With the unprecedented expansion of the proportion of oldest old and the inherent subjectivity of well-being, Poon and Cohen-Mansfield have taken on a difficult, albeit important, task in Understanding Well-Being in the Oldest Old. Fortunately for the reader, these topics are articulated in an accessible and engaging manner, while providing valuable insights into these burgeoning research topics.
Understanding Well-Being in the Oldest Old is the product of a four-day workshop examining “novel and traditional paradigms that could extend our knowledge and understanding of the oldest old” (p. i). To this end, delegates from the United States and Israel were present to provide a variety of perspectives and insights into these important issues. Work by the binational representatives at the workshop adds a unique flair to the book, and some incredibly poignant examples and case studies.
Carol Ryff’s foreword captures the reader’s interest early on and highlights the many and varied perspectives/issues covered in the subsequent chapters. The questions posited in the foreword set the stage for the analysis of issues of well-being from a range of angles, and from diverse theoretical and ethnic backgrounds. Ryff ignites the reader’s interest while highlighting the inherent difficulties in operationalizing, defining, and addressing subjective issues such as well-being.
The book is divided into four broad sections. Part I presents “Theory: New Horizons in Well-Being Research”; Part II, “Paradise Lost: Between Trauma and Happiness”; Part III, “Pathways and Gatekeepers: Moderating, Mediating, and Proximal Processes”; and Part IV, “Signposting Paradise: Measurement of Well-Being”. These sections lay out theoretical underpinnings of well-being research, the mechanisms through which well-being can be attained, and explains how we can measure changes in well-being. The sections are well laid out and thoroughly articulate these important issues in a logical format.
Setting the stage with a variety of theoretical perspectives on both well-being and the oldest old is an absolutely necessary aspect of framing the rest of the text. Well-being is a much debated topic, with as many conceptualisations as there are pathways. As such, unpacking the subtle nuances associated with well-being is integral to the understanding of the rest of the book. Furthermore, stressing the importance of well-being in the oldest old furthers the readers’ engagement in the topic. Through the first five chapters, perspectives on well-being are articulated within the framework of the oldest old. Given the complexity of the topic, one must submit to the density of Part I to fully grasp the subsequent chapters. That said, the prose is delightfully intriguing.
Part II is a powerful read. Working within the holocaust experience as a paradigm, Israeli researchers examine the effects of trauma on the oldest old. I found these models of trauma survival and their manifestations in later life to be incredibly thought provoking. This section, perhaps more than any other, is worth a read.
The ways in which one moderates and/or mediates well-being is approached from a variety of perspectives in Part III, ranging from nutrition to religiosity. The diversity of these perspectives is, however, a double-edged sword. Covering a variety of areas is prudent, especially given the multidimensional nature of well-being, but it tends to open a Pandora’s box of perspectives. I felt as though the cohesiveness of previous chapters had been compromised to a certain degree. Nevertheless, the editors have done a masterful job of taking incredibly disparate subject areas and weaving them together.
I waited with bated breath for the final section addressing the measurement of well-being. The subjectivity of well-being makes for immense difficulties in operationalization, quantification, and reaching consensus in these pursuits. The authors, well aware of these limitations, articulate and acknowledge many of the shortcomings in the measuring of well-being, with a particularly interesting section on cultural influences. Accordingly, I was not surprised to find that the section on measuring well-being was afforded the largest word count. Compared with Part II, this section is much less accessible to the layperson; however, from the perspective of a researcher, this section is an invaluable resource in the understanding of well-being in the oldest old.
Poon and Cohen-Mansfield should be commended for their valiant foray into addressing a slippery topic in an understudied demographic. Understanding Well-Being in the Oldest Old progresses logically, chapter to chapter, from foundation to processes to measurement. I found the chapters on early life trauma to be the most intriguing read while the latter section on measurement was the most practical. Understanding Well-Being in the Oldest Old provides a well-thought out and balanced text for well-being researchers.
