.g. a brief discussion of antioxidants, free radicals, and metabolism. That said, it’s an excellent overview of long-lived animals and the evidence for why said creatures (including humans) live so long.

The book is divided into four parts, animals of the air, land, sea, and humans – respectively.

If you’re interested in nature and biology, I’d highly recommend this book. I learned a tremendous amount and the discussions of bats and Greenland Sharks were among the most illuminating -- not to mention learning about creatures like clams and ant queens that I had no idea could live so long. Again, my only proviso would be that if you are interested in a book about what humans can do to live longer, there won’t be a great deal of information available [though, as mentioned, the last section does talk about longevity in humans, specifically, but not so much in a blue zone (this is what you should do) kind of way.] It’s more an argument for why more research is needed into animal longevity than it is a book about how to exploit the knowledge that already exists.

This book contains interesting anecdotes about animals that live longer-than-usual lives. I didn't feel like I learned anything about how this this information can be used to extend human lifespans. Still, if you like discovering unusual facts about animals, you'll enjoy this book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is may honest and voluntary review.

In Methuselah's Zoo author Steven N. Austad explores the engrossing topic of aging and longevity in creatures in the wild with some comparisons to captivity. He writes insightfully with wit and uses many examples of animals studied in the wild, often over the span of many decades. He addresses the question of the aging rate and how we know the age of animals older than the researchers such as the fulmar bird's youthfulness at the age of 70 (producing chicks!) or that of the albatross much older. Ocean creatures generally live the longest. Austad draws on his own observations and those from previous years (sometimes centuries), discusses carbon dating and counting rings.

The aging process is fascinating and human beings are just one segment of creatures studied. The world is huge and the more we know the more we have left to learn. The author agrees that some is conjecture such as dinosaurs. Some animals (including birds, land dwellers, ocean dwellers) age quickly, others slowly. Austad addresses the longevity quotient (LQ) and deduces the rate of maturing is a rough guide to longevity. I was interested to read that most birds in the wild are fit until death and that nearly all birds and animals studied have the potential to get cancer.

Other things I learned more about are DNA growth (2 miles per second in humans) and links and that the weight of all flies on the globe surpasses that of all humans! Genome sequencing is important. Endothermy and environmental factors are keys as is reaching maturity (the oldest-recorded cockatoo lived to approximately 142 years). Vampire bats have a special way of feeding if unable to on their own at least every 72 hours. Their babies are 25% of the mother's weight at birth, the largest ratio of any mammal. Though scary, the author's personal hibernating grizzly anecdote was told in a humorous way. Olms in the Balkans live in caves their entire lives and can survive by eating just once a year if necessary. I have seen these unique creatures in Croatia and Slovenia and find them absolutely fascinating! I learned about the term musth, comparative nutritional slim pickings in the middle of oceans, sclerochronology, importance of otoliths, baleen whales, lives of ancient tubeworms, longevity of bivalves including geoducks and the most interesting to me the clever use of sponges by dolphins.

Curious readers who enjoy learning new ideas and perspectives about nature and what we can learn from it ought to read Methuselah's Zoo. I feel smarter!

My sincere thank you to MIT Press and NetGalley for the privilege of learning more about aging and longevity in wondrous nature through this book!

Common knowledge says that elephants live a long life but, did you know that bats live comparatively longer? This book takes a look at longevity in every animal, not only mammals, but also birds, fish, reptiles, invertebrates and even dinosaurs! Much of the information here was truly unexpected. The author has devoted his life to studying aging in animals, as well as how to apply what we find in other creatures to “the naked monkey” (aka: us). There is a lot of science here, so it’s not a fast read, but all the information about animal behavior is fascinating. The author is very frank about how much of what he does is based on speculation, since it’s so hard to know for sure the age of animals in the wild (imagine checking thousands of bats), but it’s clear that he’s done his research. He also has a great sense of humor, and I was chuckling at the way he explains some concepts. This is an interesting look at a field that has not been explored too often in books for laypeople.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#MIT Press!

An educational, intriguing read, although the rough text and format of the unpublished book was a bit hard to follow at times.