“Hope, Health, and Happiness”: A Review of 100 Secrets From the World’s Happiest Centenarians, by Dr. Elizabeth Lopez
(Leader’s Press, 2019). ISBN (ebook) 978-1-943386-54-3 Longevity is a topic under much discussion in the twenty-first century, although humans have always been fascinated by those who live to the triple digits. But it is not just a matter of quantity—at least not to me—but of quality , and that is the draw and value of this important book by Dr. Elizabeth Lopez. A trained psychologist, Lopez focuses on the Nicoya region of Costa Rica, known for a high percentage of centenarians, despite the economic struggles and lack of adequate food and water that have also led to a high infant mortality rate. Through face to face interviews with numerous centenarians, Lopez teases out the overlapping elements that create the physical and psychological conditions conducive to a long life. Some are not surprising, while others truly do make you stop and assess the way you live your life. Lopez’s research extends from a “Blue Zone” (places where the percentage of centenarians is unusually...