Counterclockwise: My Year of Hypnosis, Hormones, Dark Chocolate, and Other Adventures in the World of Anti-Aging

Kessler (My Teenage Werewolf), director of the University of Oregon’s multimedia narrative journalism graduate program, takes on the marketing, (sometimes pseudo-) science, and the psychology of the anti-aging industry in this funny personal tale. Game to explore every possible manner of aging gracefully, she interviews plastic surgeons and research scientists, attends conferences, has her mitochondria and telomeres tested, downs supplements and “superfoods,” takes online self-assessments, and tries new diet and exercise plans. It should be noted, however, that Kessler didn’t have many obstacles—other than a ticking clock—to overcome: she isn’t ill or obese; she’s just a typical middle-aged American woman in decent shape who would like to do a little better at achieving “compression of morbidity,” i.e. not necessarily living longer, but living better. In the end, she sidesteps the most extreme solutions, and the successful results of the metabolic tests she takes after a year of exploration reveal that the best options we have for slowing our biological clocks are avoiding stress, eating healthy, and exercising. Unsurprising, sure, but her journey through the temptations of quick-fix anti-aging options treats the fountain-of-youth–seeking side of us with humor and compassion. Agent: David Black, David Black Agency. (June)