ABSTRACT
The contributors to this volume have done a magnificent job of providing contemporary and comprehensive perspectives on the Baby Boomers as they proceed through midlife. They have reviewed extensive demographic data, analyzed social trends, reflected on psychological processes accompanying the transition through midlife, and given us many ideas about future directions for research, theory, and an understanding of social trends. Although there have been several recent volumes on middle age, this is one of the few volumes to focus exclusively on the Baby Boomers. The publication of this volume comes at a critical time as the Boomers prepare to enter old age. Our hope is to provide important insights into critical issues about aging with respect to this cohort. In this chapter, we summarize the major points of the book and attempt to reflect on the directions that research on this cohort might be taking especially with regard to middle age and the later adulthood years.
