Synopsis Ageing of global society and its impact on human development is a major concern of the twenty-first century. More than any other social phenomenon, ageing, in its varied ramifications, particularly its socio-psychological dimensions, have acquired unprecedented significance both nationally and internationally. This compendium on ageing is an outcome of the academic euphoria generated by the UN International Year of Older persons (1999) and reflects voices and visions of scholars focussing their attention, analysis and discourses on as many as 19 countries across the globe. Cogently argued essays, based on primary as well as secondary data, provide a valuable framework to assess the problems and the status of elderly in a global cross-cultural perspective, making the book a worthy source material not only for sociologists, psychologists, gerontologists and social work scholars but also the NGOs working in the field.