Book excerpt: While not quite on a par with Mel Brooks' 2,000 Year-Old Man, this volume reports on some folks who've been around for a long time. Contributors to 15 papers indicate that such longevity rarely existed prior to the 19th century. Appends statistical data on predicting age distribution, and documentation of a family's exceptional longevity. Lacks an index. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR