Dr Valter Longo was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1967. He is one of the world leaders in the field of aging and aging-related diseases and has published over 120 papers which include the discovery of some of the genes responsible for longevity and the identification of a genetic mutation protecting humans from some of the most common diseases. He is currently a professor of Biogerontology and Director of the Longevity Institute in the School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles . This is his first commercial book.