Title Page; Table of Contents; Chapter 1 Introduction; Interlude: Death Be Not the Enemy; Chapter 2 Examining Our Assumptions; Commentary: Understanding Aging Being Old Helps; Chapter 3 The Historical Demography of the Very Old; Commentary: What Are Some of the Implications of So Many Old People?; Chapter 4 Is Aging a Problem?; Commentary: The Problem of Elder Abuse; Chapter 5 (Negative) Associationsto Growing Old: The Elderly Portrayed in Words; Commentary: Anthropological Musingson Dependency; Chapter 6 Mobility and Immobility Stumbling, Tripping, Crumbling, and Falling Amongst the Aged
Commentary: When They Fall DownChapter 7 Systemic Diseases of the Elderly and the Problem of Alcoholism: Two Points of View; Commentary: Practicalities and the Quality of Life; Chapter 8 Reflections on Retirement and the Conceptof "Home"; Commentary: Vagrant Thoughts on Retirement; Chapter 9 Some Socialand Ethical Implications of Dementia; Commentary: The Expectation of Sorrow as Anticipatory Grief; Interlude: Some Joys: My Personal Ode to Aging Thus Far; Chapter 10 Conclusion The Face in the Mirror; Concluding Thoughts; References Cited; Index
