An internationally recognized longevity and aging expert uncovers the secret to an enduring, thriving life: meaningful social connections

“For anyone thinking about what the second half of life should look like, Healthy to 100 is a must-read.” —Chip Conley, New York Times bestselling author of Learning to Love Midlife

A Wall Street Journal Best Book of the Year

Contrary to popular belief, the secret to living longer is not just about eating well, exercising, or getting regular checkups. Instead, successful aging depends on the nature of your relationships and your social connections. If you want to live a healthy and rewarding life, you need to start with social health.   

In Healthy to 100, longevity expert Ken Stern takes us on a journey to some of the longest-lived countries in the world—Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Italy, and Spain—places that have achieved great advances in longevity by intentionally strengthening social connections. Science shows that physical and mental health outcomes are all improved by the intergenerational connectedness, sense of purpose, and respect enjoyed by older people in these countries.  

Their example offers us all a personal and societal guide for how we can better the second half of life. Weaving in surprising, colorful stories from around the world, Stern shows that the key to healthy longevity involves a mindset shift and purposeful building of social connections. Healthy to 100 offers a hopeful, attainable, research-backed model for anyone seeking a longer and healthier life. 

Ken Stern is a nationally recognized expert on longevity and aging. He is the founder of the Longevity Project and hosts the popular “Century Lives” podcast from the Stanford Center on Longevity. Stern is a best-selling author and has been a frequent contributor to a wide variety of publications including Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and Slate. He is also the former CEO of NPR. He lives in Washington, D.C.