This volume begins with an essay by Maureen McMahon that overviews the causes and effects of social isolation. According to McMahon, “social isolation tends to identify with a minority of single women 80 years old and older whose yearly income places them below the poverty line.” Ruth A. Wienclaw introduces Activity Theory, which holds that social interaction and activities have positive effects on the well-being of the elderly. She also mentions that most nursing home programs are structured in accordance with the Activity Theory framework. While the effects of Activity Theory may seem positive, Cynthia Vejar enters the conversation with the potential negative realities of retirement. She explains how retired individuals often struggle with identity crises, loss of employment, the desire to retrospectively find meaning in their life accomplishments, and the fear of death. Wienclaw returns to the conversation of aging theory by analyzing minority aging and the two main speculations used to describe it: the double jeopardy hypothesis and the minority status hypothesis.