The Ageless Self Ageless Self Ageless Self: Sour

Amongthemanystudiesofagingandtheaged，thereiscomparativelylittlematerialinwhichtheagedspeakforthemselves.Inthiscompellingstudy，SharonKaufmanencouragesjustsuchexpression，recordingandpresentingthevoicesofanumberofoldAmericans.Herinformantstelltheirlifestoriesandrelatetheirmostpersonalfeelingsaboutbecomingold.Eachstoryisunique，andyet，presentedtogether，theyinevitableweaveaclearpattern，onethatclashessharplywithmuchcurrentgerontologicalthought.Withthisbook，SharonKaufmanallowsustounderstandtheexperienceoftheagingbylisteningtotheagedthemselves.Kaufman，whilemaintainingobjectivity，isabletodrawanintimateportraitofhersubjects.Wecometoknowthesepeopleasindividualsandwebecomeinvolvedwiththeirlives.Throughtheirwords，wefindthattheagingprocessisnotmerelyaperiodofsensory，functional，economic，andsocialdecline.Oldpeoplecontinuetoparticipateinsociety，and—moreimportant—continuetointerprettheirparticipationinthesocialworld.Throughthemesconstructedfromthesestories，wecanseehowtheoldnotonlycopewithlosses，buthowtheycreatenewmeaningastheyreformulateandbuildviableselves.Creatingidentity，Kaufmanstresses，isalifelongprocess.SharonKaufman'sbookwillbeofinterestandvaluenotonlytostudentsofgerontologyandlifespandevelopment，andtoprofessionalsinthefieldofaging，buttoeveryonewhoisconcernedwiththeagingprocessitself.AsSharonKaufmansays，"Ifwecanfindthesourcesofmeaningheldbytheelderlyandseehowindividualsputitalltogether，wewillgoalongwaytowardappreciatingthecomplexityofhumanagingandtheultimaterealityofcomingtotermswithone'swholelife."