Book Review: Longevity for the Lazy

Reviewed by Tomi Alo

A fresh and unconventional take on how to live longer without putting in too much effort

We all want to live long. Why else would people spend thousands of dollars maintaining a new dietary plan, taking that 5000-step walk every morning, and trying that new workout session for two hours every day? But why is it that, with all these available resources for living a long and healthy life, it still feels like an impossible goal to achieve? 

As much as we want our bodies to be agile and strong in our 90s, it requires too much effort and consistency—something many of us fall short of. We feel too busy and tired to constantly change our lifestyles in order to be conventionally healthy. Too lazy to add yet another routine—be it nightly, daily, or whatever—to our already long to-do list. 

Longevity For The Lazy offers hope for people like me and you—people who want to live long but don’t have the time, energy, or desire to chase after endless, often unrealistic methods to achieve that goal. This book educates us on how to effectively combine low, deliberate efforts with the benefits of modern medicine to guard ourselves against unexpected attacks or death.

Drawing from his years of experience as an army physician and cardiologist, author Richard Malish makes us understand the hidden threats of diseases like atherosclerosis and cancer, two leading causes of death in America, and how they can steal any progress toward longevity we make. He argues that by avoiding these prevalent killers, even without making any extraordinary efforts, we can live to as long as 120.

Longevity for The Lazy is divided into six sections: “Our Enemies and Ourselves;” “Lessons from the Past: The Longevity Mental Model;” “A Campaign Plan for Longevity;” “Campaign Update;” “A New Strategy for the Lazy;” and “Forever Tools.” Interestingly, each part feels like a standalone section, yet when read as a whole, the book ties together beautifully. 

Malish has taken care to ensure that the book’s structure and content don’t overwhelm readers. Even with the medical terms and references, there are infographics, chapter summaries (take home messages), extra resources to make sure even the laziest person can read the book with ease. You don’t even have to read it all in one sitting. Malish advises readers to start with the part in which they are most interested and work their way up from there.

In “A New Strategy For The Lazy,” Malish talks about the top 10 facts and solutions to approach longevity, the type of medical advisor we should gravitate toward, transhumanism, and even shares a time-phased checklist to help us find the perfect balance between lifestyle, medication, and laziness.

“The goal is to find the equilibrium that you can sustain indefinitely with as little effort as possible. Go slow, as habits need time to form.”

According to Malish, it’s okay to be lazy with our health, but not to be mis- or uninformed about medical inventions or technologies that can affect our health. He emphasizes the importance of constantly defending our bodies (through certain lifestyle choices) while also actively protecting ourselves through offensive approaches like regularly taking the necessary medications, as this strategy can help prevent extreme consequences like death.

I appreciate Malish’s recognition of human nature to be lazy and feel seen. He knows most of us struggle with maintaining long-term health commitments, and he doesn’t shame us for it. Instead, he presents us with factual evidence and research that shows how normal and natural it is for us to be lazy and craft a plan that works with our natural tendencies rather than against them. 

“Laziness is a reason for, not an obstacle to, the relatively long lifespan of humans. Living slowly and lazily is a fortifying adaptation.”

Longevity for the Lazy is a reminder that you don’t have to be perfect to be healthy and that even unhealthy people deserve to be supported in their journey toward better health. This is a valuable resource that acknowledges the challenges we face and provides a refreshing alternative that doesn’t feel like a burden.

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