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Adult Development and Aging: Biopsychosocial Perspectives, Third Edition, by Susan Krauss Whitbourne. John Wiley & Sons, 2007, 496 pages (ISBN 978-0-470-11860-3, CA$131.95, Hardcover)
Reviewed by SARAH FRASER and KAREN U
DOl: 10.1037/a0015602
The objective of this book is to educate undergraduate students on the aging process and how to age successfully. Each chapter is couched in the biopsychosocial perspective and as such presents an integrated view of the biological, psychological, and sociocultural changes that occur with aging. With this revised third edition, the author had the explicit goal of "engaging students in the learning process." The revised sections, new research, links to Internet sites, and conversational style in this new edition reflect this goal.
The first three chapters of the book provide an excellent overview of the primary concepts in aging that anyone interested in the topic should leam. They also prepare the reader for subsequent chapters that go into greater depth on specific aging topics.
Starting in Chapter 1 and continuing throughout the book, Whitbourne challenges the readers' perceptions of aging. The reader is encouraged to reevaluate their understanding of the aging process and embrace a more positive view of aging. In addition to debunking some of the "myths of aging", this chapter presents American statistics and World Health Organisation statistics on the growth of the aging population around the world. One change from the previous edition that truly reflects population trends is a section on centenarians. Pertinent to current research, this section poses the question: What makes centenarians live so long?
Chapter 2 clearly demonstrates how the biopsychosocial perspective, which takes into account reciprocity in development, is a more complete view of the complex interactions between the person and their environment. Students from the first author's class who used the previous edition of this book had difficulty understanding the multiple thresholds within the Identity Process Theory and Telomeres in the biological approach to development. We think the authors' addition of graphics and text, for both of these concepts, will facilitate comprehension for future students.
Chapter 3 presents variables and statistics that are relevant to...