Book excerpt: During the past few decades, the dramatic social changes with regard to our aging population and changes in the family unit have made both demographic and socioeconomic consequences, as well as an effect on matters of social policy. The prestigious editors, George L. Maddox and M. Powell Lawton, have assembled an impressive group of expert contributors whose chapters address topics from the latest theory and research findings to the changing balance of work and families, as well as patterns of kinship.