It is easy, in today's climate of ever-growing legal equality and social acceptance, to think that books such as this are redundant. But as Witten and Eyler remind us, older lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, and intersex (LGBTI) people have all too often endured decades of discrimination, and we, as professionals, must be aware of the many ways that this may affect their experiences of ageing. Cohorts, life span theory, and resilience are themes which run throughout the book, albeit to varying extents, emphasizing that the terms “old” or “older” can encompass different cohorts with diverse shared experiences, and that the strengths developed to cope with challenges related to sexuality or gender identity are often transferable to the ageing process.

The opening two chapters discuss ageing and caregiving as applied to all of the above groups, while the rest of the book explores gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex perspectives in turn in separate chapters. While this leads to some repetition of the themes and issues common to all groups, such as stigma, experiences of “coming out,” and possible negative preconceptions of health and social care, it ensures that all groups are given equal visibility, whatever the size of their existing research base, and that concerns specific to each particular group are also highlighted. In this way, the editors avoid falling into the trap, identified in their initial chapter, of focusing too heavily on the G and the L, at the expense of the BTI.

Comments about repetition through the chapters assume, of course, that the book is to be read from cover to cover. While some will undoubtedly do so, the fully self-contained nature of each chapter and detailed index also make it a useful resource for dipping into according to the reader's particular interest. In addition, many of the chapters supplement their discussion of existing research literature with extracts from interviews by the authors or vignettes that help to bring the text to life and relate the discussion of sometimes abstract concepts to practice situations.

Most of the discussion in this book is situated primarily, if not exclusively, in a North American context (with a fascinating exception in the cross-cultural exploration of transgender identities). While this is where the book, and in all likelihood, the majority of research on the topic, originated, the varying legal, political and social contexts of LGBTI lives and histories, even across the developed world, mean that not all points are immediately transferable. But perhaps this is less of a criticism of the existing work, and more of an appeal to researchers across the globe to broaden the international research base.

Indeed, this book makes no claim to speak for all LGBTI older people everywhere, and its overriding message is the heterogeneity of LGBTI individuals. It captures well the dynamics of a period where social attitudes and legal contexts have evolved faster than may have been thought possible by the very people on whom it focuses and examines the implications of this in depth. It brings together a huge number of resources and references, and while this is occasionally at the expense of the flow of text, it is always thorough, and can leave the reader with no doubt about where to find out more. It is a comprehensive, thought-provoking resource, which I hope would not only be enjoyed by those with an already firm interest in the subject but also by anyone working with older people. It makes clear that we are likely to come into contact with many older LGBTI people throughout our careers, whether we realize it or not, and is therefore highly relevant to us all.