Kessler's delightful, witty book ACTUALLY TAKES 20 YEARS OFF YOUR FACE!--Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Gulp...a one-woman guinea pig gamely trotting down a dozen different paths in search of the bubbling waters of the Fountain of Youth."--Abigail Zugar, New York TimesLauren Kessler's bold, bad ass take on aging solves one of our great modern dilemmas: How to stay young and vibrant without spending the rest of our lives obsessing over how to stay young and vibrant. Both scrupulous and charming, Kessler's book takes a machete to all the nonsense and tells you everything you need to know. I feel a decade younger just having read it.--Karen Karbo, author of How Georgia became O’Keeffe

Have you ever found yourself glued to television commercials that promise miracle fat fighting after 40, P90x abs or creams that make you look better at 48 than you did at 28 and wondered, ‘Should I buy it?’ You might want to stop at the bookstore first…Counterclockwise is chock-full of good info and most of all, a writer who is not afraid to examine the questions we all ask ourselves as we look in the mirror but would never speak in mixed company. It’s money well spent.Rosa Colucci, Pittsburgh Post Gazette

 Incorporating humor, scientific studies and a sense of adventure, Lauren examines options ranging from calorie deprivation to super foods to hypnosis to (we're all into this one) dark chocolate.  Counterclockwise ranks as essential reading for every woman who wonders whether problems ranging from brain fog to wrinkles can be reversed as she ages.---examiner.comYou could not hope for a smarter, savvier, more committed guide to the multibillion-dollar anti-aging industry than Kessler..."--Angie Jabine, Portland OregonianReaders will wish their doctors had half the bedside manner of writer Lauren Kessler. Her humorous, knowledgeable examination of the burgeoning anti-aging movement encapsulates the science and scams that drive this $88-billion-a-year industry…Kessler’s approach is refreshing, and her book provides a rewarding workout for the brain and funny bone alike.--Kristin Bard Rattini, American Way (American Airlines magazine)Kessler is a likeable guide, a latter-day George Plimpton of youthfulness, as she explores the frontier of anti-aging, trying to turn back the clock.... [She] writes as investigative reporter, cultural anthropologist and research scientist without portfolio. Her method is to tell stories. In attitude, she’s upbeat, candid and funny. Her subject is also very timely.--Sandee Brawarsky, New York Jewish Weekly…honest.. diligent…admirably wide-ranging…Kessler reports with skill and humor sans ego.--Kimberly Marlowe Harnett, Seattle TimesThe Northwest's queen of narrative nonfiction...delivers the goods, and good they are."--Brian Jueneman, Eugene Register-GuardLauren Kessler has journeyed to the far frontiers of the anti-aging movement and, using herself as an ever-willing guinea pig, delivers insights that are at once funny, reassuring, practical and real. If my mid-life mind could remember a danged thing, I could even tell you all about them. But one thing I can say for absolute sure: read this book!--Peggy Orenstein, author, Cinderella Ate My DaughterHow far will you go to look and feel younger? With humor and intelligence, Lauren Kessler has conducted a scientific yet accessible road-test of virtually every anti-age trick in the contemporary canon, from superfoods (pass the goji berries, will ya?) to homeopathic protocols to hotshot detox diets. Counter Clockwise is an amateur cultural anthropologist’s smart, inspiring narrative. It identifies the sensible, the ridiculous and the dangerous and ultimately teaches that your birthdate rarely reflects true age.--Sally Koslow, author of Slouching Toward AdulthoodFINALLY a woman writer takes on lady aging without flinching.  Bold, honest, playful, and smart, Lauren Kessler’s Counter Clockwise gives us a chance to read the story of our own lives without cringing and cosmetic surgery.  I love this book to death.  Here is an investigation into why we should revise our entrance into aging:  kick your shoes off, buckle your seat belt, scream something crazy, and jump. And RUN, don't walk, to buy this book before your next birthday.--Lidia Yukanvitch, author of The Chronology of Water and Dora: A HeadcaseKessler takes on the marketing, (sometimes pseudo-) science, and the psychology of the anti-aging industry in this funny personal tale. Game to explore every possible manner of aging gracefully, she interviews plastic surgeons and research scientists, attends conferences, has her mitochondria and telomeres tested, downs supplements and “superfoods,” takes online self-assessments, and tries new diet and exercise plans.  Her journey through the temptations of quick-fix anti-aging options treats the fountain-of-youth–seeking side of us with humor and compassion.--Publishers WeeklyIt took me less than a chapter to discover that [Kessler's] year-long search into the $88 billion anti-aging industry was both great fun and highly informative....She writes with dry wit and humor, evoking a reality most of us share.--Anita Johnson, Eugene Weekly