Women and Aging challenges traditional assumptions that aging in women is defined by menopause and necessarily associated with intellectual, physical, and social deterioration. This enlightening study argues that socioeconomic influences and sexual politics are much more important than biology in the successful aging of women. Linda Gannon shows that physical competence, social skills, and economic independence are crucial factors in the well-being of older women, and that the combined effects of sexism and ageism impede the development of women through middle and old age.Written from a feminist perspective, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the physical and psychological effects of life changes for older women, covering a range of topics that includes second careers, divorce, chronic illness, retirement and sexuality. Scholarly as well as practical, this uniquely accessible book is an essential source of information for anyone concerned with improving aging women's lives.