The Economics of aging /

The collection of papers included in this economic analysis of growing old are divided into four categories: housing, living arrangements, and family support; labor force participation and retirement; the economics of health and health care; and financial status. Within each category, recognized experts develop models to test various hypotheses about the economic behavior of aging. In some tests, previously stated hypotheses are called into question. Other tests tend to further substantiate theories of human behavior in postretirement years. The topics go beyond other treatments of questions pertaining to retirement benefits or financing of Social Security (for example, Henry J. Aaron, Barry P. Bosworth, and Gary T. Burtless, Can America Afford to Grow Old?, CH, Jul '89). The volume's breadth of coverage makes it a most important contribution to the continuing investigation of what can be expected from growing proportions of older citizens. As people live longer and have fewer babies, the changing composition of the population raises interesting questions in many areas of society. These papers, by contributors with excellent credentials, address a wide range of issues important to young and old alike. A valuable addition to academic collections serving upper-division and graduate students. -W. C. Bonifield, Lilly Endowment