Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

by Nancy R. Hooyman

This edition offers a comprehensive view that presents aging positively, portraying concepts of active aging and resiliency, and defining 'productive aging' by elaborating on the ways elders contribute to society and their families.

816 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Aimee J Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a current required textbook for my Social Gerontology class. Although I gravitate toward the study of the aging, as the 'baby-boomers' population (my parents age group) is now the largest population of elderly, the book is very tedious. The chapters are HUGE (30-40 page chapters) and seem never-ending. One of my main social work focal areas is Gerontology, but I am implementing that study independently, not as a minor. I really want to know and learn how to help my parents as they age, empower and enable them with the tools to do what I call 'Age with Grace' and embrace the aging process and all the other biological and cognitive processes that go along with getting older.

Again, the book is very long ~800 pages, but extremely informative and can be kept on my shelf when I complete this class as a resource tool for myself and my parents.

[Brandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring.

[Benjamin Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a terrible book. It's dense and clunky.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The chapters were very long and often were filled (at least in my edition) with typos. The authors had a habit of referring to things in future chapters as if they had already discussed it, which would be a little hard to figure out if you didn't come from a social services/health care background.

[Terri Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This proves that a textbook can be fascinating reading. We all are aging and the Baby Boomers like me are doing it our way rather than how people used to age. This book shows the new reality and possibilities. I am 56 and my husband is 60 so this book was of huge interest to us.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as part of a Gerontology college course. As other reviews have mentioned, the chapters can drag on a bit, I felt that it did a good job of teaching fundamentals of social gerontology.

[Jennifer FitzPatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been using this for teaching gerontology for over 15 years and have loved each new edition.