Essays in Human Ecology by Donald J. Bogue. C

As we enter the twenty -first century this publication is timely, focusing on is - sues of aging that are projected to be - come increasingly important and press - ing in the near future. As the author states 'The "elderly boom " will officially begin in 2011 , the 65th anniversary of the sudden upsurge in births following the end of World War II .. In the year 2000 the percent of the U.S. population aged 65 or older is estimated to be 12 .8; by 2030 this percentage is expected to have risen to over 20 percent. In the decades following 2030 the percentage of elderly Americans will probably stabilize, but within the population 65 or older increasingly large numbers of people will be aged over 85. While there are many potential problems concerning the growing percentage of el - derly population in the United States as well as lengthening l ife expectancies, the national scale is not the focus of this col - lection of five essays. Nor does the author investigate problems at the individual level. Instead five chapters look at the im - pact of population aging on the manmade environment within local communities and neighborhoods. It is argued that the transition to a population characterized by a high proportion of the elderly will bring with it significant environmental and organizational shocks, and subsequent adjustments.