cover image Geroethics: A New Vision of Growing Old in America

Geroethics: A New Vision of Growing Old in America

Gerald A. Larue. Prometheus Books, $33 (267pp) ISBN 978-0-87975-750-2

Ethical questions raised by aging--from the metaphysical to the mundane--are explored with mixed results in this new addition to the Golden Age Books series. An emeritus professor of religion and adjunct professor of gerontology at the University of Southern California, Larue argues eloquently that the elderly should not be treated like ``shadow people,'' and offers fresh insights into ageism, or age-based discrimination; senior citizens' need for meaning, sexual intercourse and companionship; and what he sees as their right to commit suicide, with assistance if they so request. But his arguments take some peculiar turns, as when he predicts that there will be a justifiable backlash against the emerging political power of elderly people (whose numbers grow daily), or when he cautions those who care for them not to become too emotionally involved. It also seems a touch ironic that, after extolling the physical beauty of older women and the value of elders' love, Larue ( Long-Term Care in an Aging Society ) reveals that he himself is married to a much younger woman. (Aug.)