Dr. Jennifer Sasser's textbook Aging: Concepts and Controversies, co-authored with Dr. Harry Moody, was reviewed in the October 2012 issue of The Gerontologist.

Excerpts from an article by Kyong Hee Chee in The Gerontologist, October 2012.

Aging: Concepts and Controversies, written by Harry Moody and Jennifer Sasser, presents major concepts and issues on aging in a most thought-provoking manner that encourages critical thinking.

Moody and Sasser's text is the most intriguing ... because it has the greatest potential to encourage readers to learn more about the field of gerontology—which is more widely presented here than in most aging texts—even when they are not thinking of pursuing it as a career. The book's attractive qualities originate from its approach that considerably broadens the framework of various issues and consequently allows for interdisciplinary, rather than multidisciplinary, reflections and dialogues. Features such as the Readings selected from a variety of perspectives, the Global Perspective boxes, and the Focus on Practice boxes interweave different facts and viewpoints on each controversy. In that sense, the book's pedagogical approach is consistent with the philosophy of multicultural education. Readers from different backgrounds and perhaps from around the world would be able to learn broader truths about the aging process and are likely to be motivated by this book to learn more about it.

Numerous questions raised throughout the book will help students develop their critical thinking skills while guaranteeing lively debates and discussions about many aging issues, including but not limited to important ethical concerns. It is also highly recommendable to nonacademic readers with personal curiosity or professional reasons for understanding aging better.

Read the full article on Gerontologist.OxfordJournals.org
(Marylhurst ID login required)