This book presents a completely novel approach to the understanding of ageing, which many believe is an unsolved problem in biology. It explains why ageing exists in animals, and reviews our understanding of it at the biological level. This includes a discussion of the origins and evolution of ageing. The book is not a review of research on ageing, but instead draws on material from a wide range of disciplines, including the very extensive biomedical information about age-related diseases in humans. Understanding Ageing argues that much research needs to be done on the cellular and molecular aspects of ageing, if the origins of these diseases are to be understood, and their prevention made possible. This thought-provoking book will appeal to all students and researchers who are interested in ageing, whether they are working in the clinical or basic research sphere.

This well-established and accessible text has now been completely revised in an expanded fourth edition. Each chapter has been updated to reflect current thinking. The chapters about personality and lifestyle have been significantly expanded. This new edition is essential reading for all those working with older people, as well as a key text for students. This new edition replaces The Psychology of Ageing: An Introduction, 3rd Edition, ISBN 1 85302 771 5, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2000.

Human life, in all stages, is blessed with growth, and development. Ageing is one of the significant stages of this process. It is a universal phenomenon applicable to all living organisms. The United Nations declared, the year 1999 as 'International Year of Older Persons'. It focused on Towards a society for all ages' where young and old get mutual help in bringing equal social order of the society. Hence, India formulated, the National Policy on Older Persons in 1999 aiming to provide a happy ageing atmosphere.

Ageing, Health and Care provides an international, up-to-date perspective on health and ageing, as well as a comprehensive overview of the health status and experiences of older people. Written by a leader in the field, this textbook covers key questions, such as the fitness of older people in the future, the widening inequalities in the health of older people, and the extent to which health in old age reflects habits and behavior in earlier life. The book includes chapters on physical health, mental health, disability, and lifestyle. Additionally, it offers a synthesis of current policy developments relating to health and social care for older people, and it examines the key debates on the future of health care for the elderly.

"Drawing on in-depth interviews with older people, Elizabeth MacKinlay, develops an understanding of spirituality that enables the reader to explore the spiritual dimension of ageing and to learn how it contributes to well being and health in later life. This book will be a useful text for students, trainers and academics, policy makers and practitioners in health and social care, as well as religious professionals, in hospital, residential and other caring settings."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

The properties of rubbers are subject to change as a result of ageing, ultimately to the point where the material is no longer capable of fulfilling its function. After a brief introduction to the main environmental and mechanical factors affecting performance, this review focuses on the thermo-oxidative ageing of rubber. It considers the methods of, and the published results from, both natural and accelerated tests. A major section of the report is devoted to exposure and test techniques with discussion of the methods of physical and chemical analysis. An additional indexed section containing several hundred abstracts from the Rapra Polymer Library database gives useful references for further reading.

Globally, over the next 40 years, the number of people, aged 60 and over is set to grow by one and a quarter billion. More than 80 per cent of these people will be living in developing regions, such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America. What are the implications of this for the world? What will old age be like for these people? This book offers a general, critical review of the current state of knowledge on population ageing and older people in developing countries. It combines a wide range of perspectives from development studies, social gerontology, social policy, and demography into a single, original, and coherent book. It examines the neglected topic of ageing and international development alongside the experiences of older people. Population Ageing and International Development will be the main reference point for teaching and research in the field.

We live in ageing societies. Age preoccupies governments as much as individuals. A new affluence has spread across society and across the lifecourse. For many people looking forward to retirement, later life has changed for the better. But with this positive outcome for older people have come policy and social dilemmas for governments and individuals alike. Drawing on a wide range of sources, this book analyses the social nature of later life in the context of the history of welfare states, the emergence of consumer society and the growth of individualism. The book argues that the third age, its origins, identity and contradictions are central to understanding the future of our society. "Contexts of Ageing" is certain to stimulate academic debate. It is also appropriate for adoption on a range of courses. The book is written in a lively and accessible way, giving it appeal to upper-level undergraduates and postgraduates taking courses in sociology, social policy and health studies. Students and professionals working in the areas of nursing, health care and social gerontology will also find this book of interest.

This book is a follow-up to Arber and Ginn's award winning Connecting Gender and Ageing (1995). It contains original chapters from eminent writers on gender and ageing, addressing newly emergent areas within gender and ageing, including gender identity and masculinity in later life. Early work on gender and ageing was dominated by a focus on older women. The present collection breaks with this tradition by emphasizing changing gender roles and relationships, gender identity and an examination of masculinities in midlife and later life. A key theme running through the book is the need to reconceptualize partnership status, in order to understand the implications for women and men of widowhood, divorce and new forms of relationships, such as Living Apart Together (LAT-relationships). Another is the influence of socio-economic circumstances on how ageing is experienced and transitions are negotiated. The book illustrates new ways of thinking about old age and indicates policy implications, especially concerning the nature of service provision for older people. It will change the ways in which social scientists conceptualize later life. Written with undergraduate students and researchers in mind, Gender and Ageing: Changing Roles and Relationships will be an invaluable text for those studying social gerontology, sociology of later life, gender studies, health and community care and social policy.