Mankind has always sought to cheat aging and death, and here the author of The Fruit Hunters brings us into the world of people whose lives are shaped by a belief in immortality. From a Jesuit priest on his deathbed to anti-aging researchers at Harvard, Adam Leith Gollner relates what he learned from those who seek insights in religion and science, as well as from an array of cults, myths, and fringe figures. In this profound yet witty survey of one of humanity's most deeply held beliefs, Gollner visits a cryonics facility; travels to St. Augustine, Florida, to retrace Ponce de León's search for the Fountain of Youth; and in the Bahamas, visits magician David Copperfield, who claims to have found a mysterious liquid that restores damaged genes.

"Lustrous and exhilarating.... The talents of a food writer, investigative journalist, poet, travel writer and humorist grafted onto one unusual specimen. Long may he thrive."—Mary Roach