?Rosenwaike draws a thorough demographic portrait of the extremely old segment of the population (age 85 or older) in the US, the group that has continued to grow at a more rapid rate than other age groups since 1940. His study exemplifies descriptive demography at its finest, written by a well-recognized and skilled demographer. Using census data from 1900 to 1980, Rosenwaike examines sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, education, income, poverty status, and living arrangements, comparing the different age segments of the population 65 and over. Also included are data on health and morality from the National Center for Health Statistics. The book concludes with a comparison of population projections of the extreme aged to the year 2050 by the US Bureau of the Census and the Social Security Administration. When necessary, the author notes the limitations and lack of reliability of the data. Excellent bibliography and index. A superb way for a library to obtain comprehensive census material for the US aged population in one volume. Public and academic libraries at all levels.?-Choice