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Richard G. Bribiescas

Author of Men: Evolutionary and Life History

4 Works 56 Members 1 Review

Works by Richard G. Bribiescas

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With all the health scares, articles, studies and scandals, it is good to be able to step back and look at the overall picture of mankind, and in particular, men. Richard Bribiescas has provided a nicely rounded overview, that tells us we really don’t have a handle on aging yet – but here’s what we think.

-The symptoms of aging seem to be similar in all mammals (which is not much comfort as there is no species to model or aspire to).
-Higher metabolic rates and constant oxidative stress in men leads to shorter lifespans than women who show surges of oxidative stress (pregnancy/childbirth/lactation) but lower overall metabolisms.
-Death is U-shaped. There is huge risk of death after birth. It lessens and flattens in the prime of life, then rockets again as we age.
-Hormone therapy for men might help them bulk up, but it also might be an outsized strain on aging organs to maintain that bulk. In Briebiescas’ analogy, at some point Ferraris can become too expensive to maintain.
-Testosterone suppresses immune functions in men, leading to more infections and autoimmune diseases. Higher levels of it are a potential predictor of prostate cancer when considered with greater energy intake, western diet, sedentary lifestyle and higher testosterone levels (so taking it as a supplement might not be the best choice).
-Fat is far less demanding to maintain than muscle, so muscle gives way to fat when it is no longer needed to find a mate.
-Gray hair is a result of oxidative stress and lifelong doses of testosterone and DHT “a sort of super testosterone.”

How Men Age is Darwinian; Briebiescas rationalizes everything that happens to a male in terms of reproductive attraction and natural selection. As he points out, it also means 42% of Americans won’t believe any of it, since that many deny evolution.

The book is remarkably ambivalent. Very often his answer is “This is unclear.” Numerous claims begin with Or it may be that, Most likely, Possibly, Alternatively, Perhaps, There is evidence to suggest, or It would seem… Still, it is valuable to know men aren’t screwing up by not taking hormones, eating rare animal gizzards and pretending they are 25 again. And they’re not missing out on the miracle life extender, because there isn’t one. The bottom line is get married and stay married. Have female children and enjoy “the wonderful absurdity of life.”

David Wineberg
… (more)
 
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DavidWineberg | Jun 27, 2016 |

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Works
4
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Rating
½ 3.3
Reviews
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ISBNs
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