The course of human lives in Western society is inescapably shaped by political, cultural, and economic factors. Changes in these spheres inevitably lead to changes in our conceptions of everything from childhood and adulthood to family structures and living arrangements. The nineteen articles collected inThe Life Course Readeroffer a range of both theoretical and empirical studies of changing conceptions of the life course. Drawing on data from North America and Europe, theReaderwill be indispensable for anyone studying human development and the twenty-first century family.