Seven Decades

How We Evolved to Live Longer

Michael D. Gurven

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Paperback

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English

Princeton University Pres
01 January 2026

Society & Social Sciences; Evolution; Human biology; Early man

An anthropologist uncovers new evidence for the evolutionary origins of human longevity

and explains why growing old is an opportunity, not a burden.

Our ability to live for decades may seem like a modern luxury made possible by clean water and advances in medicine. In fact, human longevity is a legacy of our unique evolutionary path as a species. Seven Decades challenges the belief that life in the past was 'nasty, brutish, and short', tracing how our capacity for long life came to be and transforming how we think about aging.

Blending vivid storytelling with cutting-edge science, anthropologist Michael Gurven weaves tales from his years of field experience among Indigenous societies whose diet and traditional lifeways are closer to how we all lived prior to industrialisation, demonstrating how these communities are relatively free of the chronic diseases of aging such as heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. He provides compelling evidence that our longevity first evolved among our hunting and gathering ancestors and shows how the human body was built to last around seven decades. At a time when people are more likely to live to old age than ever before, Gurven discusses how we can harness this amazing evolutionary feat through a shift in societal values, one that balances self-reliance with interdependence, nurtures multigenerational ties, prioritises women's health and longevity, and enables us to rediscover the wisdom of our elders.

Sharing bold new perspectives on human aging, Seven Decades draws important lessons from our ancestral history, bridging the past with the present to reveal what healthy, happy, and productive old age could look like for all generations.

By: Michael D. Gurven
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9780691231990
ISBN 10: 0691231990
Pages: 536
Publication Date: 01 January 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Michael D. Gurven is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His work has been featured in the New York Times and on NPR and the BBC.

Reviews for Seven Decades: How We Evolved to Live Longer

""[An] insightful excursion into the biology, economics, anthropology, and sociology of aging. The book examines a topic of ever-greater import to our society and is a worthy read for scientists and those entering their later decades.""---Michael A. Goldman, Science ""Building off his and others’ work with today’s subsistence communities, Gurven makes the compelling case that while the typical lifespan of the average person today has greatly expanded and our health has generally improved, there’s nothing particularly new about human longevity itself.""---Ed Cara, Gizmodo