A book like this is a great gift to us readers at large,especially for those of us who are moving toward our seventies, are into our seventies or eighties, as well as for younger people with elderlyparents. This is information we need to know!From her easy, conversational style, combined with an abundance of fact, one can see right away why Beth Baker is an award-winning journalist. She also has a very deep commitment to her subject matter, as evidenced by the great number of miles she has traveled in her research and the many hours of conversation and interviewing she has put in. Baker's purpose in this book is to shed as much light as possible on the alternative ways that people are choosing to live as they age. She devotes the greater part of her book to examining the most viable options individually, each in their own separate chapters. Each chapter contains a world of material, both factual and anecdotal. From the wealth of material Baker offers, readers would be easily able to take off on their own into a more personal world of research. Being myself quite an introvert, my own favorite living plan is the Community Without Walls, in which members live not together but within a network of strong, supportive community.For each alternative living arrangement, Baker has made it her goal to speak not only to management (sometimes founders) but to multiple residents as well. For each option, she has visited more than one community-and is sure to provide for the reader the names of similar communities and of organizations working alongside, to provide needed services. It is obvious from the detailing of these conversations that they were friendly, open, and frank. The reader feels the authenticity in this research. Baker also sheds light on the new trends in building for elders, the designing of homes as well as of whole communities. She also cites services and new concepts in elder care service.This book is such a valuable resource for seniors that I urge you to mark it and keep it-there's an amazing amount of information in it. This book makes very clear that aging in place is not the complete solution for elders. People of all ages need community. Research strongly suggests that elders age more gracefully and healthily with a strong sense of community. This book is a fine and dedicated piece of work! I couldn't recommend it more highly.