Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study book cover

Longevity Project

Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study

Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin
3.66(922 Reviews)

Overview of Longevity Project

Forget what you think about living longer. The Longevity Project reveals an 80-year study's shocking truth: hard workers outlive the relaxed, and marriage doesn't guarantee longevity. Dr. Andrew Weil calls these counterintuitive findings "a remarkable achievement" reshaping health advice forever.

Key Themes in Longevity Project

  • conscientiousness and health
  • longitudinal aging studies
  • personality trait predictors
  • social connection quality
  • behavioral longevity patterns

Quotes from Longevity Project

  • Being the life of the party sometimes shortened lifespans.

  • The cheerful children grew up to drink more alcohol, smoke more cigarettes, and engage in riskier hobbies.

  • Happiness is best understood as an outcome of healthy living rather than its cause.

  • The strongest personality predictor of longevity was conscientiousness.

  • What ultimately matters isn't being the most popular person in the room, but cultivating meaningful connections.

Characters in Longevity Project

  • Howard S. FriedmanLead researcher and co-author of the study
  • Leslie R. MartinLead researcher and co-author of the study
  • PatriciaLong-lived participant used as a case study

About the Author

About the Author of Longevity Project

Howard S. Friedman and Leslie R. Martin, authors of The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study, are renowned psychologists and researchers specializing in health, personality, and lifespan development.

Friedman, a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Riverside, and Martin, a Professor of Psychology at La Sierra University, leverage their decades of collaborative research—including over 150 peer-reviewed studies—to explore how psychosocial factors shape longevity. Their work builds on Lewis Terman’s historic "Genetic Studies of Genius," extending it into a groundbreaking analysis of lifelong habits, relationships, and career paths.

Friedman’s prior book, The Self-Healing Personality, established his authority on resilience, while their joint research has been widely cited in both academic and mainstream circles. The Wall Street Journal praised The Longevity Project as "an absorbing and invaluable read," highlighting its evidence-driven insights into health myths and societal trends. The book distills findings from one of psychology’s most extensive longitudinal studies, tracking participants across 80 years to reveal unexpected predictors of long life.

Download Summary of Longevity Project

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