Stuart-Hamilton (developmental psychology, Univ. of Glamorgan, Wales) has written an accessible, user-friendly, and exceptionally helpful book. Despite the fact that aging is one of the only truisms in the world, family members are often left to their own devices in terms of understanding the aging of loved ones. A respected authority on the subject, Stuart-Hamilton is an excellent choice for crafting a book that demystifies and simplifies what is known about this topic from the psychological literature. He successfully challenges the layperson perception that aging is about large, systemic, and general declines in cognitive performance--change is broad and encompassing. For example, in discussing reaction time he looks at differences between ""simple reaction time"" and ""choice reaction time,"" demonstrating that though age-related declines do occur, they are not necessarily as systemic or dramatic as general perceptions suggest. A valuable resource for those who work with family members of aging individuals, or are interested in exploring this subject. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

All readers.