Updated and substantially revised, the Second Edition of Aging and Older Adulthood reflects the most current scientific research and theoretical foundations that contribute to our understanding of aging and older adulthood. Updated content and references include recent neurological findings on brain structure and functioning as well as factors that influence cognitive functioning, health care, decision making, and social relationships Chapter opening vignettes engage students with real world illustrations of older adults, which relate to the concepts to come Applying Research Boxes offer examples of current research findings that can be applied to the everyday lives of older adults Understanding Aging boxes highlight phenomena such as "sundown syndrome" and "end-of-life desires," which provide a deeper insight into the aging process Integrated themes of diversity, environmental influences on aging, and applications to everyday life relate the story of aging more directly to key concepts New Chapter 13 explores what older adulthood may look like in the future and ties together the author's theoretical framework with views on positive aging New Questions to Consider at the end of each chapter stimulate readers to think about how the information in the chapter relates to them personally