The End of Illness

By: David B. Agus

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

Can we live robustly until our last breath? Do we have to suffer from debilitating conditions and sickness? Is it possible to add more vibrant years to our lives? In The End of Illness, David B. Agus, MD, one of the world’s leading cancer doctors, researchers, and technology innovators, tackles these fundamental questions, challenging long-held wisdoms and dismantling misperceptions about what “health” means. With a blend of storytelling, landmark research, and provocative ideas on health, Dr. Agus presents an eye-opening picture of the human body and all of the ways it works - and fails - showing us how a new perspective on our individual health will allow each of us to achieve that often elusive but now reachable goal of a long, vigorous life.

When Dr. Agus decided to pursue a career in oncology, many of his mentors questioned his choice. Why, they asked, would a promising young doctor want to enter a field known for its inescapably grim outcomes? But it was precisely the lack of progress that inspired Dr. Agus to join the war on cancer. He moved away from the modern methods of the medical establishment, which aim to reduce our afflictions to a single point. Instead, as he does in this book, Dr. Agus argues for the adoption of a systemic view - a way of honoring our bodies as complex, whole systems. This outlook informs how we can avoid all illnesses - not just cancer. Dr. Agus empowers us to take charge of our individual health in personal, customized ways we could not have imagined before.

This indispensable book is not only a manifesto - a call for revising the way we think about health - it’s also filled with practical but impossible-to-ignore suggestions, including:

©2012 Dr. David B. Agus. All rights reserved (P)2012 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Critic Reviews

“In this brilliant book, David Agus introduces a whole new way of looking at illness and health. Taking a cue from physics, he views the body as a complex system and helps us see how everything from cancer to nutrition fits into one whole picture. The result is both a useful guide on how to stay healthy and a fascinating analysis of the latest in medical science.” (Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs)

“Dr. David Agus has given us a remarkable peek into our health - and the impact will be profound. I’ve made it my mission in life to live strong and help others do the same. The End of Illness is one more empowering piece to the puzzle of knowing how to do just that. This book will prevent illness, revolutionize treatments, and lengthen people's lives. A tour de force in its delivery and message.” (Lance Armstrong, 7-time Tour de France winner and Founder and Chairman, LIVESTRONG)

"David Agus is one of America’s great doctors and medical researchers, a man dedicated to improving the health of as many people as he can. Written in a style and format that will truly engage readers, The End of Illness presents a dramatic, new way of thinking about our own health - a way that could lead to greatly improving the quality of life for millions, starting right now.” (Al Gore, 45th Vice President of the United States, Nobel Laureate in Peace, 2007)

The "techie" medicine needs!

This book is filled with practical information that us lay-folk never think about.

The primary argument is that medicine is finally able to take advantage of the technological advances in used in other fields. Incidentally, Dr. Agus' company happens to be on the leading edge. The innovations he speaks of are necessary and possible in the near future. He tells a story of how using physics, engineering, and patient collected data can customize medicine and help us avoid illnesses.

He believes that a change from a diagnostics based medical system to a prevention based system is reliant on several components, a few are listed below.

- The body must be viewed and treated as a system.
- The relationship between doctors and patients must be a partnership.
- Patients must be proactive in their healthcare and monitor their overall wellbeing.

Overall, the book is brilliant, engaging, and pertinent to anyone who uses our healthcare system. If you're like synopsis of medical studies, innovations in the use of technology, and practical ways to take control of your health all in plain english, then this book is for you. If you're still in doubt then check out his TED Talk "David Agus: A new strategy in the war on cancer".

Things some may not like:
There are some plugs for his company. He is for the use of statins and prescription pills. He is against the use of OTC vitamins. He thoroughly explains why he for and against these things.

If you want to hear a different side to the argument check out "Never Be Fat Again: The 6-Week Cellular Solution to Permanently Break the Fat Cycle"

19 of 19 people found this review helpful

what a scam, what a disappointment, what a mistake

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

What a disappointment, scam, and mistake this book was. I bought it for a long road trip, hoping to obtain some real insight into the nature of disease and illness. Hour after hour, this guy sounded like a 4th rate magazine article, re-iterating again and again the same common sense notions, like, be your own medical advocate, know your medical history and that of your family. About 3 hours in, when he started talking about his genetic company, I realized that the book was, in fact, an advertisement! What a waste of a credit. I don't know anyone who I would recommend the book to.

What could David B. Agus have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Paid me to read it.

What didn’t you like about Holter Graham’s performance?

Performance was ok, I was just so annoyed with the book that I didn't want to give it any stars, anywhere.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know.

Any additional comments?

This book should be clearly labeled as promoting the author's company.

47 of 49 people found this review helpful

A lot of detail

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Perhaps this book was written for other medical professionals, who would appreciate the boring details of various studies. While I appreciate the author's knowledge, and am very interested in the topic itself, I feel the explanations and set-ups to his points are too tedious. I got through 3/4 of the book and just couldn't go on.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

Save your credits

Would you try another book from David B. Agus and/or Holter Graham?

I would not waste my money or time on another book by this author and I'm sorry I purchased this one. Not that it contains anything incorrect but there are better books on how to look after one's health.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something non medical.

What aspect of Holter Graham’s performance would you have changed?

No criticism of narrator but he needs better material.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

An entirely ignorant person may benefit from this book. But it will bore most people with an established interest in health matters.

Any additional comments?

Did I already suggest that you use your credits on something else?

21 of 23 people found this review helpful

Shameless self promotion, on an interesting idea

The owner of a genetics company is selling you a book that promotes using genetics and protein testing to get a system view of your body. In turn this will help you make better life, and lifestyle decisions. I have to say, even though a good portion of the time, I felt I was being sold, I also can tell he believes in his philosophy. I find myself believing this could be the key to many people living longer. Not a bad concept.

19 of 22 people found this review helpful

Nothing extraordinary

The author claims to offer new and revolutionary advice that would change the way we think about medicine. I found that most of the book was a repeat of what I already knew about keeping healthy, although the author does have some different views about vitamins and supplements. While I don't agree with everything the author says, I do think his vision of a new health care system with shared information and computer simulations for treatments is an intriguing and more practical way of dealing with health on the global scale.

7 of 8 people found this review helpful

Boring and little new

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Told me something significant that anyone who has paid any attention to health issues for last 10 years or so didn't already know.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

If you know nothing about how to stay healthy it might give you some ideas, but on the other hand some of what he says seems to be deliberately provocative and must be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, why should I believe his views on Vitamin D as opposed to dozens, if not hundreds, of studies that say otherwise?

Any additional comments?

I seldom stop listening to a book before it is over but this provided so little useful information that I finally decided to stop wasting my time. Oh, and note other reviewers' comments on how he plugs the services of his companies.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Great story, but...

Would you listen to The End of Illness again? Why?

Yes, it is fun.

What about Holter Graham’s performance did you like?

His way of speaking is really good and understandable.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

His future perspective itself is reasonable and passionate.

Any additional comments?

The end of illness is a little bit overstated, but author's mind is powerful and impressive!
However, I am not entirely satisfied with its content. One is he overly emphasized the importance, for instance, of vitamineD. All in all, he speaks within his research field.
Again, the end of..is catchy name, but it is just that.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Not Nearly As Good I Had Hoped It Would Be

What disappointed you about The End of Illness?

His big pitch is to sell you on getting your blood tested by his company. Most of the information he gives in the book that is practical/down to earth has already been reported in every day news reports. Learned very little except that he owns a company that tests blood and this will be the new medicine in the next generation.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The reader was O.K.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The End of Illness?

Most of the entire first part.

Any additional comments?

Not worth listening to the audio.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

he didn't research enough

What disappointed you about The End of Illness?

His lack of knowledge about the double blind studies done on supplementation and how important it is with the way food is grown and harvested. Statins are dangerous. They do a lot of harm and no one should be suggesting that everyone should be on them. Insane. Makes me wonder who backs him!!!! There are good things he talks about but these two things are so scary that I will not recommend this book to anyone!

Has The End of Illness turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

What does Holter Graham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love audio books!

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Anger and disappointment.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

This book really could save your life

There is an abridged version of this book, but this unabridged audible version worked really well for me. Listen to it while out for a walk or on the tred-mill and you will feel positively virtuous! This book has altered the way I look at my families, and my own health. It also debunks all the vitamin hype and so could really save you money. Much of the advice is (I suppose) common sense. But it's well supported here with clinical research and trials, many of which are fascinating. In the busy world in which we live it's really easy to get into bad health habits, this will put you back on the right track. The book is well read and insightful. It's worth recommending to everyone you love.

a healthy angle on health

Dr. Agus has a nice angle on health and discusses why one should look at the body as a complete system, and not focus only on isolate symptoms when trying to find cures for illness. He acknowledges the slow progress in curing illness that is not caused by external elements like bacteria and viruses, but created internally by our own body.



The book discusses cancer as a concept and a normal process found in every living body, and not as body part specific illnesses like breast/prostate cancer. He also explains common properties in different cancers like the shape the cancer cells take and so on. The book is not so much about curing or the negative aspects of illness as it is about how to -avoid- the illness by taking precautions.



He does not force anyone to a one fits all approach, but rather tells you the way for -you- to find -your- way to healthy living. Medicine and cures works different on different people, so he gives good advice to find out what works for you in addition to preach some general good practices like regularity, being in motion and let the body fix most of it's own issues.



I really like his explanation of why one should avoid taking extra multivitamins and rather let the body get it's nutrition from food rather than synthesized and isolated vitamins. The statistics given, showing increased risk to develop cancer due to excessive vitamin intake should wake up the sleepiest of us...