This book by H.-P. Blossfeld, S. Buchholz, and K. Kurz presents a timely analysis of late career and retirement in nine European societies and the USA. Many European societies relied on early retirement programs in order to relieve national labor markets. However, one of the major challenges facing European and Northern American societies today is demographic aging, which in turn places pension systems under substantial pressure. This study investigates how these developments have impacted the situation of older workers and retirees. In particular, the book looks at how social inequalities in later life have developed in light of recent pension reforms.(Edward Elgar Publishing 2011)