My favorite books about public policy on ageing

Why am I passionate about this?

As a student, one day, I noticed that something was wrong with our world. Older people are separated from younger ones and sometimes almost invisible. I decided to focus on researching whether and how older people organize themselves into groups and influence important areas of social, economic, and political life. The study of the social capital of older adults led me to research on age discrimination, intergenerational relationships, age-friendly communities and cities, social innovation, co-design, citizen science, and public policy on ageing. I am convinced that only multi-sectoral and multi-level cooperation can lead to the implementation of constructive responses to today’s global challenges.


I wrote...

Economic Foundations for Creative Ageing Policy, Volume II: Putting Theory into Practice

By Andrzej Klimczuk,

Book cover of Economic Foundations for Creative Ageing Policy, Volume II: Putting Theory into Practice

What is my book about?

Ageing populations are a major consideration for socio-economic development in the early 21st century. This demographic change is mainly seen as a threat rather than as an opportunity to improve the quality of human life. Ageing population is taking place in every continent of the world, with Europe in the least favorable situation due to its ageing population and reduction in economic competitiveness.

Economic Foundations for Creative Ageing Policy offers public policy ideas to construct positive answers for ageing populations.This exciting volume searches for economic solutions that can enable effective social policy concerning older adults. The book covers theoretical analysis and case study descriptions of good practices to suggest strategies that could be internationally popularized.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Aging: Concepts and Controversies

Andrzej Klimczuk Why did I love this book?

This is probably the most unconventional textbook in the field of social gerontology.

It does not just provide introductions to topics that are usually linked to population ageing, such as care, health, and pensions. Moody and Sasser go further by provoking readers with a mix of basic concepts and related controversies.

The book focuses on discussing various questions, such as “Should older people be protected from bad choices?” and “Should we ration health care for older people?”

Of course, reading all chapters lead readers to ask even more questions.

By Harry R Moody, Jennifer R Sasser,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Aging as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Aging: Concepts and Controversies is structured to encourage a style of teaching and learning that goes beyond conveying facts and methods. This innovative text focuses on controversies and questions rather than on assimilating facts or creating a single "correct" view about aging or older people. Drawing on their extensive expertise, authors Harry R. Moody and Jennifer R. Sasser first provide an overview of aging in three domains: aging over the life course, health care, and socioeconomic trends. Each section then includes data and conceptual frameworks, helping readers to make sense of the controversies and understand their origin, engage in critical…


Book cover of International Handbook on Ageing and Public Policy

Andrzej Klimczuk Why did I love this book?

This quite heavy volume covers a wide range of 37 chapters that focus on the most important topics related to global ageing.

Contributions delivered by experts from areas such as sociology, economics, demography, social policy, public health, and public administration are divided into two categories: challenges and practitioner perspectives.

On the one hand, the authors provide introductions to studies and policy contexts on demographic change, pensions, health, and welfare.

On the other hand, the collection contains a selection of international case studies, policy innovations, and examples of the involvement of civil society in responding to challenges related to ageing population.

Both sides are good starting points for anyone who wants to go more in-depth in the field of ageing policy.

By Sarah Harper, Kate Hamblin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked International Handbook on Ageing and Public Policy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

With the collective knowledge of expert contributors in the field, The International Handbook on Ageing and Public Policy explores the challenges arising from the ageing of populations across the globe.

With an expansive look at the topic, this comprehensive Handbook examines various national state approaches to welfare provisions for older people and highlights alternatives based around the voluntary and third-party sector, families and private initiatives. Each of these issues are broken down further and split into six comprehensive sections:

- Context
- Pensions
- Health
- Welfare
- Case Studies
- Policy Innovation and Civil Society

Academics interested in policy…


Book cover of Aging A-Z: Concepts Toward Emancipatory Gerontology

Andrzej Klimczuk Why did I love this book?

This provocative book is constructed in the form of a dictionary instead of a set of typical thematic-oriented chapters.

The reader can accept the challenge and arrange the pieces of the puzzle on their own. Estes and DiCarlo provide introductions to a variety of topics from the perspectives of the political economy of ageing and critical gerontology.

Following these approaches led to defining a new discipline of emancipatory gerontology that cover a vast set of challenges related to, among others, social networks, social movements, and inequalities.

Also, the volume explains how ageing is combined with constructions of race, ethnicity, class, ability, and gender.

Finally, it focuses on recommendations regarding advancing human rights and combating social issues.

By Carroll L. Estes, Nicholas B. DiCarlo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Aging A-Z as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This provocative, intellectually charged treatise serves as a concise introduction to emancipatory gerontology, examining multiple dimensions of persistent and hotly debated topics around aging, the life course, the roles of power, politics and partisanship, culture, economics, and communications. Critical perspectives are presented as definitions for reader understanding, with links to concepts of identity, knowledge construction, social networks, social movements, and inequalities. With today's intensifying concentration of wealth and corporatization, precarity is the fate for growing numbers of the world's population. Intersectionality as an analytic concept offers a new appreciation of how social advantage and disadvantage accumulate, and how constructions of…


Book cover of Economics and Ageing: Volume IV: Political Economy

Andrzej Klimczuk Why did I love this book?

Iparraguirre made an extreme effort and contributed with probably the first comprehensive textbook focused on relationships between economics and ageing.

The final volume covers topics essential for the field of public policy on ageing. The analyses start with measurement and policies concerning happiness and quality of life.

Further, the volume undertakes crucial questions regarding inequalities, poverty, intergenerational relationships, housing, behavioral economics, the political economy of ageing, the silver economy, and the consumer society.

By Jose Luis Iparraguirre,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Economics and Ageing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This upper level textbook provides a coherent introduction to the economic implications of individual and population ageing. Placing economic considerations into a wider social sciences context, this is ideal reading not only for advanced undergraduate and masters students in health economics and economics of ageing, but policy makers, professionals and practitioners in gerontology, sociology, health-related sciences, and social care.
This volume introduces topics in the economics of happiness, quality of life, and well-being in later life. It also covers questions of inequality and poverty, intergenerational economics, and housing. Other areas described in this book include behavioural economics, political economy, and…


Book cover of Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging

Andrzej Klimczuk Why did I love this book?

Finally, if there are some concepts and ideas related to the public policy on ageing that has not been adequately covered by previously recommended books, the best solution will be to check the most recent encyclopedia on gerontology and population ageing.

This enormous international project was possible due to the collaboration of more than 1,300 experts and includes more than 970 entries divided into more than 60 thematic sections.

Thus, basically, if there are any topics that should be tackled by the ageing policy, they can be found in this reference work.

By Danan Gu (editor), Matthew E. Dupre (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This eight-volume encyclopedia brings together a comprehensive collection of work highlighting established research and emerging science in all relevant disciplines in gerontology and population aging. It covers the breadth of the field, gives readers access to all major sub-fields, and illustrates their interconnectedness with other disciplines. With more than 1300 cross-disciplinary contributors-including anthropologists, biologists, economists, psychiatrists, public policy experts, sociologists, and others-the encyclopedia delves deep into key areas of gerontology and population aging such as ageism, biodemography, disablement, longevity, long-term care, and much more. Paying careful attention to empirical research and literature from around the globe, the encyclopedia is of…


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Acquaintance

By Jeff Stookey,

Book cover of Acquaintance

Jeff Stookey Author Of Dangerous Medicine

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Historical fiction writer Gay male Reader History buff Curious human

Jeff's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

As a young doctor, Carl Holman has experienced the horrors of World War I and the death of his lover, a fellow officer. Back home after the War, he befriends a young jazz musician who he hopes will become a companion he can share his life with. But this is Oregon: the Ku Klux Klan is gaining influence, homosexual acts are illegal, and such a relationship will jeopardize Carl’s promising medical career.

Musician Jimmy Harper has his own dreams for the future and his own obstacles to overcome before he will allow himself to accept Carl’s love. More than a gay love story, Acquaintance is a deep dive into gay and lesbian history based on extensive period research of the 1920s.

Acquaintance

By Jeff Stookey,

What is this book about?

As a young surgeon, Carl Holman has experienced the horrors of World War I and the loss of his lover, a fellow officer. Back home after the war, he befriends a young jazz musician who he hopes will become a companion he can share his life with. But this is Oregon: the Ku Klux Klan is gaining influence, homosexual acts are illegal, and such a relationship will jeopardize Carl’s promising medical career. Musician Jimmy Harper has his own dreams for the future and his own obstacles to overcome before he will allow himself to accept Carl’s love.
Acquaintance is a…


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