This book examines the use of qualitative methods in researching older people, with a focus on groups that have been under-studied. It consists of nine chapters written by researchers in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, at different stages of their careers. I read the edited volume with great interest as both a qualitative researcher and a teacher of qualitative research methods to undergraduate students in a sociology department. The chapters are lucidly written and easy to follow. The authors mix theoretical concerns with some honest and detailed personal reflections resulting from their research into a wide range of topics, including embodiment, ethnicity, chronic health conditions, intellectual disability, end-of-life care and sexuality, among many others. Leontowitsch points out that biomedical and political economy approaches have dominated in gerontology, and that quantitative methods have generally occupied the centre stage. This, she argues, can lead to a rather inappropriate, over-simplified and over-homogenised understanding of older people's lives. She thus argues for the importance of this collection, and hopes that ‘researchers in the field of later life will find themselves equipped with information and inspiration to help with their research’ (p. 6).

The book is divided into three parts. The first part, ‘Setting the Research Agenda’, is the most engrossing of the three. It starts with Paul Higgs’ positional statement that old age should be understood against the context of contemporary social changes. Building on the extensive work that he has developed with Chris Gilleard, he argues for gerontology to move away from an unquestioned focus on health and social policy towards investigating the cultural and social engagements of the Third Age. Qualitative approaches can be fruitful in providing a more nuanced picture of what later life means. Laura Hurd Clarke asks why the ageing body has been continuously silenced in gerontology. She poses three poignant considerations for researchers on the ageing body: that the ageing body can be a sensitive subject to study; that researchers have to recognise and overcome internalised ageism; and that anyone who studies ageing bodies needs to be aware of and be prepared for the emotional toll involved. Karen Lowton highlights the emergence of ‘new’ ageing populations – referring to ‘non-traditional’ groups, such as people living with serious health conditions or those with life-limiting conditions, who previously did not expect that they would live to old age. Furthermore, she suggests numerous research questions to be asked at different stages of these groups’ lifecourses: these relate to health and social care, family and friendships, and identity and social roles. One interesting question, for example, might be how individuals manage being constantly reminded of the likelihood of dying at an early age.

Part 2 of the book comprises critical reflections on three researchers' experiences of studying older Pakistani Muslims in the United Kingdom; older people with intellectual disability; and older men. Zubair's experience of managing her presence and interactions in the Pakistani community, through the embodiment of clothing and presentation of her marital status, lends support to the argument that an insider position cannot be assumed simply because the researcher and the researched group share the same broadly defined ‘ethnicity’. Instead, this ‘insider’ status needs to be constantly negotiated, or, in other words, achieved rather than ascribed. Bigby discusses the challenges associated with locating a ‘hidden population’, getting past the gatekeepers, obtaining consent and managing multiple informants. Leontowitsch's chapter provides an interesting account of her experience as a younger female researcher studying older men, including, for example, how her informants behaved in a ‘gentleman-like’ manner towards her and showed a willingness to ‘teach the next generation’ and in the way they took a ‘fatherly interest’ in her. Part 3 discusses the use of focus groups, online methods, and images and photography. The last two chapters could seem rather descriptive but nevertheless they provide interesting examples for researchers who want to experiment by using different methods.

The ‘lack’ of qualitative research in gerontology, which is used as the premise of the book, may need further investigation. Anthropologists' voices seem curiously absent in this book, even though their contributions to the study of older people have not been insignificant. The book could also be further enriched by input from researchers in other parts of the world, but this potential is somewhat limited because of the book's length. While the book provides interesting examples and best practices, it would be useful to outline a ‘bigger picture’ at the beginning to historicise the development of qualitative research methods in gerontology. Readers may also be interested in the challenges before and after the fieldwork process, such as planning, analysis and writing up. The book largely fulfils its aim of motivating qualitative researchers to continue to engage with their work reflexively. It will be useful not only for gerontologists, but also for qualitative researchers in general. The annotated bibliography at the end of each chapter is particularly useful for suggesting further reading both for researchers and students.