About the Author

Robert Kastenbaum, PhD, is a professor of communications at Arizona State University, Tempe. With Beatrice Kastenbaum, he is coeditor of the award-winning Encyclopedia of Death (Oryx Press, 1989) and editor of the International Journal of Aging and Human Development. He has served as president of the American Association of Suicidology and chair of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Section of the Gerontological Society of America. Founder-editor of Omega, Journal of Death and Dying, and the International Journal of Aging and Human Development, Dr. Kastenbaum has also served as director of a geriatric hospital, consultant to the National Hospice Study, and clinical psychologist. His books include Death, Society, and Human Experience: The Psychology of Death (with Ruth B. Aisenberg) and Alcohol and Old Age (with Brian L. Mishara).

Reviews

"Although some time is devoted to early development, the primary focus is on the adult years. . . . This volume belongs in most academic and large public libraries." - Library Journal

"This encyclopedia focuses on issues and themes revolving around persons 18 and older and draws on specialists in fields as diverse as anthropology, history, education, nursing, health sciences, and psychology. . . . The majority of articles provide concise and informative overviews that many students will find helpful. The lists of further readings are particularly valuable for those pursuing more in-depth research." - ARBA

"[A]n excellent resource for career development professionals who are seeking more knowledge about the development issues of their adult clients." - Career Planning and Adult Development Network Newsletter

"[S]uch a massive - and massively excellent - book that it is impossible to do it justice in such a brief review. . . . Every chapter is high-quality scholarship and worthy of praise, but one of the best features of the book is that Kastenbaum himself has authored 20% of the entries. If you have read his work before, you will know that he is a committed life span developmentalist with a knack for linking theory and everyday life. His writing has an ineffable quality that combines science, poetry, common sense, and subtle humor." - Wilson Library Bulletin::The Gerontologist